Lionel Richie hospitalized in intensive care after struggling through final song at St. Louis concert

Lionel Richie has been hospitalized in an intensive care unit after falling ill following a concert in Missouri over the weekend.

The 77-year-old music legend and American Idol judge checked himself into a St. Louis medical facility following his Saturday night performance at The Muny in Forest Park to undergo precautionary tests, according to TMZ.

The outlet also reported that sources close to the singer confirmed that Richie remains in the hospital's ICU as of Monday afternoon while doctors evaluate him for 'possible dehydration.'

As per GB News, insiders noted that he is acting out of caution and hopes to be discharged as early as Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses in the audience reported seeing the four-time Grammy winner visibly struggling as his set came to a close, reports PEOPLE.

The singer became unwell during a recent concert performance (Jeremychanphotography/Getty Images)

Richie reportedly asked stage crew members to bring out a chair so he could sit down while performing his 1983 signature hit "All Night Long" to finish the show.

Representatives for Richie have not yet issued an official public statement regarding the hospital stay.

Richie himself has not posted online since the most recent health scare with his last public post on Instagram shared on August 27, when he paid tribute to the late country legend Dolly Parton who died last week.

In his post, he shared a snap of himself and Dolly, alongside the caption: ”Dolly, what a fun ride… ❤️ “I Will Always Love You.” We will always love you! Your light and your music will live on forever. ✨”

No public details have been shared about the singer's current condition ( David Livingston/Getty Images)

The current episode marks the second time the iconic Commodores frontman has faced a health scare during his current summer tour.

In late June, Richie was forced to halt a concert mid-performance in St. Paul, Minnesota, after informing the crowd that he felt "dizzy" and "strange" while singing "Dancing on the Ceiling".

During that incident, paramedics met Richie backstage and transported him to a local hospital by ambulance as a precaution.

The singer postponed two subsequent tour stops on medical advice before returning to the stage days later in Pittsburgh, with his team later attributing the episode to acute dehydration and exhaustion.

His co-headlining tour alongside Earth, Wind & Fire also saw disruptions earlier this month when an August 6 performance at San Francisco's Chase Center was postponed after drummer John Paris suffered an unrelated medical emergency.

Richie, whose celebrated music career spans more than five decades with over 100 million records sold worldwide, has maintained a demanding live performance schedule alongside his television commitments.

Fans and industry peers have begun sharing messages of support online as they await further updates on his recovery and upcoming tour dates.