Lionel Richie left his fans concerned after he was forced to bring the first concert of his new tour to a halt after falling ill mid-performance on Wednesday.
The 77-year-old hitmaker was performing at the Grand Casino Arena in St Paul, Minnesota, as the start of his joint Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire when he announced an unusual intermission after a performance of Three Times A Lady from his piano, according to Minnesota’s Bring Me The News.
Richie’s band reportedly also left the stage minutes later but, more than 40 minutes after he cut off the show, a band member returned to announce he wouldn’t be able to return because he was feeling ill.
‘Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,’ said saxophonist Dino Soldo, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. ‘He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Richie’s representatives for comment, but has not yet received a response. The singer’s team has yet to address his impromptu departure from the stage.
On social media, fans who attended the show shared their concerns and revealed that the singer had signaled throughout the performance that he wasn’t feeling well.
Lionel Richie, 77, left fans concerned after he was forced to bring his concert to a halt after falling ill on Wednesday; pictured on American Idol
After more than 30 minutes, a band member said he was ill and wouldn’t return; pictured May 15 in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Videos of him performing showed the singer stopping to sit down multiple times during his second-to-last song Dancing On The Ceiling and he reportedly told the crowd he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing.
Richie was able to sit at the piano bench for what turned out to be his last song of the evening.
A fan who attended the concert told the publication Richie ‘said he has been in this business long enough, if you feel dizzy you sit down! And if you don’t feel right, you sit down!’
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jon Bream, Richie was even saltier with his advice, quoting the singer as saying, ‘When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a** down.’
One video posted by journalist Patrick Kessler on X on Wednesday night showed a portion of his Dancing On The Ceiling performance in which he appeared unsteady as he walked across the stage, before he made an unexpected stop and sat down on the edge of a large stepped platform.
Despite apparently feeling unwell, Richie appeared to be singing throughout his seated portion of the song, rather than relying on a guide vocal.
Richie was seated for less than ten seconds before he stood up and started making his way across the stage again.
However, less than 30 seconds later, he stopped to sit down again on the risers on the opposite side of the stage, even as he continued singing.
Richie reportedly told the crowd that he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing; pictured on American Idol
A band member reportedly told the audience that Richie had to cancel the rest of the show because he was ‘not feeling well’; pictured April 29 in NYC
Audience members reportedly began filing out once Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after his departure; pictured April 29 in NYC
He and the funk icons are next scheduled to perform in Chicago on Friday, June 26; Earth, Wind & Fire is pictured performing in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 13
According to the Star Tribune, Richie’s saxophonist Dino Soldo, who later confirmed that the rest of the show was canceled, took a seat with the singer during Dancing On The Ceiling.
The publication reported audience members began to file out of the venue as soon as Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after he announced the surprise intermission.
One disappointed audience member called the surprise end to the show ‘horrible’ while speaking to the Star Tribune.
‘I’m super bummed. This was my first time [seeing Richie] and I’m old,’ they vented.
The first half of the concert featured a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire, while Richie took the stage for what would have been the second half of the evening.
The music icons are currently scheduled to visit 26 cities through August 14, with their next stop at the United Center in Chicago on Friday, June 26.
