Lionel Richie (77) had to prematurely cancel the opening of his joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. After about an hour on stage at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, the 77-year-old singer ended his performance according to US media - the musician was not feeling well.
Indeed, several videos circulating on social networks show Richie repeatedly sitting down on stage during his song "Dancing on the Ceiling". He apparently let the audience know that he was feeling unwell. "When you're dizzy, sit down on your behind", he said according to the "Minnesota Star Tribune".
Saxophonist delivers the news
Richie then sat down at the piano to start "Three Times a Lady" - then he called for a break. According to the report, his band initially remained on stage for 15 minutes before the musicians also disappeared. About 40 minutes later, saxophonist Dino Soldo stepped in front of the audience and thanked the spectators for their patience. "Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well", he said. "He will not be able to continue. More information to follow."
26 concerts planned through August
So far, there has been no update on Richie's condition and whether additional concerts could be affected. He and Earth, Wind & Fire had already announced their joint North American tour at the beginning of the year. The opening in Minnesota was the start of a series of 26 dates. Planned stops include Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, before the tour is scheduled to end on August 14 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas.
Just on Tuesday evening, Richie had thanked everyone in his Instagram stories who had contributed to preparing for the tour. "Thanks to everyone in my band and crew for the hard work, dedication, and long hours that got us ready for this tour", he wrote. "It takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make this all happen, and I'm grateful to each and every one of you."
