Leonard Cohen's bad back delays European tour

Canadian poet and raconteur Leonard Cohen has had to postpone the European leg of his tour by six months because of a back injury.

A statement released on Friday by his representatives said the 75-year-old performer had been advised to follow a regimen of physiotherapy.

No other details were divulged about Cohen's health or how he injured himself. The crooner appeared fairly buoyant last weekend in Los Angeles, when he accepted a Grammy for lifetime achievement.

Cohen returned to the tour circuit in May 2008 after a 10-year absence. He's given more than 190 concerts around the world.

Last year, he was sent to hospital in Spain after collapsing on stage. He blamed the incident on food poisoning.

The nine-date tour of Europe had been set to begin on March 1 in Caen, France.

That date has now been moved to Sept. 15, with shows scheduled through to Oct. 7 in Moscow.