Luke Bryan Recalls Recent Conversation With Lionel Richie Amid Health Concerns: ‘He’s Doing Well’

Luke Bryan is opening up about a recent conversation with his fellow American Idol judge Lionel Richie and shares an update on how the music icon is doing.

The country star said he initially hesitated to reach out because he didn’t want to bother Richie, given his busy schedule and recent health concerns, but ultimately decided to give him a call.

“He’s doing well. I talked to him. I didn’t want to call him and bug him, [but] I called him, said, ‘I love you.’ And then he called me back. He was like, ‘Man, I’m just telling you I’m alright.’ So it was good for him to call me,” Bryan said during an interview on Good Morning America.

He added that Richie “works hard” and needs to “slow down a little bit.”

Last week, fans learned that the 77-year-old singer had been hospitalized for the third time this year after experiencing an irregular heartbeat. Richie’s reps informed PEOPLE that he was treated for AFib and “everything went perfectly.”

The news followed a report from TMZ back in June, revealing that Richie was taken to the hospital via ambulance after claiming to feel “dizzy” and “strange” while performing in St. Paul. 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.

As of now, the “Hello” singer is said to be “doing great” and is making sure to take some time to recover before he returns to the stage. The most recent hospitalization also impacted Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Sing a Song All Night Long Tour. They were originally set to take the stage this weekend, however their schedule is now set to resume on October 16 in Las Vegas.

Lionel Richie also recently (virtually) joined Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan in announcing their return to the judging panel for Season 25 of American Idol. The news broke on September 24, during the country act’s star-studded Luke Bryan and Friends concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone arena. The night featured surprise appearances from a slew of hitmakers, including Underwood.

While Underwood and Bryan were on stage, they prompted the audience to turn their attention to the screen behind them for a message from Richie via a pre-recorded video. He let the audience know that they had a big secret they had been keeping, leading Bryan to make the formal announcement.

“I’m so surprised that I’ve been able to keep this a secret,” Bryan admitted before they yelled, “We’re coming back for the 25th season of ‘American Idol’!”

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In addition to the judges, Ryan Seacrest is also set to return as host for a 25th straight season. This will mark the 10th season for Richie and Bryan, who both joined “Idol” in 2018 during the series’ first season on ABC following a 14-year run on Fox. Underwood was tapped as the newest judge in 2025, following Katy Perry’s departure from the show.

The “Fish Hunt Golf Drink” singer shared with GMA that as soon as Underwood joined the crew, the three of them started their own group text as a way to communicate and keep the fun going on and off the air.

“It’s a fun job…The kids are fun. They’re chasing their dreams. We’re rooting for them. The show has a lot of heart. And so we’re always excited to announce the upcoming season. So somewhere there’s an American Idol out there that we don’t know about yet. So go audition,” he told viewers at home.  

American Idol will return sometime in 2027. ABC has yet to announce a premiere date.