SAINT PAUL, June 26 -- The opening night of Lionel Richie's co-headlining summer run with Earth, Wind & Fire did not go as planned Wednesday at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Richie, 77, fell ill mid-concert, left the stage after about an hour, and was transported to a nearby hospital by paramedics who met him backstage. His condition remained unclear Thursday morning.

The trouble became visible during a performance of "Dancing on the Ceiling," the ninth song of Richie's set. He sat down on stage and addressed the crowd directly, with the composure of someone who has spent half a century in front of audiences. "What I have learned from my years of being in the business," he told the arena, "when you're feeling dizzy, sit yo...