Lionel Richie Hospitalized After St. Louis Concert

Lionel Richie checked into an intensive care unit following a concert in St. Louis, according to multiple reports.

Hospital staff conducted tests on the 77-year-old musician after he admitted himself to the hospital over the weekend, TMZ reported.

The hospitalization follows recurring health issues during his “Sing a Song All Night Long Tour” alongside Earth, Wind & Fire. Concerns first arose during the tour’s opening concert, where Richie told the crowd that he was experiencing dizziness and noted he had never before performed “Dancing on the Ceiling” while seated, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

“When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a** down,” he joked to the audience, the Star Tribune reported, before taking a seat at a piano to sing “Three Times a Lady” and taking an unexpected break.

Following advice from doctors to “rest and return to full health,” Richie postponed two scheduled performances, according to People.

Health issues surfaced again during the St. Louis show. Video from the event shows Richie signaling his crew for a chair so he could finish his closing track, “All Night Long,” while seated.

Addressing the audience during the St. Louis performance, Richie spoke about the physical setbacks he had been facing on the road.

“Some things have been happening on this tour that kind of shook me up a little bit, because I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on,” Richie told the crowd, according to The St. Louis American. “I went back to the doctor, and he said, ‘You are suffering from dehydration.'”

Video recorded by The St. Louis American showed the Grammy winner drinking a red electrolyte drink on stage and telling concertgoers, “I’m telling you, this stuff is nasty—but it works.”

Sources cited by TMZ said doctors in the ICU were investigating mild dehydration as the possible cause of his latest health issue.

Prior to the St. Louis date, Richie had briefly resumed touring on June 30 and July 1.

During his June 30 return to the stage, TribLive reported that Richie addressed the situation with the crowd, asking, “had you worried there for a minute, huh?”

“You have no idea what I have been through in the last 24 hours, listening to my friends tell me their advice on what I should be doing,” Richie added.

Richie later shared a message on Instagram thanking fans for their support.

“Thank you for every message, every kind word, and for all your love. I’m doing well, and I’m grateful for all of you,” he wrote, adding praise for recent tour stops in Pittsburgh and Detroit before looking ahead to Toronto.

Richie first rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and co-lead vocalist for Motown’s the Commodores. In 1982, he released his self-titled debut solo album, featuring the No. 1 single “Truly,” and officially left the group to pursue his solo career.