#Socialites, let’s continue to keep Lionel Richie lifted in prayer. The legendary singer is reportedly back in the hospital, and out of care for him and his health, several tour dates have been postponed.
RELATED: #Prayers: Lionel Richie Hospitalized In ICU After Struggling To Finish St. Louis
Sources with direct knowledge told TMZ that Lionel is currently hospitalized and receiving treatment for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat. For those who don’t know, AFib is when the heart’s electrical system starts misfiring, throwing the whole rhythm off, not something you just shake off, especially at 77.
The silver lining here is that doctors are treating him with an AFib ablation, which is not considered a major procedure. It’s minimally invasive, they go in and create tiny scars in the heart to block the faulty electrical signals and help get everything back in sync. Now, because of this latest scare, the next three dates on Lionel and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour have officially been canceled. Per the outlet, Saturday’s San Francisco show, September 30 in Chicago, and October 2 in Columbus, Ohio are all postponed.
Ticket holders are sad to hear the news, no doubt, but the man’s health has to come first, period.
More On His Health:
Back in August, he checked himself into a St. Louis hospital after a concert and spent several days in the ICU getting tested for cardiac issues, after fans noticed him struggling on stage and his team had to bring him a chair so he could finish the set sitting down. Before that, in June, it happened live in front of everybody, he was rushed to the hospital after feeling “dizzy” and “strange” mid-performance in St. Paul, and paramedics ended up taking him away by ambulance.
He bounced back from that one too, even hopping on Instagram to reassure the people: “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.” That’s Lionel for you — a true performer who keeps showing up for his fans even when his body is clearly telling him to slow down.
Richie’s team hasn’t broken down exactly what led to this latest episode, and TMZ says his reps didn’t immediately respond for comment. But the man still has “King of Hearts” dates on the books at the Wynn in Las Vegas for October and November, so there’s real hope he powers through this like he has before.