Blake Shelton refuses to take blame for canceled North Carolina event

Country star Blake Shelton is distancing himself from the cancellation of the Carolina Kickoff concert in North Carolina, insisting he was ready and willing to play.

The gig had been due to take place at East Carolina University in Greenville on 19 August (17), but earlier this week (begs31Jul17), organizers announced the show was being postponed until next April (18) - and headliner Blake would no longer be topping the bill.

Some fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment at the axed concert, with a few taking aim at the Came Here to Forget singer himself for the axed date.

"@blakeshelton - we got no love for you here NC," wrote one Twitter user. "thanks for canceling the Carolina Kickoff concert said http://NO.ONE .EVER!"

The post prompted Blake to respond directly to the disgruntled ticketholder, claiming he isn't the one to blame.

"The cancelation (sic) had NOTHING to do with me," he explained. "I was ready to play the show. I love Greenville and will figure out a way to come there and play!"

Hammering home the message, Blake added, "I wanna be clear that the Greenville concert cancel had NOTHING to do w (with) me/my camp. I was ready to play! I love Greenville Ill (sic) be back ASAP!"

All tickets for the rescheduled August show will be honored at the 2018 date, but in the meantime, Carolina Kickoff officials have invited fans to attend a free concert featuring Big & Rich, among other artists. The replacement gig will be held at the Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on 19 August - when the Shelton event was originally due to take place.