Highlights
- Lionel Richie left the stage midway through his St Paul concert after feeling unwell.
- The singer told fans he was dizzy before taking an unscheduled break.
- A band member later confirmed Richie would not return to complete the show.
- The performance marked the opening night of his co-headlining tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Lionel Richie’s highly anticipated return to the stage hit an unexpected setback on Wednesday night when the music icon was forced to end his concert early after falling ill during a performance in St Paul, Minnesota.
The singer was around an hour into his set at the Grand Casino Arena when he paused the show following a rendition of “Three Times a Lady”, telling the audience to wait while he briefly stepped away. Fans initially expected him to return, but the interruption soon turned into a much longer delay.
Richie tells crowd he is feeling dizzy
Moments before leaving the stage, Richie had shown visible signs of discomfort during “Dancing on the Ceiling”, one of the final songs he performed that evening. According to audience members, he sat down more than once and told concertgoers he was experiencing dizziness.
One attendee recalled Richie saying that after decades in the music industry, he had learned the importance of sitting down whenever he did not feel right.
Concert called off after extended delay
Following Richie’s departure, members of his band also left the stage. More than 30 minutes later, with fans still waiting, a band member returned to deliver disappointing news: Richie would not be coming back because he was feeling unwell.
The announcement brought the evening to an abrupt end, leaving many in the audience concerned about the singer’s condition.
Opening night of major summer tour
The St Paul show was the first date of Richie’s Sing A Song All Night Long tour, which he is co-headlining with Earth, Wind & Fire. The legendary group had opened the concert earlier in the evening before Richie took to the stage.
The tour is scheduled to travel across 26 cities and run through to 14 August. There has been no immediate indication of whether the remaining dates will be affected.
