NEW YORK, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens, who is also known as Yusuf, has announced plans for his first North American concert tour in 35 years.
The North American leg of his Peace Train ... Late Again tour is to kick off Dec. 1 in Toronto. The string of dates in the United States and Canada will follow the music icon's European series of shows.
Tell 'Em I'm Gone, which is set for release on Legacy Recordings Oct. 27, will be the artist's first new studio album in five years. Recorded in Los Angeles, Dubai, Brussels and London, the record features five original tracks and five cover songs.
The album's first single, "Dying to Live," is available now at RollingStone.com.
"Although I was to venture through many lyrical terrains, melodious valleys and cadences during my 50-year musical and spiritual exploration, and though many would agree that I have covered a lot of ground, there was always one path I meant to take. Hidden in the background behind my renowned troubadour persona lurked an R&B alter-self waiting to be let free," Yusuf said in a statement.
"What's powerful and profound, to me, is the overall message which emerged, lyrically. It suddenly stared me in the face: the innate struggle for freedom! Isn't that what most human beings dream of? Music and the Blues particularly was a means of escape for many chained to the destiny of the rich and powerful."
"Yusuf continues to make music that resonates in its beauty and universally empowering themes," said Adam Block, president of Sony Music's Legacy Recordings. "It's both humbling and thrilling to be given the opportunity to have him become a member of the Legacy family. We look forward to working together to create new platforms for Yusuf's future recordings while celebrating his remarkable career with stories we'll tell from the artist's personal archive."
Yusuf was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March.
