Music icon Lionel Richie has been hospitalized to undergo medical treatment for atrial fibrillation (AFib), forcing the 77-year-old singer to postpone a series of upcoming performances on his joint “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.
Representatives for the “Hello” and “All Night Long” hitmaker confirmed that Richie underwent a catheter ablation—a routine, minimally invasive procedure designed to correct an irregular heartbeat by blocking faulty electrical signals in the heart.
“The doctor said everything went well,” a spokesperson for Richie shared, reassuring fans that while the singer will take necessary time off to recover, he expects to be “back on stage soon.”
Canceled Tour Dates and Health Timeline
The medical procedure has led to the immediate postponement of three upcoming tour stops:
September 26: San Francisco, CA
September 30: Chicago, IL
October 2: Columbus, OH
The hospitalization marks the third cardiac-related incident for the Grammy-winning artist in recent months:
June: Richie was forced to cut a performance short in St. Paul, Minnesota, after experiencing dizziness mid-show, leading to a brief hospital evaluation and two postponed dates.
Late August: Following a show in St. Louis, Missouri, Richie admitted himself to the hospital as a precautionary measure, spending three days under evaluation for cardiac concerns before returning home to Los Angeles.
Mid-September: After performing at a summer finale concert where onlookers noted he finished his set seated, Richie checked into the hospital to address his recurring AFib condition with targeted medical treatment.
Looking Ahead
Despite the string of medical scares, sources close to the star report that his outlook remains positive following the procedure. Fans holding tickets for the affected San Francisco, Chicago, and Columbus dates are advised to keep their tickets as venue teams work to finalize rescheduled dates.
Richie is also scheduled for his “King of Hearts” Las Vegas residency engagements later this fall, though updates regarding those appearances will depend on his recovery timeline over the coming weeks.
