British singer-songwriting legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Yusuf / Cat Stevens
will tour New Zealand in December. A Cat’s Attic “Peace Train Tour” commemorates the 50th Anniversary of his first major hit single and debut album Matthew & Son released in 1967.

Last here in 2010 for two rapturously received and sold-out arena concerts, Yusuf / Cat Stevens returns to perform two arena shows and one huge outdoor concert for this,
only his second ever tour of NZ.

The tour will commence on Wednesday 13 December at Auckland’s Vector Arena and will travel to New Plymouth’s TSB Bowl of Brooklands on Saturday 16 December
and finishes at Christchurch’s Horncastle Arena on Tuesday 19 December.

Having first found fame as a teenager in 1960s England, Cat Stevens grew from being a teen idol into becoming one of the most influential singer-songwriters of all time. In addition to his vast musical achievements, his lifelong spiritual quest and search for meaning has added intrigue and depth to a groundbreaking career.

Cat achieved early success in the mid 60s with “Matthew and Son”, “Here Comes My Baby” and “The First Cut Is The Deepest”. In 1968 the heavy workload of non-stop appearances and touring, the excesses of a pop-star lifestyle took its toll and Cat contracted TB. He was hospitalised for several months and began a significant process of inner reflection and meditation. During this time Stevens began to question aspects of his life and spirituality and underwent a profound musical transformation. From 1970 to 1978 he recorded and released the albums that would establish him as a leading singer-songwriter of his generation.

His album, Tea for the Tillerman, from 1970, went multi-platinum in the U.S. and Australasia with such songs as “Wild World”, “Hard Headed Woman”, “Where Do the Children Play?” and “Father & Son”.  It was Teaser and the Firecat in 1971 that made him a megastar, with songs like “Morning Has Broken”, “Peace Train” and “Moonshadow”. In 1975 Cat experienced another momentous and life-changing event after nearly drowning in the Pacific Ocean. Following this he dedicated himself to the Divine path, and on leaving music he concentrated on education and humanitarian relief.

The tragic events of 9/11 motivated Yusuf to, once again, take to the global stage. He spoke out in the media against the atrocities, against fanaticism and war, and called for peace and unity. In 2006 Yusuf returned to mainstream music with the album An Other Cup, which was followed in 2009 by Roadsinger. 2014 was another monumental year for Yusuf, as he released his fourteenth studio album Tell ‘Em I’m Gone and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is currently working on a children’s animation series and writing his autobiography, which is expected to surface next year.

Cat Stevens

Wednesday December 13th: Vector Arena, Auckland - Tickets via Ticketmaster

Saturday December 16th: Bowl Of Brooklands, New Plymouth - Tickets via Ticketek

Tuesday December 19th: Horncastle Arena, Christchurch - Tickets via Ticketek

General Public on sale: 10am on Wednesday 5 April

With this tour announcement, Yusuf / Cat Stevens is giving his current RedRoom fan club members the first chance at purchasing tickets.
The fan club pre-sale will run from 9am Monday 3 April (local time) to 9am Tuesday 4 April(local time).  
To learn more about the RedRoom visit www.catstevens.com.