Citing the press of other commitments, actor Billy Bob Thornton has postponed his scheduled fall U.S. tour. It will tentatively be rescheduled for early 2002, according to a spokesperson for Thornton.

Thornton, said the spokesperson, is in four films being released this fall and his film promotion schedule overwhelmed the tour. The movies are "Bandits" (with Bruce Willis), the Coen Brothers' "The Man Who Wasn't There," "Monsters Ball" (with Heath Ledger) and "Waking Up in Reno" (with Charlize Theron).

The Private Radio Live & Plugged In Tour, timed to support the release of his debut album, Private Radio, on September 25, was to have been prefaced by two dates at London's La Scala, on September 24-25. Tour dates had been scheduled for October in concert halls in 11 U.S. cities. Marty Stuart and the Rock & Roll Cowboys were to be Thornton's backing band.

Stuart produced the album, on Lost Highway Records, which is still set for release on September 25. Thornton plays drums and sings on all 12 cuts. The album includes several Thornton originals, collaborations with Stuart and Mark Collie, a Dwight Yoakam collaboration on "The Starlight Lounge" and covers of the Byrds' "He Was a Friend of Mine" and the Leon Payne country classic "Lost Highway." Thornton also has a cut — of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" — on the current CD Earl Scruggs and Friends, His version of "Lost Highway" will also appear on an upcoming Hank Williams tribute album.