Lionel Ritchie fell ill during the opening night of his “Sing Along All Night Long” tour with Earth, Wind & Fire on Wednesday night, ending his set after one hour.
According to videos posted to social media, the 77-year-old singer was sitting down during his hit song “Dancing On The Ceiling”. TMZ reported that Richie was sent to the hospital after going backstage, but that it was a precautionary measure.
A rep for Richie didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Richie’s band remained onstage for about 15 minutes after Richie left, before they left the stage. The paper said that after nearly 45 minutes of Ritchie’s departure, his saxophonist, Dino Soldo, told the crowd, “Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well.”
“He won’t be able to continue,” he said. “Additional information will be available.”
Wednesday was the opening night for Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s North American tour. Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris told the Star-Tribune that Richie was “a little dehydrated.”
The tour’s next stop is the United Center in Chicago on Friday, but the show’s status is currently unclear.
