R. Kelly announces fall U.S. tour

R. Kelly is ready to put the vocal issues that have delayed his performance schedule behind him: The Grammy Award-winning singer announced Tuesday that he’s hitting the road for a U.S. tour this fall.

Kelly will launch his Single Ladies tour on Oct. 13 in Columbia, S.C., joined by R&B songstress Tamia. The 22-date trek stretches until December and is scheduled to roll into L.A.’s Nokia Theatre on Nov. 2.

The singer has had a rough year after vocal issues sidelined him. Last summer, he was forced to take a hiatus from the stage after undergoing emergency throat surgery for an abscess on one of his tonsils.

Earlier this year, complications from that surgery put a major dent in promotional appearances for his June album, “Write Me Back,” when he canceled a trip to New York and returned to Chicago for additional treatment.

“Write Me Back” continued the more genteel style of R&B he perfected on 2010’s “Love Letter,” which garnered critical acclaim when Kelly traded in his salacious brand of R&B and knocking hip-hop beats for a disc brimming with retro throwbacks.

The album opened to positive reviews and middling sales -- it debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 after selling 68,000 copies in its first week (less than half of what the disc’s predecessor pulled in), according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Kelly didn’t allow vocal troubles to completely sideline him, however. He worked on additional “Trapped in the Closet” chapters to run on IFC later this year; released his memoir, “Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me”; and wrote and produced music for Whitney Houston’s final film, “Sparkle.” He did, however, cancel his “Love Letter” fan cruise after he claimed the cruise’s promoter, Concerts Cruise LLC, failed to pay him.

Ticket information for the upcoming tour will become available on the singer’s official website, with tickets for select dates going on sale Friday.