Lionel Richie addressed his health struggles publicly for the first time since undergoing a heart procedure.
The 77-year-old singer broke his silence Wednesday night during his residency show at The Wynn in Las Vegas, telling the crowd “I’m back” three times before joking, “I don’t know where I was, but I’m back.” Richie, who had kept quiet for roughly two months following the atrial fibrillation treatment, emphasized to fans that he was “doing just fine” in footage captured and shared on Instagram.
“I want to make it a tribute tonight, to me,” he exclaimed during the performance. “I better make a tribute to myself before somebody else has that show down the street, ‘Come see Lionel Richie down the street!'”
The Grammy winner turned the evening into a weeklong self-celebration, announcing, “Wait a minute, no, this is gonna be a whole week of celebrating Lionel Richie.” After dancing and performing onstage, he did pause to recharge when the physical demands caught up with him.
“That was too much, that was beyond my electrolyte capabilities,” he said, per the outlet, after which a crew member brought him a glass of red electrolytes. Richie then shared a discovery that had changed his routine: “Now let me tell y’all something, for years I thought that water was important. And then, one day, I got dizzy and I said bring me some water, and the man said, ‘You don’t need water, you need electrolytes.'”
“All these years, drinking water,” he joked. “So now I drink electrolytes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then the doctor told me you need to eat some food. And I said, ‘Well, the last food I ate, the chickens, was contaminated, then the lettuce became contaminated, so what the hell are you supposed to eat?'”
Appearing reenergized as he walked toward his piano, he told the audience, “Now that I feel refreshed, I’m gonna play a song.”
The “All Night Long” singer’s representative had confirmed on Sept. 22 that Richie underwent a routine procedure for atrial fibrillation, commonly known as Afib. “The doctor said everything went perfectly,” the rep stated at the time. “Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon.”
Richie’s medical issues began drawing public concern in June, when he was rushed to hospital following a mid-concert medical episode. The following month, he reassured supporters he was “doing well” after the dizzy spell, though he canceled multiple performances. The situation escalated in August when the singer was taken to the ICU after struggling to finish his concert in St. Louis, Missouri.
The health crises have alarmed those closest to him. The outlet exclusively reported following his September procedure that Richie’s children are “concerned” about his continued performing schedule. “Lionel’s kids really want him to slow down,” an insider shared. “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.”
The source added that witnessing these incidents has been difficult for the family: “Seeing him have these health scares is obviously scary for them. And they wish he would give himself more time to rest and just hit the pause button once in a while.”
Despite those wishes, Richie has already mapped out his immediate professional future. He announced he will return as a judge for Season 25 of “American Idol,” continuing his role on the singing competition.
His Wednesday night return to the Las Vegas stage marked his first public performance since the heart procedure, with the singer framing his comeback with characteristic humor and showmanship. The residency performances had been paused during his recovery period.
Richie closed his health remarks to the Vegas crowd with gratitude, telling them, “Thank you all so much for caring about me.”
The “American Idol” Season 25 premiere date has not yet been announced.