Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lauren Del Fabbro

Lionel Richie to ‘take some time off’ following heart condition procedure

Lionel Richie began his career as a member of funk pop band The Commodores (Leon Neal/PA) - (PA Archive)

Singer Lionel Richie “will take some time off” following a medical procedure for a heart condition, his representative has said.

The 77-year-old, best known for his songs Hello and All Night Long (All Night), underwent a “common procedure” for atrial fibrillation (AFib), which the NHS says causes the heart to beat irregularly.

The American singer postponed two Sing A Song All Night Long Tour shows over the summer after he was forced to cut the opening night of the tour short due to illness.

Lionel Richie performing at the Coronation Concert held in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2023 (Chris Jackson/PA) (PA Archive)
Lionel Richie performing at the Coronation Concert held in the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2023 (Chris Jackson/PA) (PA Archive)

A statement shared by his representative said: “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 singer was due to perform with Earth Wind And Fire as part of their Sing A Song All Night Long tour on Saturday in San Francisco and in Chicago next week.

He is also scheduled to perform a Las Vegas residency titled King Of Hearts in October and November, followed by a show in Sao Paulo in December.

The 77-year-old is best known for his songs Hello and All Night Long (All Night) (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Archive)
The 77-year-old is best known for his songs Hello and All Night Long (All Night) (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Archive)

The singer began his career as a member of funk pop band The Commodores.

He has achieved eight UK top 10 singles as a solo artist, including a number one with Hello, and has had three UK number one albums.

Richie’s other well-known songs include Dancing On The Ceiling and My Destiny, while with The Commodores he released hits including Easy and Three Times A Lady.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.