Three upcoming concerts with Earth, Wind & Fire have been canceled after another heart scare sent Lionel Richie back to the hospital. The 77-year-old singer underwent a procedure for atrial fibrillation this week as doctors addressed the irregular heart rhythm that has interrupted his touring schedule again.
A representative confirmed the procedure to People, saying Richie underwent an ablation and that “everything went perfectly.” The rep added that he is “doing great” but will take some time away from performing before returning to the stage. The cancellations affect the Sept. 26 stop in San Francisco and the Sept. 30 show in Chicago. An Oct. 2 performance in Columbus is also off the schedule. TMZ first reported the hospitalization and described it as Richie's third hospital stay in as many months.
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Richie's Tour Is Interrupted
Concerns about his health surfaced again in late August, when Richie checked himself into a St. Louis hospital after performing at The Muny. He spent three days there while doctors conducted cardiac tests before returning home. People reported that he was back in Los Angeles by Sept. 2 and doing well.
A separate incident in June forced Richie to stop a St. Paul concert after becoming dizzy onstage. He later postponed two performances on doctors' advice before resuming the tour. His next scheduled appearance is currently Oct. 14 at the Encore Theater in Las Vegas. Wynn Las Vegas still lists that performance, along with additional October dates, while Richie's representative says he plans to return once he has had time to recover.
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