Lionel Richie Hospitalized in ICU After St. Louis Concert

Lionel Richie brought The Muny’s 2026 season to a close on August 29 in Forest Park, appearing for a single night as part of his Sing a Song All Night Long tour. Originally from Tuskegee, Alabama, Richie first rose to prominence as co-lead singer and songwriter for The Commodores, shaping Motown funk and ballads like ‘Easy’ and ‘Three Times a Lady’ before launching his solo career. His 1983 album Can’t Slow Down achieved diamond status, earned Album of the Year at the Grammys, and produced enduring hits including ‘All Night Long’ and ‘Hello’. Richie later added an Oscar and Golden Globe for ‘Say You, Say Me’, co-wrote ‘We Are the World’, and has sold over 100 million records, all while serving as a judge on American Idol.

Richie’s St. Louis set balanced The Commodores classics with solo staples, maintaining a steady midtempo groove on ‘Stuck on You’ and ‘Sail On’. His vocals retained their warmth and phrasing, even as he paused for electrolyte drinks between songs. The band kept arrangements streamlined, with guitar and keys closely following the original grooves. For the finale, Richie requested a chair and delivered ‘All Night Long’ seated, the rhythm section sustaining the calypso pulse and sharp horn accents while he remained firmly on the hook. The performance stayed precise, with any physical strain apparent only in his seated stance.

After the show Richie checked himself into a local ICU for tests over possible slight dehydration, the second health interruption this summer after a June dizzy spell at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul that ended the tour opener early. A source close to the tour said he self-checked in and is doing okay, with discharge hoped for Tuesday. Lionel Richie revealed: “Some things have been happening on this tour that kind of shook me up a little bit, because I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. I went back to the doctor, and he said, ‘You are suffering from dehydration.’”

Stream ‘All Night Long‘: