American music star Lionel Richie has been hospitalised again after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heart rhythm.
Gatekeepers News reports that the 77-year-old singer’s latest health setback has forced him and Earth, Wind & Fire to cancel three upcoming dates on their “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour.
The cancelled shows were scheduled for September 26 in San Francisco, September 30 in Chicago and October 2 in Columbus, Ohio.
Richie underwent an AFib ablation, a minimally invasive procedure used to treat irregular heart rhythms. According to his representative, the procedure was successful and the singer is recovering before returning to the stage.
The latest hospitalisation is Richie’s third in recent months.
It comes less than a month after he was admitted to a hospital in St. Louis following a performance at The Muny on August 29.
Richie spent three days in the hospital and was discharged on September 2. Reports at the time said he underwent tests for cardiac-related issues after appearing unwell towards the end of the concert.
The singer had previously experienced a health episode in June during a concert in St. Paul, Minnesota.
During the performance, Richie told the audience he was feeling dizzy and advised them:
“When you’re feeling dizzy, sit your ass down.”
Following the incident, he postponed two shows on his doctor’s advice before returning to the stage on June 30 in Pittsburgh.
