Lionel Richie's Kickoff Concert Did Not Last All Night Long

Lionel Richie's latest tour got off to a shaky start on Wednesday night in Minnesota. About an hour into the opening show of his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire at St. Paul's Grand Casino Arena, the 77-year-old stopped the performance, telling the crowd he'd felt dizzy as he performed "Dancing on the Ceiling" a few moments earlier, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Richie sat down on a step to sing that boisterous song, quipping, "When you're feeling dizzy, sit your ass down," then moved to the piano for "Three Times a Lady" before taking what was billed as a brief break.

The intermission stretched to roughly 40 minutes before saxophonist Dino Soldo came out to tell frustrated fans that Richie wouldn't return due to feeling unwell. Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris later said Richie had seemed fine beforehand, pointing to possible dehydration. The show, slated to last 90 minutes, was the first of 26 dates on the latest leg of the Sing Along All Night Long Tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, which also previously ran in 2023 and 2024, per People. Richie's next stop is scheduled for Chicago on Friday, followed by dates in such cities as Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. His representatives haven't publicly commented.