Lionel Richie fell ill during the opening night of his joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, cutting his set short after about an hour on stage at St. Paul, MNâs Grand Casino Arena.
Several videos circulating on social media showed Richie, 77, sitting down on the stage several times while performing âDancing on the Ceiling.â He reportedly told the audience that he wasnât feeling well: âWhen youâre feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,â he said, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
He then sat down at the piano to perform âThree Times a Ladyâ but then called an intermission. His band remained on stage for 15 minutes before exiting. Forty minutes later, saxophonist Dino Soldo emerged and thanked the audience for their patience. âUnfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,â he said. âHe wonât be able to continue. Additional information will be available.â
A rep for Richie did not immediately return Varietyâs request for comment.
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire announced their joint North American tour earlier this year. The 26-date trek kicked off tonight in Minnesota, and currently has stops planned for New York Cityâs Madison Square Garden and Los Angelesâ Intuit Dome before concluding at Austinâs Moody Center on August 14.
On Tuesday night, Richie took to his Instagram Stories to thank everyone who helped in preparation for the tour. âThank you to everyone in my band and crew for all the hard work, dedication, and long hours getting us ready for this tour,â he wrote. âIt takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and Iâm grateful for each and every one of you.â