Lionel Richie has undergone a heart procedure.
Lionel Richie has undergone a heart procedure
The 77-year-old musician recently underwent a “common procedure” for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, and he’s now taking some time off before he resumes performing.
A rep for the chart-topping singer told People: “Lionel underwent a common procedure for atrial fibrillation. The doctor said everything went perfectly.
“Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”
Lionel was due to perform at concerts in San Francisco, Chicago and Columbus in the next two weeks. However, those shows have now been cancelled, as Lionel focuses on his recovery.
Meanwhile, Lionel checked himself into a medical facility in late August, after he started feeling unwell during a concert in St. Louis, Missouri.
The singer’s children, daughters Nicole and Sofia and son Miles, were reported to have been extremely worried about their dad and were encouraging him to slow down at the time.
A source told the Daily Mail newspaper: “His daughters, especially, really want him to slow down because he means so much to them, he has always been there for them, he has been like a Super Dad …
“They have worried that Lionel was working too hard with this new tour on the heels of eight seasons of American Idol, which is a super demanding job.”
Prior to that, Lionel felt unwell during a gig in St. Louis, where he asked his team to bring on a chair for him during a rendition of All Night Long.
The singer was forced to postpone two concerts after falling ill on stage during the first night of his tour.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Lionel had been performing Dancing on the Ceiling during the opening night when he began feeling dizzy and took a seat on stage, before leaving the performance prematurely.
Around 40 minutes later, saxophonist Dino Soldo returned to address the audience. Dino said: “Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well.
“He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.”
