Lionel Richie is halting his tour schedule after a heart procedure. At this moment, his upcoming dates at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas remain unchanged.
Richie’s reps said in a statement this week, “Lionel underwent a common procedure for atrial fibrillation (AFib). The doctor said everything went perfectly. Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”
Richie is due back at Encore Theater on Oct. 14, 16 and 17 and Nov. 11, 13 and 14. Those are his next scheduled concert dates. The international superstar has pulled his upcoming touring shows with Earth, Wind & Fire in San Francisco, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.
This is not the first time AFib has sidelined a superstar who headlines a Las Vegas residency.
In December 2022, Barry Manilow missed the opener of his Christmas show after suffering an episode of AFib, which is an abnormal heartbeat. Manilow returned the following night and told the crowd, “Well, last night sucked.”
Richie, 77, was was admitted into an intensive care unit after his show Aug. 30 at The Muny in St. Louis. The original explanation was for dehydration. Media reports later said he was undergoing cardiac evaluation.
In June, the “American Idol” judge also stopped his show at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. He paused, then took a seat onstage as he sang “Dancing on the Ceiling,” and said to the crowd, “When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your a— down.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.