Ryan Adams' tour of Britain and Ireland has been cancelled, ticket retailer Ticketmaster said Friday, following accusations of abuse against the US alternative singer-songwriter.

Adams has been accused by several women of emotional abuse and exploiting his position as a career mentor as a means to obtain sex.

Ten concerts have been scrapped. The BBC reported that several fans had sought refunds on their tickets following the allegations.

"The Ryan Adams UK and Ireland tour has been cancelled," Ticketmaster Ireland said on Twitter, adding that full refunds to people who bought tickets from authorised outlets would be processed by the end of the day on Monday.

An expose in The New York Times published last month details a pattern of manipulative behaviour from the 44-year-old Grammy-nominated artist, including testimony from performer Mandy Moore, his ex-wife.

In one instance the newspaper - which interviewed more than half a dozen women and reviewed a trove of the US rocker's digital communications - describes Adams as sending graphic texts to a 14-year-old aspiring bass player and exposing himself on Skype.

The paper said he continued the sexually provocative correspondence for months despite appearing to doubt that she was of age.

The country-influenced rocker also allegedly presented women with opportunities to build their profiles while pursuing sex with them, turning angry and sometimes verbally abusive when rejected.

The music world so far has been less affected by the #MeToo movement and crusades against workplace harassment than sectors including Hollywood and the media, despite a growing legion of people saying the industry shields pervasive abuse.

On his Twitter account on February 13, Adams said: "I am not a perfect man and I have made many mistakes. To anyone I have ever hurt, however unintentionally, I apologise deeply and unreservedly."