Cat Stevens Scraps Concert, Blames Scalpers

It was to be Cat Stevens' first show in New York City in some 35 years. But according to Stevens, who also goes by Yusuf Islam, ticket scalpers ruined the fun for everyone. In a post on his website, Stevens says he canceled the Dec. 7 show after fans told him of "extortionate [ticket] prices already being listed on some websites," Rolling Stone reports. "I have been a longtime supporter of paperless tickets to my shows worldwide and avoiding scalpers," Stevens says, but New York law requires tickets to be transferable, "enabling them to be bought and sold at inflated prices."

Stevens also posted a link to a 1974 interview where he's quoted as saying, "I was so angry that at one point I seriously considered buying the tickets off of the [scalpers] and re-distributing them to my loyal fans." He adds, per the BBC, that he hopes "to find an opportunity that aligns with my support of this issue" and "to return to NYC at a future date." He also says "my fans will understand." The next US pit stop on his newly announced US tour will be an added show Dec. 4 in Philadelphia. An extra show has also been added in Boston on Dec. 7. (More Cat Stevens stories.)