Nationwide — Lionel Richie was hospitalized after performing in St. Louis, Missouri, over the weekend, two months after a previous health scare forced him to end another concert early. The 77-year-old singer checked himself into a local hospital Saturday night after performing at The Muny in Forest Park. Witnesses said he appeared to struggle toward the end of the show.
Richie reportedly went to the hospital on his own after the concert for testing. TMZ reported Monday that he was being treated in an intensive care unit in St. Louis. Doctors were reportedly checking him for possible slight dehydration, and he was expected to be released Tuesday.
The latest hospitalization followed a similar incident in June during the opening night of his “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in St. Paul, Minnesota. Richie became dizzy while performing and had to stop the show early before going to a nearby hospital to seek medical attention.
He later learned that dehydration may have contributed to the episode. During Saturday’s St. Louis concert, he told the audience that the earlier incident had shaken him because he could not understand what was happening. He said he later returned to his doctor to find out what was causing the problem.
“I went back to the doctor, and he said, ‘You are suffering from dehydration,'” Richie told the crowd. He also said the issue had affected him during the tour. According to reports, he drank electrolytes during the St. Louis performance and continued with the show.
However, witnesses said he appeared to have difficulty during the final part of the concert. While performing “All Night Long,” his closing song, he reportedly asked his team to bring him a chair and finished the performance while seated. He then checked himself into the hospital after leaving the venue. Doctors were expected to continue testing him as they monitored his condition.