Lionel Richie is absent from a sold-out New York concert
Hello, Lionel Richie, they are looking for you.
To the anger of fans, the “Hello” actor hung out in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden Saturday night, announcing that he would be missing the performance for about an hour after it should start. Earth, Wind & Fire were also scheduled to perform as part of the Sing a Song All Night Long tour and were also cancelled.
“Due to the severe weather and not being able to land in New York and surrounding areas, I’m unable to come to the show tonight,” Richie, a resident of Los Angeles, wrote in a statement shared on social media, adding that the show would be moved to Monday night. “I’m so depressed.”
Despite promising that ticket holders would redeem their passes just two days later, fans @ the disappointment.howdy_imjack In a tweet, he commented, “Thank you for announcing this an hour into the show.”
“I can’t believe this,” wrote @ISellJohnstonNC, who said they flew in from North Carolina over the weekend to see the show. “Hotel, flight, Ubers, dinner… that’s a $4,000 crap to me.” Some of us can’t make the Monday show and are now stuck. Bummed is shallow and pathetic.”
another user, @realjwalshHe said he bought his parents “good seats for a lot of money for their 50th wedding anniversary.”
“They’re 75 and really looking forward to tonight’s show,” he continued. “Thanks for ruining the present we got for her.”
While many fans questioned the ‘All Night Long’ singer’s weather excuse, I’m trying to find another reason for the shift, a thunderstorm blew through New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Saturday night with trees downed flash flood warnings continued until Monday.
The postponed show had repercussions: an Earth, Wind & Fire performance in Bridgeport, Connecticut originally scheduled for Monday was pushed back to Wednesday to make way for their makeup show with Richie at MSG. Yankees Hall of Famer Derek Jeter was scheduled to host a meet-and-greet and question-and-answer session for a charity event with Earth, Wind & Fire at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater Monday, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the former baseball player Turn 2 Foundation. However, the amphitheater announced this on Monday Jeter would not be able to participate for the new Wednesday date, citing a previous commitment.
Richie and Earth, Wind & Fire kicked off their 20-show tour earlier this month with their Last stop at Boston’s TD Garden on Friday. Her tour is scheduled to conclude on September 15 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood. Richie will perform at the Yaamava’ Theater in San Bernardino County the following day and then play six shows at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas in October.
Despite the busy touring schedule, ABC made the announcement last month Richie would return as judge for season 22 of American Idol alongside Katy Perry and Luke Bryan, along with longtime Idol host and new Wheel of Fortune host Ryan Seacrest. Filming for the new season is expected to begin in the fall and will be broadcast next spring.
