Lionel Richie Hospitalized for Heart Procedure, Cancels Three Tour Dates

Lionel Richie is temporarily stepping away from the stage after undergoing a small procedure, prompting him and Earth, Wind & Fire to cancel three upcoming dates on their Sing a Song All Night Long tour.

The 77-year-old singer was hospitalized earlier this week after experiencing an irregular heartbeat. Richie’s reps informed PEOPLE that he underwent a minor procedure and “everything went perfectly.”

He was treated for AFib through Atrial fibrillation ablation, which according to Mayo Clinic is “a treatment for an irregular and often very fast heartbeat (AFib). The treatment uses heat energy, cold energy or high-energy electric pulses to create tiny scars in an area of the heart. The signals that tell the heart to beat can’t pass through scar tissue. So the treatment helps block faulty signals that cause AFib.”

It has since been confirmed that the singer is “doing great” but will take some time to recover before returning to the stage. This marks the third time Richie has been hospitalized in three months.

TMZ previously reported that in June, Richie was taken to the hospital via ambulance after claiming to feel “dizzy” and “strange” while performing in St. Paul. Shortly after, he was back on stage and even joked about the concern surrounding his health, telling the audience, “You have no idea what I have been through in the last 24 hours, listening to my friends tell me their advice on what I should be doing.”

The American Idol judge eventually took to Instagram to thank fans for continuing to show him love and support through the health scares.

He wrote, “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.”

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Then in August, he checked himself back into the hospital out of an abundance of caution and stayed for three days in the ICU while undergoing tests for cardiac issues he was experiencing following a show in St. Louis.

It seems that as of this weekend, the “Hello” singer is in better spirits and appearing to be on the mend as he was spotted at a dinner party at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills with his girlfriend, Lisa Parigi. He was photographed with a smile on his face outside the event.

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The recent hospitalization has forced changes to Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Sing a Song All Night Long Tour schedule, with the next three shows in San Francisco, Chicago and Columbus being canceled. The affected dates were set for Sept. 26, Sept. 30 and Oct. 2, respectively.

As for his reoccurring gig on American Idol, it has not yet been confirmed whether Lionel Richie will return to the singing competition show in 2027 alongside the past season’s judges Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood. While virtual auditions for Season 25 are already underway, ABC has yet to officially announce the full judging panel.