“I wouldn’t be the entertainer that I am if I can’t physically give you my best,” the singer said in a statement.
Usher Bellamy Brewster
Atlanta fans preparing to see Usher kick off his Past Present Future tour on Wednesday night (Aug. 14) will have to wait as the R&B superstar announced that the opening show at State Farm Arena has been postponed for a later date.
Usher released a statement to social media on Wednesday hours before he was slated to hit the stage where he cited an ailment causing him to slow down and give his “body a second to rest and heal.”
A rep for the singer relayed to Variety that Usher needed extra “time to heal from an unspecified injury.” Billboard has reached out to Usher’s team for comment.
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“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. 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 wrote.
The Grammy-winning singer 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% of 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. My team will be sharing news of the rescheduled date soon. I can’t wait to celebrate this legacy with you.”
As of press time, the second and third shows from the original trio of Atlanta dates are still on as scheduled, per Ticketmaster.
The Usher: Past Present Future tour is set to rumble through North America with stops slated for Boston, Toronto, NYC, Detroit, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and will wrap up in Chicago with a pair of shows to close out October.
The trek will cap off what’s been a banner year for the 45-year-old hitmaker, who headlined the Super Bowl LXVIII Halftime Show in Las Vegas back in February, released his ninth studio album Coming Home and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards in June.
“Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it,” he said while accepting the honor at the BET Awards.
A new date for Wednesday’s show is yet to be announced. Usher’s next scheduled to take the stage in Atlanta for a pair of shows on Friday (Aug. 16) and Saturday (Aug. 17). See his full statement below.
