Shamed R&B singer Chris Brown has brushed off rumours fans abandoned him after he was convicted of assaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna, insisting ticket sales for his comeback tour are "doing very well".

The Kiss Kiss hitmaker was sentenced in August to five years probation, community service and ordered to stay away from the singer for the entire probation period.

The 20 year old is now attempting a comeback with his Fan Appreciation tour, which kicks off in Houston, Texas next week.

Many tickets for the gigs are still available - fans even have the option to purchase up to 50 tickets at a time for Brown's opening night.

However, Brown is blaming slow ticket sales on the worldwide credit crunch - and remains confident he will perform the full tour, which is scheduled to run until December 15.

His spokesperson tells the New York Daily News, "Dates are expected to sell out, and given the economic climate, ticket sales are doing very well."