Lionel Richie postpones 2 shows after cutting St. Paul concert short due to illness

Legendary musician Lionel Richie is postponing two upcoming concerts after he cut his performance short in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this week. 

On Thursday evening, Live Nation Chicago announced that Richie's doctors advised him to rest and return to full health. The postponed shows are on Friday in Chicago and Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. 

"Lionel is heartbroken to postpone these two shows and cannot wait to be back performing for his fans," Live Nation said, adding that the shows will be rescheduled.  

Richie performed several songs on Wednesday in his Grand Casino Arena appearance before the 77-year-old icon abruptly left the stage.

WCCO reached out to the arena, which shared this statement from Richie's team: "Unfortunately, Lionel is not feeling well. We won't be able to continue with tonight's show."

This was the first stop of his 26-city "Sing A Song All Night Long" tour with Earth, Wind and Fire.

Richie, widely regarded as one of the greatest pop songwriters of the late 20th Century, was a member of the highly successful band The Commodores in the 1970s before going solo in the early 80s, leading to a string of hit ballads like "Hello," "My Love," and "Say You, Say Me."

The "American Idol" star also co-wrote the global smash hit "We Are The World" in 1985 with Michael Jackson, which helped raise millions for famine relief efforts in Ethiopia. 

It's unclear if concertgoers will receive refunds for the St. Paul show.