American Idol Judge Lionel Richie Hospitalized in ICU After St. Louis Concert

Lionel Richie has been hospitalized following another health scare while on tour.

The 77-year-old music legend and longtime American Idol judge checked himself into a St. Louis hospital after performing Saturday night at The Muny in Forest Park. Richie is reportedly being treated in the intensive care unit while doctors run tests, with possible mild dehydration among the issues being investigated.

Thankfully, early reports surrounding his condition are encouraging. A source close to Richie's tour told Us Weekly that the singer wanted to get checked out and remained in St. Louis, adding that he's OK. Richie is reportedly hoping to be released from the hospital on Tuesday.

Concertgoers noticed something wasn't quite right toward the end of Saturday's show. During his final song, “All Night Long,” Richie reportedly asked his team to bring him a chair so he could sit while finishing the performance.

The hospitalization comes just a couple of months after Richie experienced another health scare onstage. During a June concert in St. Paul, Minnesota, he told the audience that he was feeling dizzy and strange before cutting the show short. Paramedics met him backstage, and he was transported to a hospital as a precaution. Two subsequent concerts were postponed on doctors' advice. Richie later returned to the stage and reassured fans in July that he was doing well, thanking everyone for their messages and support.

For TV viewers, Richie has become nearly as familiar behind the American Idol judges' table as he is behind a piano. He has served as a judge on the ABC singing competition alongside Luke Bryan, with Carrie Underwood joining the panel in recent seasons. ABC has already renewed American Idol for another season.

There has been no indication that Richie's hospitalization will affect his future American Idol duties, and his representatives have not publicly detailed his condition. For now, the encouraging part is that reports indicate the hospitalization is precautionary and Richie is doing OK.

Here's hoping Lionel gets some rest and is back to telling American Idol contestants exactly what he thinks soon.