Lionel Richie is stepping away from the road after another heart related hospitalization led doctors to treat the music legend for atrial fibrillation. The latest Lionel Richie health update comes as the 77-year-old singer was preparing to continue his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, but his representative says Richie is now focused on recovery following a successful procedure. According to ABC News, his representative said, “The doctor said everything went perfectly. Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”
The hospitalization was first reported by TMZ, which reported that Richie was receiving treatment for atrial fibrillation, commonly known as AFib, and underwent an ablation. The outlet also reported that the health issue affected the next three dates on Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour, including a September 26 concert in San Francisco, a September 30 stop in Chicago and an October 2 show in Columbus, Ohio.
There is one important wrinkle for ticket holders. Although multiple reports on Tuesday described those performances as canceled or postponed because of the Lionel Richie health situation, Richie’s official tour calendar and Earth, Wind & Fire’s official tour page were still displaying the three dates when checked September 22. Richie’s official website also continued listing the concerts. The United Center and Schottenstein Center pages similarly showed the Chicago and Columbus appearances on their calendars, meaning venue and ticketing systems may still be catching up with the latest announcement.
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm that can sometimes cause the heart to beat unusually fast. According to Mayo Clinic, AFib ablation can involve guiding thin catheters through blood vessels to the heart and using heat, cold, or electrical energy to create small areas of scar tissue. Those areas can block faulty electrical signals that contribute to the abnormal rhythm. The exact type of ablation Richie received has not been publicly detailed beyond reports that he underwent an AFib procedure.
The latest Lionel Richie health development follows a series of medical interruptions that began shortly after he hit the road with Earth, Wind & Fire this summer. During the tour’s opening performance in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 24, Richie began feeling “dizzy” and “strange” while performing. He sat down during “Dancing on the Ceiling” before eventually cutting the show short. Paramedics met him backstage and transported him to a hospital by ambulance.
That June incident forced Richie to postpone performances in Chicago and Columbus while he recovered. Doctors advised him to take time away from performing so he could rest and regain his health. Richie returned to the stage days later, and in early July he publicly reassured supporters that he was recovering.
His health became a concern again at the end of August following a performance in St. Louis. Richie checked himself into a hospital after the concert for testing. Witnesses told the outlet that he had asked for a chair near the end of his performance of “All Night Long.” The singer remained hospitalized as doctors investigated cardiac-related issues. He had spent time in intensive care before being released home in early September.
The new AFib procedure makes this the third reported hospitalization involving Richie since June. It also brings additional clarity to a summer in which the specific cause behind his earlier medical episodes had not been publicly established. Neither Richie nor his representative has publicly said that the June and August incidents were caused by atrial fibrillation.
Despite the interruption, Richie still has additional performances listed later this year. His official tour calendar currently shows a run of “King of Hearts” concerts at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas beginning October 14, followed by additional November dates and an international appearance scheduled for December.
The concern surrounding Richie comes amid a career that has stretched across generations of R&B, soul and pop. The Recording Academy has honored him with four Grammy wins and 33 nominations, including wins for “Truly,” Can’t Slow Down,” and “We Are the World,” which he wrote with Michael Jackson. Richie first rose to prominence as a member of the Commodores before building a solo catalog that includes “Hello,” “All Night Long,” and “Dancing on the Ceiling.” He was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.
For now, Richie’s camp is emphasizing recovery rather than setting a firm timetable for his performances.
