Three upcoming concerts with Earth, Wind & Fire have been called off after another heart scare landed Lionel Richie in the hospital. The 77-year-old singer underwent a procedure this week to treat atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that has once again disrupted his touring schedule.
A representative confirmed the procedure to People, revealing that Richie underwent an ablation and that “everything went perfectly.” The rep also said he is “doing great,” but will take some time away from performing to recover before returning to the stage.
The canceled dates include the Sept. 26 concert in San Francisco, the Sept. 30 show in Chicago, and the Oct. 2 performance in Columbus. TMZ was first to report Richie’s hospitalization, describing it as his third hospital stay in as many months.
Concerns over his health resurfaced in late August when Richie checked into a St. Louis hospital following his performance at The Muny. He remained there for three days as doctors carried out cardiac tests before he was discharged and returned home. People reported that he was back in Los Angeles by Sept. 2 and doing well.
Another health scare occurred in June when Richie became dizzy onstage and had to cut a St. Paul concert short. He later postponed two shows on his doctors’ advice before eventually returning to the tour. His next scheduled performance is Oct. 14 at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas. Wynn Las Vegas continues to list that show and other October dates, while Richie’s representative says he intends to return to the stage after taking time to recover.
