Sam Smith cancels tour because of vocal cord issue

Sam Smith is ready to give his vocal cords a rest.

The British singer has pulled out of his upcoming Australian tour after being diagnosed with "a small hemorrhage on my vocal cords."

The Grammy winner took to Instagram with the bad news, writing, "I am deeply, deeply saddened to tell my Australian fans, I have to cancel my Australian tour. I have been vocally exhausted for a while now however last night in Sydney I had a small hemorrhage on my vocal cords. The doctors have told me I need to fully rest until my vocal chords have healed, otherwise this could become a huge long-term issue. I am so sorry to all who have bought tickets, I truly am. This kills me."

Smith scrapped sold-out gigs in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, as well as a scheduled appearance at the TV industry's annual Logie Awards. He's planning to reschedule the shows for December.