Lionel Richie cut his concert at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minn. short Wednesday evening after falling ill mid-performance.
Multiple concertgoers documented the unexpected incident on X, sharing that the 77-year-old “Hello” singer shared that he was feeling dizzy and unwell during his first hour on the stage.
Journalist Patrick Kessler even shared footage of Richie sitting down in the middle of a performance of “Dancing on the Ceiling.”
“Lionel Ritchie concert in St. Paul at Grand Casino Arena canceled mid-show,” Kessler wrote. “Ritchie sat down on stage during ‘Dancing on the Ceiling,’ said he felt dizzy. Performed one more song at piano, ‘Three Times a Lady,’ then announced unplanned intermission. Did not return.”
Other attendees shared similar accounts on X, with one fan noting that a band member later told the crowd that the “American Idol” star was “not feeling well” after he failed to return to the stage.
Richie has yet to formally address the health incident and a rep for the singer did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The St. Paul stop marked the opener for Richie’s “Sing A Song All Night Long” joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, who performed earlier in the evening.
Richie appeared particularly stoked for this opening night, posting several times on Instagram leading up to the concert.
“Thank you to everyone in my band and crew for all the hard work, dedication and long hours getting us ready for this tour,” Richie wrote on his Instagram Stories Tuesday evening. “It takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and I’m grateful for each and everyone of you. Saint Paul, here we come.”
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire are expected to perform at the United Center in Chicago, Ill. on Friday. No word yet on whether this incident will impact that concert.
