Lionel Richie was rushed to the hospital after experiencing a sudden illness during his stage performance. The renowned singer of “Three Times A Lady” unexpectedly brought his concert to a close at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday. At 77, the former lead vocalist of The Commodores started feeling “dizzy” while performing and had to take a seat mid-show. Paramedics attended to the music icon backstage, and he was subsequently transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, as reported by TMZ.
This incident occurred at the beginning of Richie’s co-headlining Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. He announced an unplanned break after delivering a rendition of “Three Times A Lady” from his piano, according to Minnesota’s local outlet, Bring Me The News.
Shortly thereafter, Richie’s band left the stage. Approximately 40 minutes following the interruption, a band member reappeared to inform the audience that Richie would not be returning, citing his illness as the reason.
“Sadly, Lionel isn’t feeling well,” announced saxophonist Dino Soldo, according to the same publication. “He won’t be able to continue. More information will be shared soon.”
In videos from the event, Richie can be seen pausing to sit down several times during his penultimate song, “Dancing On The Ceiling.”
He reportedly told the crowd that he was feeling “dizzy”.
A fan who attended the concert told the publication Richie “said he has been in this business long enough, if you feel dizzy you sit down! And if you don’t feel right, you sit down!”
One disappointed audience member called the surprise end to the show “horrible” while speaking to the Star Tribune.
“I’m super bummed. This was my first time [seeing Richie] and I’m old,” they vented.