Those close to Lionel Richie are worried that the iconic singer isn’t willing to slow down and focus on his health, even after a medical emergency sent him to the hospital on Wednesday night.
The 77-year-old hitmaker was performing at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota, when he abruptly brought the show to an early close, before being transported to a hospital via ambulance.
And now a source tells the Daily Mail that his loved ones fear Richie – whose best-selling album is 1983’s Can’t Slow Down – may be more focused on entertaining audiences than focusing on his own health.
‘Family, friends, and even his bandmates are definitely concerned about Lionel’s health, but nobody is about to tell him to slow down,’ the insider said. ‘They all want him better and to do what he loves to do.’
They emphasized his incredible work ethic, which has made him a reliably popular entertainer for decades, going back to his time in the 1970s and ’80s in The Commodores.
‘The Lionel we see on tour and on American Idol is the same Lionel we have known for decades – he’s always moving, always working, and always looking ahead to the next show,’ the source continued. ‘And with that, depending on what doctors tell him, his mindset is already focused on getting back out on the road as quickly as possible because that’s simply who he is.’
A source tells the Daily Mail that those close to Lionel Richie, 77, worry he won’t slow down after a health emergency that forced him to end Wednesday’s concert and go to the hospital via ambulance; pictured in 2024 in Inglewood, Calif.
‘Family, friends, and even his bandmates are definitely concerned about Lionel’s health, but nobody is about to tell him to slow down,’ the insider said. ‘They all want him better and to do what he loves to do’; seen May 15 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
‘Music isn’t just his job; it’s what keeps him going. He’s not someone who sits still, and retirement has never really been part of the conversation unless his health leaves him with no other choice,’ they added.
‘Right now, Lionel is actually more upset that fans didn’t get the full show they paid for than he is about himself and his health. That’s where his head is,’ the insider said. ‘He hates disappointing people and feels terrible that the concert couldn’t continue as planned.’
The source close to Richie suggested he wasn’t going to worry for the time being.
‘As far as he’s concerned, while he awaits results, this is just a temporary setback. He fully expects to be back doing what he loves, and he’s already hoping to make it to Chicago this weekend if everything checks out,’ they shared.
‘He’s still waiting for a few more answers on what he is dealing with, but he feels that it could be just a bit of an episode over something super serious.’
The music legend sparked widespread fears on Wednesday night, revealing he was feeling ‘dizzy’ and sitting down during his performance, before abruptly ending his show in St. Paul.
Now sources close to the star have told TMZ that paramedics met the hitmaker backstage, and he was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
It was noted that the move was a precautionary measure, but Richie’s current health status remains unknown, and his team has yet to publicly address the concert.
‘Depending on what doctors tell him, his mindset is already focused on getting back out on the road as quickly as possible because that’s simply who he is,’ they continued; pictured in May 2025 in Frisco, Texas
‘Music isn’t just his job; it’s what keeps him going. He’s not someone who sits still, and retirement has never really been part of the conversation unless his health leaves him with no other choice,’ the source said; seen May 15 in Grand Rapids
‘Lionel is actually more upset that fans didn’t get the full show they paid for than he is about himself and his health . . . As far as he’s concerned, while he awaits results, this is just a temporary setback. He fully expects to be back doing what he loves…’ they shared’; pictured May 15 in Grand Rapids
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Richie for comment.
The drama first unfolded during the start of Richie’s joint Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire.
He announced an unusual intermission after a performance of Three Times A Lady from his piano, according to Minnesota’s Bring Me The News.
Richie’s band reportedly also left the stage minutes later but, more than 40 minutes after he cut off the show, a band member returned to announce he wouldn’t be able to return because he was feeling ill.
‘Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well,’ said saxophonist Dino Soldo, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. ‘He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.’
The singer’s team has yet to address his impromptu departure from the stage.
On social media, fans who attended the show shared their concerns and revealed that the singer had signaled throughout the performance that he wasn’t feeling well.
Videos of him performing showed the singer stopping to sit down multiple times during his second-to-last song Dancing On The Ceiling and he reportedly told the crowd he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing.
The music legend sparked widespread fears after revealing he was feeling ‘dizzy’ and sitting down during his performance – before abruptly ending his show in Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota
Richie is seen sitting down on stage before ending the show
Richie was able to sit at the piano bench for what turned out to be his last song of the evening.
A fan who attended the concert told the publication Richie ‘said he has been in this business long enough, if you feel dizzy you sit down! And if you don’t feel right, you sit down!’
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Jon Bream, Richie was even saltier with his advice, quoting the singer as saying, ‘When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a** down.’
One video posted by journalist Patrick Kessler on X on Wednesday night showed a portion of his Dancing On The Ceiling performance in which he appeared unsteady as he walked across the stage, before he made an unexpected stop and sat down on the edge of a large stepped platform.
Despite apparently feeling unwell, Richie appeared to be singing throughout his seated portion of the song, rather than relying on a guide vocal.
Richie was seated for less than ten seconds before he stood up and started making his way across the stage again.
However, less than 30 seconds later, he stopped to sit down again on the risers on the opposite side of the stage, even as he continued singing.
According to the Star Tribune, Richie’s saxophonist Dino Soldo, who later confirmed that the rest of the show was canceled, took a seat with the singer during Dancing On The Ceiling.
Richie reportedly told the crowd that he was feeling ‘dizzy’ while performing; pictured on American Idol
A band member reportedly told the audience that Richie had to cancel the rest of the show because he was ‘not feeling well’; pictured April 29 in NYC
Audience members reportedly began filing out once Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after his departure; pictured April 29 in NYC
He and the funk icons are next scheduled to perform in Chicago on Friday, June 26; Earth, Wind & Fire is pictured performing in Honolulu, Hawaii, on June 13
The publication reported audience members began to file out of the venue as soon as Richie’s band left the stage, about 15 minutes after he announced the surprise intermission.
One disappointed audience member called the surprise end to the show ‘horrible’ while speaking to the Star Tribune.
‘I’m super bummed. This was my first time [seeing Richie] and I’m old,’ they vented.
The first half of the concert featured a performance from Earth, Wind & Fire, while Richie took the stage for what would have been the second half of the evening.
The music icons are currently scheduled to visit 26 cities through August 14, with their next stop at the United Center in Chicago on Friday, June 26.
