Yusuf/Cat Stevens cancels New York show over scalpers

(Reuters) - Singer-songwriter Yusuf, who was Cat Stevens until he converted to Islam, said he had cancelled a show scheduled for New York City because scalpers had driven up prices.

Yusuf, who was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said in a posting on Facebook on Wednesday that fans had alerted him to exorbitant ticket prices demanded by some websites for tickets, so he had decided to cancel the event.

"My fans will understand and I thank them for informing me about the extortionate ticket prices already being listed on some websites," the British-born singer wrote.

"I have been a longtime supporter of paperless tickets to my shows worldwide and avoiding scalpers."

Yusuf's show was part of an international six-city tour that will be his first in the United States since 1976. He is scheduled to play in Toronto on December 1, followed by a five-event trip through the United States starting in Philadelphia.

Yusuf's first new studio album in five years, "Tell 'Em I'm Gone", will be released on October 27, his record label Sony said last month.