What Happened to Lionel Richie? Health Update After Latest Hospitalization

Lionel Richie has been forced to cancel three tour dates amid ongoing medical issues. The singer is currently on the Sing a Song All Night Long Tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, but after having a procedure recently, the shows in San Francisco on September 26, Chicago on September 30, and Columbus on October 2 have been canceled.

This comes after Richie suffered a medical scare while on stage in June, forcing him to end a show early. He had to postpone two shows following the incident.

While Richie has mostly been in good health over the years, he has dealt with some other conditions and diagnoses in the past. Scroll down for everything to know about what happened at his Minnesota concert and more.

What happened at Lionel Richie’s concert?

Richie was nine songs into his set and performing “Dancing on the Ceiling” when he had to sit down on a platform on the stage. “When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down,” he told the crowd, seemingly still in good spirits.

He then took his seat at the piano to perform “Three Times a Lady” before exiting the stage for an unplanned intermission. It wasn’t until about 15 minutes later that the members of Richie’s band also exited the stage.

Forty minutes into the break, Richie’s saxophone player finally gave the crowd an update, telling them that the singer was “unwell” and could no longer finish the show. No official diagnosis was given, but John Paris from Earth, Wind & Fire, who is on tour with Richie, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Richie was simply “a little dehydrated.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lionel Richie (@lionelrichie)

TMZ reported on June 25 that Richie was hospitalized after the incident.

Luckily, he was fine just a few days later and able to return to the stage to continue the tour on June 30. After two more shows, he wrote on Instagram, “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. Pittsburgh and Detroit were an absolute joy. The energy, the dancing, the faces in the crowd… we made real memories together.”

At the end of August, he checked himself into the hospital again for precautionary reasons. TMZ confirmed that he underwent cardiac tests during his hospital stay.

What medical condition did Lionel Richie have?

Richie has atrial fibrillation (AFib), his rep confirmed to People in September 2026. He “underwent a common procedure” for the heart issue. “The doctor said everything went perfectly,” Richie’s rep added. “Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”

Per Cleveland Clinic, AFib is an “irregular heart rhythm that begins in your heart’s upper chambers,” which can produce symptoms such as “fatigue, heart palpitations, trouble breathing, and dizziness.”

In the 1990s, while Richie was at the height of his career, he also suffered a mysterious illness that began affecting his vocal cords. He had to have four separate surgeries to try and fix the unknown throat condition.

Doctors were eventually able to diagnose Richie with diet-induced acid reflux. He recovered and has not struggled with the same issue since.

Related

Lionel Richie Slams Celebrities for Getting Fed Up With Fans When They Get Famous

Looking back on that time, he recalled it being “about as close as you ever would’ve come to a nervous breakdown” due to fears that he would lose his voice.

What was Lionel Richie diagnosed with?

In his 2025 memoir, Richie revealed his ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis. He recalled feeling anxious as a child, writing, “My inability to focus was the problem. I was the problem. There was something wrong with me. There were too many distractions. And, in all that noise, there was this Other Side calling to me. Like a radio signal from a distant planet that I wanted to hear better but couldn’t quite tune in to.”

He continued, “At school, I could never sit still. I’d have to tap my foot or drum my hands to a beat only I could hear, and then try somehow to process multiple soundtracks of sensory overload. In those days, nobody talked about ADD or ADHD. Aside from murmurs about ‘poor Lionel’ being ‘too hyper’ and ‘too sensitive,’ I never heard the more clinical terms. Ever.”