COLUMBIA, S.C. – Hootie & the Blowfish are again delaying the start of their summer tour as lead singer Darius Rucker recovers from a staph infection in his left knee.

Rucker, 41, has undergone three surgeries to clear the infection and is still trying to rehabilitate the knee, the band said in a statement Tuesday.

They canceled four shows and postponed eight more. The band already postponed the first 13 shows of the tour that was set to begin June 29.

The tour will now start Aug. 10 on Hilton Head Island.

Hootie & the Blowfish will keep a date to play three songs Friday in their hometown of Charleston on CBS’ “The Early Show.”

The canceled shows are in Roslyn, Wash.; Jacksonville, Ore.; Ventura, Calif.; and Turlock, Calif.

The postponed shows are in Kelseyville, Calif.; Temecula, Calif.; Anaheim, Calif.; San Diego; Livermore, Calif.; Glendale, Ariz.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Albuquerque, N.M.

On the Net:

Hootie & the Blowfish:

http://www.hootie.com/

A service of the Associated Press(AP)