Blige cancels Australian concerts

PERTH, Australia, June 6 (UPI) -- Exhaustion has forced U.S. recording artist Mary J. Blige to postpone her upcoming concerts in Australia and New Zealand, her representatives said.

Chugg Entertainment issued a statement Friday to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, announcing Blige's engagements had been put on hold because of the singer's "weariness from an overwhelming tour schedule."

Blige, who is now performing in the United Kingdom, was set to kick off the Australian leg of her tour in Perth Tuesday. She also pulled out of gigs in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington. Rescheduled dates, probably in November, are to be announced June 30, the Telegraph said.

"I am so disappointed that I won't be able to make it to Australia and New Zealand for the June tour as planned," Blige said in the statement. "I want to thank all of my wonderful fans who supported the announcement of my first tour in these countries and I can't tell you how excited I was to come down in June and put on a show for you all.

"Postponing these shows has been an extremely difficult decision for me and I am sincerely sorry that I will not be able to fulfil my tour commitments, but I assure you that the November shows will be well worth the wait."