American singer Lionel Richie has been discharged from a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, after spending three days in an intensive care unit for precautionary cardiac testing, according to People magazine.
The 77-year-old musician, celebrated for hit songs including Hello, took a flight back to his home in Los Angeles on Wednesday following his release and is reported to be feeling great.
Richie entered the medical center voluntarily as a protective measure after having difficulty remaining on his feet during a concert performance on Saturday at The Muny outdoor amphitheatre in St. Louis. Doctors initially attributed the issue to slight dehydration, entertainment news portal TMZ reported.
TMZ disclosed on Tuesday that the performer was undergoing cardiac evaluations during his stay in the intensive care unit. Spanish news agency EFE also confirmed his hospitalization and release.
Previous Health Scare on Tour
The stay in the Missouri hospital comes after a previous health interruption for the artist in late June. During the opening show of his current tour in Minnesota, Richie was forced to end his performance early after telling the crowd that he felt dizzy.
Following that opening stop of his Sing a song all night long tour, Richie postponed his next two scheduled concerts in Chicago, Illinois, and Columbus, Ohio. He explained at the time that his doctors had advised him to rest and recover his health completely before taking the stage again.
Upcoming Performance and Musical Career
The tour, which Richie co-headlines alongside the veteran American funk and soul group Earth, Wind and Fire, is scheduled to resume on September 26 with a performance in San Francisco, California.
Richie is one of American popular music's most enduring hitmakers. Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, he first achieved international prominence during the 1970s as a co-lead singer and songwriter for the Motown group the Commodores, writing classic ballads such as Easy and Three Times a Lady. Launching a solo career in the early 1980s, he went on to release multi-platinum albums and chart-topping singles including Truly, All Night Long, and Say You, Say Me. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Richie has earned four Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In recent years, he has also served as a judge on the television singing competition American Idol.
His tour partners, Earth, Wind and Fire, were formed in Chicago in 1969 by Maurice White and became one of the most successful bands of the 20th century, famous for hits like September, Shining Star, and Boogie Wonderland. The Muny, where Richie performed on Saturday prior to his hospital admission, is the oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre in the United States, situated in Forest Park in St. Louis.
