Lionel Richie Undergoes Heart Procedure After Series of Health Scares

Lionel Richie is recovering from a “common” heart procedure after facing a handful of health issues during his most recent run of concerts.

Richie’s rep confirmed the news to Rolling Stone, saying the R&B legend underwent a procedure to address an atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that can lead to blood clots, and increased risk of stroke, heart failure, and other complications (per the Mayo Clinic). 

“The doctor said everything went perfectly,” Richie’s rep said. “Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”

According to People, Richie’s next three shows with Earth, Wind and Fire — Sept. 26 in San Francisco, Sept. 30 in Chicago, and Oct. 2 in Columbus, Ohio — have been canceled. He’s set to return to the stage next month for a Las Vegas residency that’s slated to kick off Oct. 14 with dates scheduled through November.

Those three gigs were themselves rescheduled shows postponed earlier this summer. The Columbus and Chicago shows were moved after Richie fell ill a few days before, during a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota. He ultimately ended his performance that night early, telling the crowd that he’d been feeling dizzy and sat down during “Dancing on the Ceiling.” (The San Francisco gig, meanwhile, was pushed after a member of Earth, Wind and Fire suffered a medical emergency before the original date.)

Along with the health incident that caused Richie to end his St. Paul show early, the singer was more recently hospitalized after a concert in St. Louis at the end of August. While most videos from the gig appeared to show the musician in good form, during set closer “All Night Long,” Richie asked his team to bring him a stool so he could sit during the performance. At the time, a a source close to the singer’s tour told Rolling Stone that Richie was OK.