American Idol judge Lionel Richie kicked off his tour in St Paul, Minnesota, but was unable to finish the show. The 77 year old admitted he felt unwell after only 55 minutes on stage.
Lionel Richie Cuts Concert Short
On Wednesday, June 24, Lionel Richie took the stage for the first night of his tour at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nearly 55 minutes after beginning his set, he fell ill on stage. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Richie was performing “Dancing on The Ceiling” before taking a seat on his platform. From there, the singer told the audience that he was feeling dizzy and he’d never previously performed a song while seated.
“When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,” he said (reported via the Star Tribune).
The singer then went on to perform “Three Times a Lady” at the piano, before taking an unplanned intermission. Richie’s band remained on stage for 15 minutes before leaving the stage.
After nearly 40 minutes, one of Richie’s band members took the stage to thank the crowd for their patience. He also admitted that Richie wouldn’t be able to finish the concert due to feeling ill.
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Fans, Earth Wind, Fire, React
While leaving the concert, The Star Tribune interviewed fans on their experience. One fan admitted that they were “super bummed” since it was their first time seeing the American Idol judge live. Meanwhile, others were “grateful” for his performance given his age, saying they weren’t “surprised he had to sit.”
Fellow concert performers Earth, Wind & Fire also spoke to The Star Tribune about Richie. The band’s drummer John Paris explained that the American Idol judge showed no signs of being ill before the show. Paris then admitted that Richie was “a little dehydrated.”
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This was the first concert date of Richie and Earth, Wind, and Fire’s ongoing 26-date Sing Along All Night tour. Typically, these concerts are supposed to last around 90 minutes. The next stop on this tour is in Chicago on Friday, June 26. They will then head to Toronto, Boston, N.Y.C., Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The tour will concluded in Austin, Texas, on August 14.
