Singer Tom Jones postpones U.S. tour due to medical issues

LONDON – Veteran singer Tom Jones announced Saturday that he was reluctantly postponing a U.S. concert tour scheduled to kick off next week because of health issues.

The 77-year-old Welsh crooner said on Twitter that his fall tour would be delayed “following medical advice.” He did not reveal the state of his health or provide further details.

Jones sent his “sincere apologies” to U.S. fans planning to attend the shows. A statement on his website said the rescheduled tour would take place in May and June of next year and that tickets for the postponed shows would be honored.

Jones had been expected to begin a lengthy U.S. tour in Pennsylvania on Sept. 6. He has enjoyed a long career that began with “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat” and other hits in the mid-and late 1960s.

He was for a time one of the world’s most popular recording artists and after attracting a new generation of fans with 1999’s “Sex Bomb,” has never lost the ability to attract concertgoers.

Jones received a knighthood from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 for services to music.

The surprise postponement of his tour dates prompted numerous concerned comments from fans who wished him well on Twitter. Jones’ wife of 59 years, Linda, died last year of cancer.