Newly surfaced video footage shows Lionel Richie appearing out of breath and needing to sit down during his final song at a concert in St Louis, just hours before the 77-year-old admitted himself to hospital on Saturday.
The pop and soul legend was admitted to the intensive care unit at a Missouri hospital following his show at outdoor amphitheatre The Muny. According to TMZ, Richie is undergoing testing for cardiac-related issues. He remains in hospital, with a spokesperson telling TMZ the singer hoped to be discharged on Wednesday, local time.
Struggles During All Night Long
In video footage shot at The Muny gig, the singer-songwriter appears out of breath as he attempts to sing one of his best-known hits, All Night Long. He also appeared to have difficulty standing, taking a seat on a piano bench early on in the song, where he remained for the duration of his performance.
The footage captures Richie returning to the stage to perform All Night Long, but within 30 seconds a stagehand can be seen bringing out a piano bench after him. Richie continues singing while gesturing at the bench to get stagehands to move it closer to the front of the stage. The former Commodores singer then took a seat on the corner of the bench and continued singing to the audience.
While seated, his guitarist and bass player joined him on either side of the bench. The audience then joined in, singing the lyrics along to his best-known track. Close-ups from the video footage appear to show Richie out of breath, as his vocals dropped out and thick layers of backing vocals did the heavy lifting instead.
Hospitalisation and Prior Health Scare
On Monday, it was reported that Richie had been hospitalised shortly after that performance, with the star checking himself into the medical facility where he has been treated in the intensive care unit. Sources close to Richie told TMZ that the singer went to hospital out of an abundance of caution. Doctors were reportedly examining the possibility that Richie might be suffering from dehydration.
The star's recent health scare comes mere months after fans feared for his health after he cut short a concert in St Paul, Minnesota, after falling ill on stage. One video taken at the St Paul show in June, shared online by journalist Patrick Kessler, showed the funk singer appearing unsteady on his feet during a rendition of his hit Dancing on the Ceiling. In the clip, he can be seen making a stop before sitting down on the edge of a large stepped platform. From there, he continued to sing. He attempted to rise several more times, walking across the stage before sitting once again, continuing to sing along to the track.
Richie told the crowd he had been feeling dizzy, prompting him to sit down while performing Dancing on the Ceiling. "When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down," he told the audience. After that incident, Richie postponed two shows in Chicago, Illinois, and in Columbus, Ohio.
Concern from Loved Ones
This weekend's incident appears to be reminiscent of his June health scare, with loved ones of the singer now fearing for his health. "Family, friends, and even his bandmates are definitely concerned about Lionel's health, but nobody is about to tell him to slow down," an insider said, as per the Daily Mail. "They all want him better and to do what he loves to do."
The Grammy Award winner started his music career as co-lead singer and songwriter for the 1970s funk and soul band The Commodores. Richie famously wrote hits like Easy and Three Times a Lady for the band before a successful solo career. He is also famous for his collaborations, including duets such as Endless Love with Diana Ross, Lady with Kenny Rogers, and the 1985 charity single We Are the World with some of America’s biggest pop and rock stars.
