Lionel Richie halts concert in Minnesota after feeling dizzy during tour opener
The 77-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was about an hour into his set at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul when he told the crowd he felt dizzy and sat down during 'Dancing on the Ceiling'. He left the stage shortly afterward and did not return.
Lionel Richie abandoned the first night of his 'Sing a Song All Night Long Tour' with Earth, Wind & Fire on Wednesday after a bout of dizziness left him unable to continue.
A shaky start at Grand Casino Arena
The 77-year-old singer was roughly an hour into his performance at the St. Paul, Minnesota, venue when he began to feel unwell. Fan footage shows him repeatedly sitting down on a step during the upbeat 1980s hit 'Dancing on the Ceiling', telling the audience he felt dizzy.
When you're feeling dizzy, sit your ass down.
Richie then moved to the piano for a rendition of the ballad 'Three Times a Lady' before announcing an unexpected intermission and exiting, leaving his five-piece band on stage.
The band tries to fill the silence
The band remained in place for about 15 minutes, with pre-recorded music playing overhead, before they too left. Some fans began departing the arena during the wait. After 40 minutes, saxophonist Dino Soldo, who had sat beside Richie during the earlier stumble, returned to address the crowd.
The announcement confirmed what many in the audience had suspected: Richie had not been in top form and his voice had not been perfect, according to a reporter for the Minnesota Star Tribune who was present.Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well. He won't be able to continue. Additional information will be available.
Tour next steps unclear
The 26-date North American tour is scheduled to continue on Friday at the United Center in Chicago, but as of Thursday morning the status of that concert remained uncleared. Representatives for Richie did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Deadline and Variety.
A tour launched with gratitude
Just two days earlier, Richie had taken to his Instagram Stories to thank the crew for their work. "Thank you to everyone in my band and crew for all the hard work, dedication, and long hours getting us ready for this tour," he wrote. "It takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and I'm grateful for each and every one of you."
Earth, Wind & Fire opened the evening with a 50-minute set. The band's drummer told a local reporter that there had been no prior signs of any health issues.
