Lionel Richie cuts St. Paul concert short due to apparent illness

Legendary musician Lionel Richie had to cut his performance short Wednesday night in St. Paul, Minnesota, leaving fans with many questions.

After performing several songs in his Grand Casino Arena appearance, 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. His next show is planned for Friday in Chicago.

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.