Barry White [ tickets ] checked into a San Diego hospital on Monday, citing exhaustion and cancelling the August dates of a co-billed tour with Earth Wind & Fire, it was announced Monday evening. The 54-year-old crooner, noted for his deep voice and bedroom-themed material, is expected to continue the tour after a month of rest.

''I'm taking my doctor's advice and taking it easy for a few weeks,'' White said in a written statement. ''I hope to be able to give 110 percent as soon as I can.''

White was to have launched his first series of dates with Earth, Wind & Fire on August 5th in Concord, Calif. Subsequent dates in San Francisco, Anaheim, Dallas, New Orleans, Detroit and Nashville are all postponed as well.

According to a Reuters report, White was hospitalized for hypertension in 1995. In recent days, he had been working a heavy publicity schedule surrounding last Tuesday's release of his latest album, Staying Power.

The tour is now expected to launch September 10th in Boston.