Lionel Richie back home and ‘doing great’ after three-day hospital stay following health scare

Lionel Richie struggled to finish his St Louis concert, asking for a chair during 'All Night Long' and drinking electrolytes onstage
Lionel Richie has been discharged after an ICU stay following his St Louis concert, with doctors reportedly linking his illness to dehydration and testing for cardiac issues (Getty Images)
Lionel Richie has been discharged after an ICU stay following his St Louis concert, with doctors reportedly linking his illness to dehydration and testing for cardiac issues (Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lionel Richie has been discharged from the hospital after checking himself into the intensive care unit following his Saturday, August 29, concert in St Louis, Missouri.

The 77-year-old singer is back home in Los Angeles and is “doing great,” per People.

Doctors reportedly linked his illness to slight dehydration, while cardiac-related issues were also being investigated as part of the testing conducted during his hospital stay.

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - MAY 31: Lionel Richie performs on stage during the opening night of his 'Say Hello To The Hits' UK & European Tour, at The SSE Arena Belfast on May 31, 2025 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Lionel Richie)
Lionel Richie performs on stage during the opening night of his 'Say Hello To The Hits' UK & European Tour, at The SSE Arena Belfast on May 31, 2025 in Belfast, Northern Ireland (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Lionel Richie)

Lionel Richie hospitalization after St Louis concert

Richie checked himself into a local hospital after performing at the Muny amphitheater on Saturday, August 29, to undergo testing.

Doctors were reportedly looking into “slight dehydration” as the cause of his illness, while other outlets later reported that he was being tested for cardiac-related issues.

During the concert, the Grammy-winning musician appeared to struggle to finish his performance and needed assistance from his team.

While performing his final song, 'All Night Long,' Richie asked for a chair, which a team member brought out.

He remained seated for the rest of the concert. Social media videos from the performance also showed Richie drinking electrolytes onstage.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - MAY 15: Music legend and Acrisure brand ambassador Lionel Richie headlines the Acrisure Amphitheater Opening Concert on May 15, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Acrisure Amphitheater)
 Lionel Richie headlines the Acrisure Amphitheater Opening Concert on May 15, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Acrisure Amphitheater)

In another video, he addressed the drink, saying, “I’m telling you, this stuff is nasty, but it works. That’s all you gotta remember, just drink your electrolytes and you too can be like me.”

Richie also addressed the health issues he had experienced during his tour.

According to the St Louis American, he said, “Some things have been happening on this tour that kind of shook me up a little bit, because I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on.”

He added, “I went back to the doctor, and he said, ‘You are suffering from dehydration.’”

Lionel Richie speaks onstage during the 57th NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 28, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Lionel Richie speaks onstage during the 57th NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 28, 2026 in Pasadena, California (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

Lionel Richie June health scare and tour update

The latest hospitalization marks Richie’s second onstage health scare this year.

In June, he was rushed to a hospital after falling ill during the opening night of his 26-city North American tour with Earth, Wind & Fire at the Grand Casino Arena in St Paul, Minnesota, on June 24.

Fan videos showed Richie being forced to sit down several times while singing 'Dancing on the Ceiling.'

At the time, he told the crowd, “When you’re feeling dizzy, sit yourself down.”

Richie eventually took an intermission, and nearly an hour later, a band member told the audience the show would be canceled because he was “not feeling well.”

Following the incident, Richie canceled his next two concerts in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.

The United Center said the shows were postponed under doctors’ orders so Richie could rest and return to full health, adding that he was “heartbroken to postpone these two shows” and could not wait to return to performing for his fans.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 20: Lionel Richie attends Rolla's x Sofia Richie Launch Event
Lionel Richie attends Rolla's x Sofia Richie Launch Event at Harriet's Rooftop on February 20, 2020 in West Hollywood, California (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Rolla's)

Weeks later, Richie reassured fans that he was “doing well” in a July 4 Instagram post. “Thank you for every message, every kind word, and for all your love,” he wrote. “I’m doing well, and I’m grateful for all of you.”

He also praised the energy at his Pittsburgh and Detroit shows, writing, “We made real memories together,” before adding, “See you in Toronto… let’s party all night long!”

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