Lionel Richie has postponed his next two concerts after falling ill during his opening night performance in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The singer had to sit down during “Dancing on the Ceiling” and said he was feeling dizzy before he walked offstage, according to fan videos from the show. He was able to perform “Three Times a Lady” before exiting the stage. Roughly 40 minutes later, the concert came to an abrupt end as Richie’s saxophonist told the crowd that Richie “won’t be able to continue,” according to The Minnesota Star-Tribune.
Richie was also taken to the hospital after the St. Paul incident, TMZ reported, but merely as a precaution. Now Richie’s Friday show in Chicago and Saturday show in Columbus, Ohio have both been postponed, according to a statement from Chicago’s United Center.
The United Center added that Richie has been advised by doctors to “rest and return to full health.” There’s no makeup date yet for the rescheduled shows, but new dates will be announced soon, the United Center post adds.
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire are set to resume their Sing a Song All Night Long tour Tuesday in Pittsburgh, the United Center post continued, adding that Richie is “heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans.”
Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris told the Star-Tribune that Richie was “a little dehydrated” but hadn’t noticed any health issues prior to the show.
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s North American tour runs all summer long, with the final show set for Aug. 14 in Austin, Texas.
