Lionel Richie is taking time away from the stage after undergoing a heart procedure to treat atrial fibrillation.
“Lionel underwent a common procedure for atrial fibrillation,” his representative told PEOPLE, adding that his doctor said “everything went perfectly.”
Richie, 77, and Earth, Wind & Fire have canceled the next three dates on their Sing a Song All Night Long tour: Sept. 26 at Chase Center in San Francisco, Sept. 30 at United Center in Chicago and Oct. 2 at Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The procedure follows two earlier hospital visits during the tour, including a three-day stay after Richie’s Aug. 29 performance in St. Louis. His representative said he is “doing great” and will rest before returning to the stage.
Richie Underwent an Ablation to Treat AFib
TMZ first reported that Richie had been hospitalized again for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, and was undergoing an ablation. PEOPLE subsequently confirmed through Richie’s representative that the procedure had been completed successfully.
“Lionel is doing great but will take some time off and will be back on stage soon,” the representative said.
No specific return date has been announced. Richie’s team has also not said whether the AFib diagnosis was connected to either of his previous hospital visits this summer.
Chicago and Columbus Had Already Been Postponed Once
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The Chicago and Columbus concerts were originally scheduled for June 26 and June 27, immediately after Richie became ill during the opening night of the joint tour in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Doctors advised him to rest, and both performances were postponed. Richie returned to the stage June 30 in Pittsburgh, while the Chicago and Columbus shows were moved to Sept. 30 and Oct. 2.
Those rescheduled dates have now been canceled along with the Sept. 26 San Francisco concert as Richie recovers from the AFib procedure.
The Sing a Song All Night Long tour brought Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire back together following their previous joint tour. Richie continued performing through the summer after the June interruption, including dates in New York, Boston, Toronto, Los Angeles and other cities.
Richie Has Been Hospitalized Three Times Since June
Richie’s first hospitalization came after the June 24 tour opener in St. Paul. He told the audience during the performance that he felt “dizzy” and “strange” and sat down while singing before eventually leaving the stage early.
Paramedics met him backstage and took him to a hospital as a precaution. Richie later reassured fans that he was recovering and resumed the tour less than a week later.
He returned to the hospital after performing in St. Louis on Aug. 29. Richie checked himself in for cardiac testing and remained under medical care for three days before returning to Los Angeles on Sept. 2, according to PEOPLE.
During the St. Louis show, Richie asked for a chair near the end of his set while performing “All Night Long.” Reports at the time said doctors were investigating the cause of his symptoms, but no AFib diagnosis was publicly announced during that hospitalization.
Richie made his first public appearance following the three-day stay on Sept. 19, when he attended a gathering at Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills with girlfriend Lisa Parigi. He smiled and gave photographers a thumbs-up outside the restaurant three days before his representative confirmed the latest hospitalization and procedure.