Lionel Richie postponed two upcoming concerts after being taken to a hospital following a medical emergency that forced him off stage on June 24, 2026, during the opening night of his joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The 77-year-old singer will not perform in Chicago on June 26, or in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday, June 27, under doctors’ advisement to rest and return to full health. A statement confirmed that doctors advised him to rest. The tour with Earth, Wind & Fire returned to the stage on June 30 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rescheduled dates for the postponed shows will be announced soon.
Richie’s ex-wife, Brenda Harvey Richie, posted on X: “Thanking everyone for their concern! Lionel is OK and will be back on the stage.”
What Happened on Stage
The “All Night Long” singer was performing at the Grand Casino Arena when he showed signs of distress in his first hour on stage. While performing “Dancing on the Ceiling,” Richie sat down on stage and told the audience he felt dizzy. He moved to a piano and played “Three Times a Lady” before announcing an intermission that proved to be final.
Journalist Patrick Kessler filmed the moment and posted footage to X, saying that Richie “said he felt dizzy.” A TikTok video posted on the evening of June 24 by user ynaffitmocha captured Richie addressing the crowd from his seat on the stage. He joked with the audience about his discomfort, explaining that his years in the business had taught him that when feeling dizzy or strange, the smart choice is to sit down.
His band remained on stage for about 15 minutes before departing. About 40 minutes later, saxophonist Dino Soldo delivered the news to the crowd. “Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,” Soldo told attendees, adding that additional information would be made available.
Taken to the hospital
After leaving the stage, Richie was taken to a hospital nearby as a precaution. Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Richie seemed “a little dehydrated” and that he hadn’t shown any signs of illness before the concert began.
The medical emergency was a stark departure from Richie’s upbeat demeanor before the concert. On June 24, he posted on Instagram, thanking his band and crew for their work getting the tour ready. “Saint Paul, here we come,” he wrote in one post.
On the day of the show itself, he posted again with visible excitement: “Rehearsals. Sound check. Showtime tonight. Saint Paul, you’re up!!!”
Tour Plans Adjusted
The joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire was intended as a summer celebration featuring Richie’s hits like “Hello,” “Say You, Say Me,” and “All Night Long” alongside the legendary group’s classics. On June 24, it was meant to be a triumphant kickoff of the “Sing A Song All Night Long” tour. Instead, it became a night of worry and unanswered questions.
A statement shared by Richie’s team said he is “heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans.”
On June 26, Brenda Harvey Richie, the mother of his eldest daughter, Nicole Richie, shared the reassuring update with fans. The couple was married from 1975 to 1993, and they have remained close in the decades since their divorce.
Richie made good on that promise, returning to the stage on June 30 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. He completed the full show and addressed the health scare publicly for the first time, joking with the crowd: “I had you worried there for a minute, huh? Not only did I scare your *** to death, but I also scared my *** to death as well.” When he reached “Dancing on the Ceiling” — the song he had performed seated in Saint Paul — he walked across the stage and performed it standing, telling the audience: “When your vitamin pill kicks in, you’re going to dance on the ceiling!” No official diagnosis has been disclosed.
