Lionel Richie ended his set at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, early after falling ill. The musician announced an unexpected intermission about 55 minutes into the performance, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Richie, 77, explained to the audience that he was feeling dizzy and that’s why he had performed his hit “Dancing on the Ceiling” while seated on the stage. “When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,” he said.
After performing “Three Times a Lady” at the piano, Richie called for an intermission and left the stage. His band remained for another 15 minutes before also exiting. Forty minutes later, around 10:50 p.m., saxophonist Dino Soldo emerged and thanked the audience for their patience. “Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,” he said. “He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.”
The performance marked the opening night of Richie’s joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. Earth, Wind & Fire’s drummer, John Paris, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Richie hadn’t shown any signs of illness before the show.
The 26-date trek kicked off in Minnesota, and is set to continue with stops at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome before concluding at Austin’s Moody Center on Aug. 14.
On Tuesday night, Richie shared his gratitude about the tour on his Instagram Stories. “Thank you to everyone in my band and crew for all the hard work, dedication, and long hours getting us ready for this tour,” he wrote. “It takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.”
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