Lionel RichieĀ faced another heart scare this week as the music legend underwent a procedure that forced three upcoming concerts with Earth, Wind & Fire to be canceled.
The 77-year-old icon was hospitalized for treatment of atrial fibrillation, commonly known as AFib, an irregular heart rhythm that begins in the heartās upper chambers. Richie underwent an ablation procedure as doctors addressed the condition. The health setback has brought Richieās āSing a Song All Night Longā tour withĀ Earth, Wind & FireĀ to another unexpected stop. Concerts scheduled for Sept. 26 at Chase Center in San Francisco, Sept. 30 at United Center in Chicago and Oct. 2 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, have been canceled.
The latest hospitalization comes only weeks after Richie spent several days in the hospital following an Aug. 29 performance in St. Louis. During that concert, Richie reportedly needed to sit down while performing his closing song, āAll Night Long.ā He later checked himself into a hospital where doctors conducted cardiac testing. Richie was released Sept. 2 and returned home.
Richie became dizzy during the opening night of his tour with Earth, Wind & Fire in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 24. He performed part of the show while seated before ending the concert early. Doctors subsequently advised him to rest, leading to postponed performances. He returned to the stage June 30.