ST. PAUL, Minn. — Singer-songwriter Lionel Richie cut short his concert Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena after falling ill during the opening stop of his 26-city tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.
About an hour into the performance, the 77-year-old artist told the audience he felt dizzy while performing “Dancing on the Ceiling” and sat down on stage.
“That’s the first time in my career I’ve sat during ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’… not good, not good,” Richie told the crowd.
Richie then performed “Three Times a Lady” at the piano before announcing an unplanned intermission, telling the audience, “Intermission, intermission, so I don’t fall over,” before leaving the stage.
After a delay, a member of Richie’s band informed concertgoers that the singer was not feeling well and would not return to complete the show.
The performance marked the opening night of Richie’s tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, which is scheduled to continue through August.
Live Nation later announced that, on the advice of doctors, Richie’s next two concerts have been postponed.
Richie had been scheduled to perform Friday in Chicago and Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Live Nation said new dates for the postponed shows will be announced later.
The tour is currently scheduled to resume June 30 in Pittsburgh.