Usher postpones opening night of world tour to ‘rest and heal’
The music star called off the show hours before it was due to start in Atlanta, Georgia.
R&B star Usher has rescheduled the opening night of his Past Present Future world tour to “give my body a second to rest and heal”.
The eight-time Grammy winner postponed the show hours before it was scheduled to start in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday.
The 45-year-old did not explain why he needed to recuperate, but he is expected to appear at the same venue on Friday and Saturday.
“For my 30-plus year career, 100% of my blood, sweat and tears has gone into putting on the best performance and creating a memorable experience for my fans,” he said in a statement on Instagram.
“I have every intention of doing that for this tour as well, which is why I have to postpone tonight’s show and reschedule it for a later date to give my body a second to rest and heal.”
He continued: “You’re still going to get a bit of the past, some of the present and a unique look into the future on the rescheduled date but you’ll also be getting 100% me.
“The last thing I want to ever do is disappoint you, the fans who have been eagerly waiting for this tour to start.
“However, I wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best.”
Usher signed off the post telling fans: “I can’t wait to celebrate this legacy with you”.
The singer announced the US leg of the tour in the days leading up to his Super Bowl half-time show, which included a medley of hits such as Yeah! and Love In This Club at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Two days before the show, he released his ninth studio album titled Coming Home, his first solo release since 2016’s Hard II Love.
Aside from his eight-night residency at La Seine Musicale in Paris last year, the upcoming tour shows in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin will be his first European performances since the 2015 UR Tour.
Usher released his debut self-titled album in 1994, but cemented his position in the music world with his 2004 release Confessions, featuring some of his biggest hits including Burn and Confessions Part II.
The R&B star, who has served as a coach on the US version of The Voice, has had four chart-topping tracks in the UK singles chart with songs including OMG featuring Will.i.am.
