Lionel Richie was forced to cut short the opening night of his "Sing A Song All Night Long" tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday after falling ill mid-performance.
The 77-year-old hitmaker was performing at the Grand Casino Arena when he announced an unscheduled intermission after singing "Three Times A Lady" from his piano. According to reports from the venue, Richie had indicated throughout the latter part of his set that he was not feeling well, telling the crowd he felt "dizzy" during his performance of "Dancing On The Ceiling."
Videos from the concert showed Richie stopping to sit down multiple times, even as he continued to sing. He reportedly advised the audience that "if you feel dizzy you sit down! And if you don’t feel right, you sit down."
More than 40 minutes after Richie left the stage, a band member, saxophonist Dino Soldo, returned to inform the audience that the singer was not feeling well and would not be able to continue the show. "Additional information will be available," Soldo stated, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Fans who attended the concert expressed their disappointment, with some describing the abrupt end to the show as "horrible." Audience members began to leave the venue shortly after Richie's band exited the stage.
Richie's representatives have not yet released a statement regarding his condition. The tour with Earth, Wind & Fire is scheduled to continue with a performance in Chicago on Friday, June 26. No further information has been provided about potential impacts on subsequent dates.