Photo: Jeff Schear / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
Lionel Richie is back on stage nearly two months after undergoing a heart procedure to treat an irregular heartbeat.
The 77-year-old singer kicked off his “King of Hearts” residency at Wynn Las Vegas on Wednesday (November 11). A fan in attendance shared a video of the performance on Instagram , capturing Richie greeting the crowd with an enthusiastic, “I'm back!”
“I'm doing just fine. Thank you all so much for caring about it,” Richie told the audience, reassuring fans about his recovery.
Richie's return follows several health setbacks over the past few months. The singer spent three days hospitalized in St. Louis in August. He was released September 2 after undergoing cardiac testing.
The hospitalization followed a June health scare in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he became dizzy and told concertgoers he felt “strange” before cutting his performance short.
Richie's September heart procedure also forced him to cancel three Earth, Wind & Fire tour dates in San Francisco, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio.
The longtime singer underwent a minimally invasive procedure known as an ablation in September after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says can cause fatigue, shortness of breath and chest pain.
“The doctor said everything went perfectly,” Richie’s representative told ABC News.
Back on stage, Richie joked about wanting to celebrate himself before someone else could.
“So I want to make it a tribute tonight to me,” he said. “I want to make a tribute to myself before somebody else has that show down the street.”
Richie continued, “Wait a minute. No, no. This is going to be a whole week of celebrating Lionel Richie.”
Richie's “King of Hearts” residency at the Encore Theater runs through January 9, 2027. He is also set to return as a judge for Season 25 of American Idol, which premieres February 8, 2027.
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