Lionel Richie sparked uproar after postponing a sold-out show with Earth Wind & Fire at Madison Square Garden on Saturday an hour after it was to begin.
Richie said on social media that he was unable to fly to New York due to poor weather conditions.
"Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I'm unable to make it to the show tonight," the iconic singer posted on X at 8:31 p.m. The show was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.
"I'm so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can't wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight's show are valid for the show on Monday."
The New York Post reported that a spokesperson informed the 20,000 fans in attendance that the show would not be taking place, with many booing.
"There was a lot of anger," a pediatric nurse from Long Island, who paid $170 for nose-bleed seats, told the Post.
"We went out of the way to get the weekend off and now I can't go on Monday," she continued. "Does he think it's easy for me to take off Monday night? This is New York. We work."
Asked what she would say to Richie if given the opportunity, she said, "Hope you're OK but you should have taken a limo for your fans for four hours. He's loaded … take a f***ing limo."
Other fans used social media to vent their frustrations.
"Sounds like bad planning on your part @LionelRichie, trying to fly in at the last minute. I'll take a refund please — no thx to Monday!" one fan wrote on X.
"We bought our parents good seats for a lot of money for their 50th wedding anniversary," another person commented. "They're 75 and were really looking forward to tonight's show. Thanks for ruining the gift we got for them."
Another social media user detailed how much they spent in order to attend the concert.
"After spending $1000 on two VIP tickets on a weekend, I am hoping we get a refund," the fan wrote. "Monday is not an option. We also spent $500 on a hotel and also spent another several hundred dollars on food in the area. What a huge bummer for my birthday!!!! Ugh."
The Post noted that Earth Wind & Fire was scheduled to play a show at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, Connecticut, without Richie on Monday. It was unclear if the band will perform at the Garden or in Bridgeport on Monday.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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