Lionel Richie has been hospitalized in St. Louis, Missouriafter he became ill following a performance there on Saturday evening.
The 77-year-old checked himself into the facility after his performance at The Muny in Forest Park to have some tests performed, per TMZand he was treated in intensive care.
Richie remains in the hospital as of Monday afternoon and is expected to be released Tuesday, the site said.
Sources said the singer went to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, and doctors were reportedly looking into the possibility that Richie may have been suffering from dehydration.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Richie’s rep for comment but has not yet received a response.
The singer’s latest health scare comes just two months after he worried fans when he was forced to cut short a concert in St. Paul. Minnesotaafter getting sick on stage.
Lionel Richie, 77, has been hospitalized in St. Louis, Missouri, after falling ill following a show there on Saturday evening; Above July 1 in Detroit, Michigan
The singer checked himself into the facility after his performance to have some tests done, according to TMZ, and was treated in the ICU; Above, before he fell during his show in St. Louis on Saturday
Richie remains in the hospital as of Monday afternoon and is expected to be released Tuesday, the site said; Above in St. Louis on Saturday
Concertgoers told TMZ that Richie appeared to be having trouble at the end of his concert in St. Louis.
During his closing performance of his iconic hit All Night Long, Richie had to ask for a chair to be brought out so he could sit while he sang.
The incident was reminiscent of the health problems Richie suffered during his St Paul concert in June, when he had to sit on stage several times during a performance.
The septuagenarian hitmaker was performing at the Grand Casino Arena to kick off his joint Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire when he announced an unusual break after performing Three Times A Lady from his piano, according to Minnesota’s Give me the news.
Richie’s band also reportedly left the stage minutes later, but more than 40 minutes after he cut the show short, a band member returned to announce that he would not be able to return because he was feeling ill.
“Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,” saxophonist Dino Soldo said, according to the newspaper Minnesota Star Grandstand. ‘He can’t go any further. Additional information will be available.”
On social media, fans who attended the show shared their concerns, revealing that the singer had reported feeling unwell during the performance.
Videos of his performance showed the singer stopping to sit down several times during his penultimate song, Dancing On The Ceiling, and he reportedly told the audience he felt “dizzy” during the performance.
Sources said Richie took himself to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, and doctors reportedly considered the possibility that he might be suffering from dehydration; Above in May on American Idol
Concertgoers told TMZ that Richie seemed to be struggling at the end of his concert in St. Louis, and he asked for a chair so he could sit while he sang his closing hit All Night Long; Above on Saturday in St. Louis
The incident was reminiscent of the health problems Richie suffered during his St Paul concert in June (pictured), when he had to sit on stage several times during a performance.
Richie was able to sit on the piano bench for what turned out to be his last song of the evening.
A fan who attended the concert in June told the publication Richie “said he’s been in this business long enough, if you feel dizzy, sit down!” And if you don’t feel well, sit down!’
According to Jon Bream of the Minnesota Star Tribune, Richie was even saltier with his advice, quoting the singer: “If you feel dizzy, sit down.”
One video posted by journalist Patrick Kessler on X from the St Paul show in June showed part of his Dancing On The Ceiling performance in which he appeared unsteady as he walked across the stage, before stopping unexpectedly and sitting on the edge of a large stepped platform.
Despite apparently feeling unwell, Richie appeared to sing the entire seated portion of the song, rather than relying on an accompanying voice.
Richie sat for less than ten seconds before he stood up and started walking across the stage again.
Less than 30 seconds later, however, he stopped to sit back in the bleachers on the other side of the stage as he continued to sing.
According to the Star Tribune, Richie’s saxophonist Dino Soldo, who later confirmed the rest of the show had been canceled, joined the singer during Dancing On The Ceiling.
Richie reportedly told the audience that he felt “dizzy” during the performance. A band member reportedly told the audience that Richie had to cancel the rest of the show because he was “not feeling well”; Above April 29 in NYC
The crowd reportedly started pouring out as soon as Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after his departure; Above April 29 in NYC
He and the funk icons will next perform a three-date mini-tour beginning September 26 in San Francisco, California; Above earth, wind and fire on June 13 in Honolulu, Hawaii
The publication reported that audience members began leaving the venue as soon as Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after he announced the surprise break.
Sources close to the star later said this TMZ that paramedics met Richie backstage, and he was taken to a hospital by ambulance.
One disappointed audience member called the show’s surprise ending “terrible” while speaking to the Star Tribune.
‘I am extremely disappointed. This was my first time [seeing Richie] and I’m old,” they vented.
The first half of the concert featured a performance by Earth, Wind & Fire, while Richie took the stage for what would have been the second half of the evening.
The two acts are now touring separately after wrapping up their performances in mid-August, but they will reunite for another three-show mini-tour on September 26 in San Francisco, California, September 30 in Chicago and October 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Following the disastrous performance in St Paul, a source told the Daily Mail that the singer’s loved ones fear Richie – whose best-selling album is 1983’s Can’t Slow Down – may be more focused on entertaining the crowd than entertaining the crowd. focused on his own health.
“Family, friends and even his bandmates are certainly concerned about Lionel’s health, but no one is about to tell him to slow down,” the insider said. “They all want him to get better and do what he loves to do.”
After his disastrous performance in St. Paul in June, a source told the Daily Mail that family, friends and bandmates were concerned about Richie’s health but feared he wouldn’t slow down; Above July 1 in Detroit, Michigan
They highlighted his incredible work ethic, which has made him a reliably popular entertainer for decades, dating back to his time in the 1970s and 1980s with The Commodores.
‘The Lionel we see both on tour and off American Idol is the same Lionel we’ve known for decades: always moving, always working and always looking ahead to the next show,” the source continued. “And with that, depending on what the doctors tell him, his mentality is already focused on getting back on the road as quickly as possible, because that’s just who he is.”
‘Music is not just his job; it’s what keeps him going. He is not one to sit still, and retirement has never really been part of the conversation unless his health leaves him no other option,” she added.
“Right now, Lionel is actually more angry that fans didn’t get the full show they paid for than he is about himself and his health. That’s where his head is,” the insider said. “He hates disappointing people and feels terrible that the concert couldn’t go ahead as planned.”
The source close to Richie suggested he wouldn’t worry for a while.
‘As far as he is concerned, this is only a temporary setback, pending the results. He fully expects to get back to doing what he loves, and he’s already hoping he can make it Chicago this weekend if all is well,” they shared.
“He’s still waiting for more answers about what he’s dealing with, but he thinks it could just be an episode about something very serious.”
