Earth, Wind & Fire were due to play a gig with Lionel Richie last night – but it was postponed when one of their band members suffered a ‘medical emergency’
Lionel Richie was due to perform with Earth, Wind & Fire last night (Image: Getty Images)
Earth, Wind & Fire was forced to cancel a huge gig with Lionel Richie last night after a ‘medical emergency’ involving one of their band members.
The funk band, whose hit songs include September, shared the news just moments before they were due to take to the stage with the Hello and All Night Long singer. This meant thousands of fans were already inside the arena waiting for the gig to happen.
A statement posted later on Instagram confirmed the concert would be rescheduled at a later date. Explaining the reason for the postponement, the band said: “We are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco due to a medical emergency involving a member of our band.
“As a result, tonight’s show with Lionel Richie will be rescheduled, with a new date to be announced soon. Ticket holders should retain their tickets, which will be honoured for the new date, or refunds will be available at the point of purchase. We sincerely apologise for the unexpected change and appreciate everyone’s understanding.”
No further details have been given about which band member was taken ill or if they are okay now.
The news comes just over a month after 77-year-old Lionel was forced to postpone two shows himself after falling ill on stage at the end of June. The singer was performing at the Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota when he announced an unusual 40-minute break.
After performing Three Times A Lady from the piano, he said there would be an intermission and left the stage. Minutes later, his band followed before one member returned to say Lionel would not be coming back out as he wasn’t feeling well.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, saxophonist Dino Soldo said: “Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well. He won’t be able to continue. Additional information will be available.”
This incident happened on the first night of Lionel’s Sing A Song All Night Long tour with Earth, Wind & Fire. In the shows, Earth, Wind & Fire play their hits for the first half, while Lionel takes to the stage for the second.
Fans who attended the show took to social media with their concerns for Lionel’s health. Videos they shared of him performing showed him having to sit down multiple times during a rendition of Dancing On The Ceiling. He reportedly told audiences this was because he was feeling “dizzy”.
In one video on X, Richie could be seen singing as he walked around the stage before becoming unsteady and abruptly stopping to sit on the edge of a large platform. He continued to sing whilst sat, but was soon on his feet again. However, it wasn’t long before he needed to sing sit again.
Following the song, Richie told the audience: “What I have learned about my years of being in the business – when you are feeling dizzy, sit your ass down. And when you are feeling strange about yourself, sit your ass down.
“Now I want you to know that that is the first time in the history of ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ I’ve done it sitting down,” he continued to audience laughter and cheers. “That’s a bad sign! That’s a bad sign, y’all.”
Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris told local media that Richie had been “a little dehydrated”, but that he hadn’t noticed any health issues before the show.
A statement from Live Nation said at the time: “Lionel is heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans.”
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