Lionel Richie, 77, falls ill on stage in Minnesota, ends up opening night concert.
Lionel Richie’s opening night of his 26-city North American tour came to an abrupt end after the singer fell ill on stage.
The 77-year-old music legend performed for about an hour at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Thursday when he appeared to be struggling during “Dancing on the Roof” as he began his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Richie sat down several times during the song, videos shared on social media showed.
“When you feel dizzy, sit down,” Richie told the crowd, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
He then sat down at the piano to sing “Three Times of a Woman” before calling a break. His band stayed on stage for about 15 minutes before leaving.
About 40 minutes later, saxophonist Dino Soldo addressed the audience.
“Unfortunately, Lionel is not well,” Soldo said. “He will not be able to continue. More information will be available.”
Before taking the stage on Thursday, Richie shared his excitement about starting the tour.
“Opening night. Rehearsal. Sound check. Showtime tonight. Saint Paul, wake up!!!” he wrote on Instagram.
Earlier this week, the “All Night Long” singer also thanked the team and musicians who helped make this tour a reality.
“I thank everyone in my team and team for all the hard work, dedication and long hours preparing for this trip,” he wrote on Instagram Stories.
“It takes an amazing team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and I thank each and every one of you.”
Thursday’s show marked the opening night of Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s newly launched North American tour.
The 26-date run will continue Friday night at Chicago’s United Center, though it’s unclear if Richie will be fully recovered to take the stage after cutting Thursday’s show.
Page Six has contacted Richie for comment.
Despite Thursday’s setback, the Grammy winner has long maintained that retirement is not on her radar.
Richie has continued to perform in recent years and has previously said that he has no intention of leaving the stage.
“They’re going to have to take me out, babe,” he told Rolling Stone in 2020.
“Someone asked me years ago, ‘When do you plan to retire?’ I said, ‘Where did it come from?’ I never got a job. Working people want to retire.”
At the time, Richie said he still felt like a 19-year-old and was enjoying the “fun and adventure” that comes with life on the road.
