Lionel Richie’s opening night of his 26 city North American tour came to an abrupt end after the singer fell ill on stage.
The 77-year-old music legend had been performing for about an hour at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, Thursday when he appeared to struggle during “Dancing on the Ceiling” while kicking off his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Richie sat down several times during the song, videos shared on social media showed.
“When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,” Richie told the crowd, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
He then sat at the piano to perform “Three Times a Lady” before calling for an intermission. His band remained onstage for about 15 minutes before leaving.
Roughly 40 minutes later, saxophonist Dino Soldo addressed the audience.
“Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,” Soldo said. “He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.”
Before taking the stage Thursday, Richie shared his excitement about kicking off the tour.
“Opening night. Rehearsals. Sound check. Showtime tonight. Saint Paul, you’re up!!!” he wrote on Instagram.
Earlier this week, the “All Night Long” singer also thanked the crew and musicians helping bring the tour to life.
“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 on Instagram Stories.
“It takes an incredible team behind the scenes to make it all happen, and I’m grateful for each and every one of you.”
Thursday’s show marked the opening night of Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s newly launched North American tour.
The 26-date run is set to continue Friday night at Chicago’s United Center, though it’s unclear whether Richie will be well enough to take the stage after cutting Thursday’s show short.
Page Six has reached out to Richie’s rep for comment.
Despite Thursday’s setback, the Grammy winner has long maintained that retirement is not on his radar.
Richie has continued performing in recent years and previously said he has no plans to step away from the stage.
“They’re gonna have to carry me out, babe,” he told Rolling Stone in 2020.
“Someone asked me years ago, ‘When do you plan on retiring?’ And I said, ‘From what?’ I’ve never had a job. People who work want to retire.”
At the time, Richie said he still felt like a 19-year-old and was enjoying the “fun and adventure” that comes with life on the road.
