Lionel Richie was forced to cut short the opening night of his joint North American tour with Earth, Wind & Fire after falling ill on stage in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The 77-year-old singer reportedly appeared unwell during his performance at the Grand Casino Arena, with videos shared on social media showing him sitting down multiple times while performing hits including Dancing on the Ceiling. He later told the audience he was feeling dizzy before joking, “When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down.”
Richie briefly continued the set by sitting at the piano for Three Times a Lady before calling an intermission. However, the show did not resume. His band remained on stage for around 15 minutes before leaving, after which saxophonist Dino Soldo informed the audience that Richie was unable to continue, adding that further updates would follow.
The 26-date tour, which also features Earth, Wind & Fire, is scheduled to continue across major US cities including New York and Los Angeles, with a planned finale in Austin on 14 August. Richie had earlier thanked his band and crew on Instagram for their preparation ahead of the tour.
