Music legend Lionel Richie is back in the hospital receiving treatment for atrial fibrillation, just three weeks after falling ill during a concert performance.
The 77-year-old singer is currently hospitalized for the condition, which causes an irregular heartbeat. His representative confirmed the medical update to the Daily Mail on Tuesday.
Richie's representative told the Daily Mail: "Lionel underwent a common procedure for Atrial fibrillation (AFib). The doctor said everything went perfectly. Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon."
As a result of his latest medical issue, Richie has been forced to cancel his next three upcoming concerts. The cancelled dates were part of his joint Sing a Song All Night Long Tour alongside legendary funk and R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire.
The cancelled tour stops included a performance scheduled for Saturday in San Francisco, followed by a concert on September 30 in Chicago and an October 2 appearance in Columbus, Ohio. Earth, Wind & Fire, formed in Chicago in 1969, has been co-headlining the nationwide arena tour with Richie.
Medical Procedure and Concert Cancellations
Atrial fibrillation, commonly known as AFib, is a heart rhythm disorder characterized by irregular and rapid heartbeats that can impair normal blood circulation. Standard medical care for the condition often involves catheter procedures or medications designed to restore steady heart function.
The current hospitalization marks the third time in a matter of months that the All Night Long hitmaker has been admitted to a hospital for cardiac-related health issues.
On August 30, Richie checked himself into a hospital in St. Louis following a live concert performance. He spent three days in the intensive care unit, where medical staff performed extensive tests for cardiac issues before discharging him.
Video footage obtained by the Daily Mail from the final song of his concert at The Muny in Forest Park showed Richie seemingly out of breath at times while trying to sing his hit song All Night Long.
The video showed the singer appearing to have difficulty standing during the performance. Early in the song, he took a seat on a piano bench, where he remained for the rest of the track.
Within 30 seconds of Richie returning to the stage for All Night Long, a stagehand brought out a piano bench unprompted, suggesting the singer may have requested it while backstage. Richie then gestured at the bench to get stagehands to move it closer to the front of the stage.
Performing in an all-black outfit paired with a red leather jacket that read "All Night Long" on the back, Richie took a seat on the corner of the bench and continued singing to the audience.
Closeups from the video footage showed Richie out of breath at times when his vocals dropped out amid thick layers of backing vocals. To conclude the performance, Richie pumped his fists in the air repeatedly as the song wrapped up.
After the song ended, he stood up from the bench and walked away with his back to the audience. He then turned around to shout goodnight and spread his arms while archival video clips from earlier years played on a massive video screen behind him. Reports emerged days later that he had been hospitalized in St. Louis shortly after leaving the stage.
Minnesota Stage Emergency in June
The St. Louis episode followed an earlier medical emergency in June, when Richie was rushed to the hospital after feeling "dizzy" and "strange" during a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota. That performance was cut short, and the singer was taken away in an ambulance.
Richie was performing at the Grand Casino Arena at the start of the joint Sing A Song All Night Long tour when he announced an unusual intermission after playing Three Times A Lady from his piano, according to Minnesota news outlet Bring Me The News.
His band members left the stage minutes later. More than 40 minutes after Richie cut off the show, a band member returned to inform the waiting crowd that the musician would not be able to return due to illness.
"Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well," said saxophonist Dino Soldo, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. "He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available."
Decades of Music Success and Legacy
Richie has enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning more than five decades in the music industry. The septuagenarian hitmaker established himself as one of pop music's defining voices during the 1970s and 1980s with chart-topping songs such as All Night Long and Hello.
He first rose to international fame as the frontman for the Motown group Commodores before launching a solo career that established him as one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. Motown Records, founded in Detroit in 1959, helped propel soul and R&B music to global mainstream audiences.
Over his multi-decade career, Richie has earned four Grammy Awards and an Academy Award. He also co-wrote the 1985 charity single We Are the World, an all-star recording that became one of the best-selling and most famous singles in pop history.
After launching his solo recording career, Richie quickly built a reputation as a powerhouse balladeer. His recordings have sold more than 90 million records worldwide, cementing his position among the top-selling musical artists in history.
Family Life and Relationships
Richie is a father of three children. He has a 45-year-old daughter, Nicole Richie, a 28-year-old daughter, Sofia Richie Grainge, and a 32-year-old son, Miles Richie.
The musician has also been in a long-term relationship with his 36-year-old girlfriend, Lisa Parigi. The couple has been together since 2014.
