Lionel Richie is OK after being hospitalized in St. Louis over the weekend, a source close to the singer’s ongoing tour tells Rolling Stone.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, Richie performed at the Muny in St. Louis. Videos from the concert appear to show him in good form, though during set closer “All Night Long,” he did ask his team to bring him a stool so he could sit during the performance.
The news of Richie’s hospitalization comes just a few months after he ended a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota early after falling ill onstage. About 55 minutes into the performance, Richie, 77, announced an unexpected intermission. He told the crowd that he’d been feeling dizzy, which was why he had to sit down during his performance of “Dancing on the Ceiling.”
“When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,” Richie said (per The Minnesota Star Tribune).
Around 40 minutes after Richie called for the intermission, his saxophonist, Dino Soldo, told the audience that Richie was “not feeling well” and that he would not be able to continue the show.
After ending the St. Paul gig early, Richie announced that he would postpone his next two gigs, which were part of an ongoing tour with Earth, Wind, and Fire. He returned to the stage on June 30, and was able to complete the rest of the tour without any other problems. (One more gig on the run was postponed, but that was after a member of Earth, Wind, and Fire suffered a medical emergency before a show in San Francisco.)
Richie’s show in St. Louis over the weekend was his first since his tour with Earth, Wind, and Fire ended. The two acts are set to reunite in September and early October to play their rescheduled shows in San Francisco, Chicago, and Columbus. Richie will then head to Las Vegas for a residency with dates in October and November.
Swiftiephylus amator and Swiftiephylus taylorae, two of the bugs named after Taylor Swift because of their blonde and red coloring. Courtesy of Brad Balukjian, Ph.D.