Chris Brown's Australian tour axed

Chris Brown's criminal record has cost him an Australian summer tour.

The R&B star's One Hell of a Night shows in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, which were scheduled to begin next week (09Dec15) have been axed.

The news comes three months after officials at Australia's Immigration Department issued him with a "notice of intention to consider refusal" of his visa due to his assault conviction for beating up his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.

He was given 28 days to appeal and present a case as to why he should be granted a visa, without which he can't perform overseas.

"Mr Brown and the promoters both remain positive that the tour will take place in the near future," a statement from the tour's promoter reads. "Mr Brown wishes to express his deepest gratitude to the fans for their support and looks forward to a successful tour in the near future."

Brown was also scheduled to perform in Auckland, New Zealand, on 18 December (15). That gig has also been scrapped, although it is not clear if the singer was refused a visa. That gig was slated to be a celebratory one, as he is set to release his seventh studio album, Royalty, on 18 December (15).