Lionel Richie health scare mid concert

Lionel Richie was rushed to hospital after suddenly becoming dizzy on stage, forcing the opening night concert of his latest tour to be cut short.

Videos shared by concertgoers on social media show Richie pausing mid-performance of Dancing on the Ceiling to sit down on stage during the Wednesday night (local time) concert in St Paul, Minnesota.

He later managed to complete Three Times a Lady before announcing an intermission, but he did not return to continue the show.

Details about his condition remain limited, though he needed immediate medical attention backstage and stopped the show.

TMZ reported that Richie was taken to hospital after leaving the stage, describing it as a precautionary step.

Richie had a dizzy spell while performing in Minnesota. Photo / Patrick Kessler

During the concert, Richie addressed the crowd about his deteriorating state.

“Now, what I have learned is when you are feeling dizzy, sit your ass down. And when you are feeling strange about yourself, sit your ass down,” Richie said.

“That’s the first time in the history of Dance on the Ceiling I’ve done it sitting down."

“That’s a bad sign. That’s a bad sign, y’all.”

Richie then left the stage for an intermission.

Saxophonist Dino Soldo then came out and addressed the crowd, telling them Richie would not be back on stage that night.

“Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well. He won’t be able to continue with the show,” Soldo said.

“Additional information will be available. Thank you for your patience and your understanding. It’s just been amazing. Safe travels home, everyone. Thank you so much.”

Earlier on in the day Richie shared a series of photos on Instagram marking opening night. Photo / Lionel Richie

Earlier on Wednesday, Richie shared a series of photos on Instagram marking opening night, writing, “Rehearsals. Sound check. Showtime tonight,” before adding, “Saint Paul, you’re up!!!”.

Wednesday night’s concert was the opening show for the Grammy-winner’s joint tour with Earth, Wind & Fire, scheduled to span 26 stops across North America. The next show is due to take place in Chicago on Friday night.

It remains unclear whether that performance will proceed following reports of the singer’s hospitalisation, Entertainment Weekly reported.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.