Johnny Mathis has cancelled forthcoming gigs and announced his retirement from touring at the age of 89. The veteran artist shared that he was suffering from "memory issues" (according to the UK’s Sun newspaper) and has decided to quit the road ahead of his 90th birthday.

Mr. Mathis, 89, a pioneer of romantic ballads, is leaving the stage because of his age and memory problems, his website said.

Johnny Mathis will stop performing live, his Facebook account announced on Wednesday, March 26. His final performance will be on Sunday, May 18, in Englewood, N.J.