Islam Was On His Way To Nashville For Music Talks

Yusuf Islam has temporarily abandoned a planned return to making music after his latest efforts to negotiate a new project ended with him being labelled a terrorist and turned away from entering America.

Islam, who changed his name from CAT STEVENS when he converted to Islam in the late 1970s, was prohibited from entering America last week (ends24SEP04) after his name appeared on a security terrorist watch list.

Now, back in London, Islam, who was travelling with his daughter to Nashville, Tennessee, to "explore some new musical ideas with a record label there," admits he's thinking twice about returning to the music scene.

He states, "Ironically, I was trying to remain low profile because of the speculation that it might have raised in the music world about a return of 'the Cat.'

"Media attention was the last thing I wanted. But it seems God wanted otherwise."