Lionel Richie’s children are pressing the 77-year-old singer to scale back his touring schedule after he was hospitalized for the third time this year.
The four-time Grammy winner underwent a procedure for atrial fibrillation, his representative confirmed in a statement shared Tuesday. “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,” the rep said.
That medical intervention has already forced the cancellation of three upcoming concerts on Richie’s joint North American tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. The scrapped shows were set for Saturday in San Francisco, Sept. 30 in Chicago and Oct. 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Richie’s kids — daughter Nicole, 45, and son Miles, 32, with ex-wife Diane Alexander, plus daughter Sofia, 28, with ex-wife Brenda Harvey-Richie — have been tracking their father’s deteriorating condition with growing alarm. “Lionel’s kids really want him to slow down. They’re concerned about him and worry that he’s pushing himself too hard, especially after everything that’s happened over the past few months,” a source said.
“Seeing him have these health scares is obviously scary for them,” the insider continued. “And they wish he would give himself more time to rest and just hit the pause button once in a while.”
The children recognize that extracting Richie from performing entirely would be a losing battle. “They know how much music and performing mean to him, and they would never expect him to completely give that up. But they’d definitely like to see him take it a little easier and put his health first,” the source explained.
That tension between family wishes and Richie’s own drive has defined this stretch of his career. “The reality is, though, they know that’s not really Lionel. He loves what he does and he’s going to want to keep performing for as long as he possibly can. That’s just who he is at his core,” the insider added.
The latest hospitalization caps a brutal three-month cycle of medical emergencies on the road. In June, Richie became dizzy during the opening night of the 26-city tour in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was forced to sit down repeatedly while performing “Dancing on the Ceiling,” then took an intermission before the concert was ultimately canceled, along with his next two shows in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. He later reassured fans that he was recovering and thanked them for their support.
Then on Aug. 29, following a concert in St. Louis, Missouri, Richie spent three days hospitalized after struggling toward the end of the show and requesting a chair while performing his final song, “All Night Long.” He subsequently checked himself into a local hospital, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
The pattern has left his family pleading for a sustainable compromise between the stage and the recovery room.
