A recent health scare may have briefly interrupted Lionel Richie’s tour, but it also gave him a funny story to tell. After ending a concert early because he wasn’t feeling well, the “American Idol” judge revealed the funny advice Luke Bryan offered when he checked in, proving their off-camera friendship is just as entertaining as their on-screen chemistry. Check out the details below in our “American Idol” spoilers.
Luke’s Advice to Lionel
Richie kicked off his “Sing a Song All Night” tour back on June 24, 2026. During that opening night, he had fans worried after the hitmaker ended the concert early after feeling dizzy.
Lionel has since returned to the tour and has assured fans that he is healthy. Now, Richie is sharing a piece of advice that Bryan gave him to help keep him in prime shape.
Richie and Bryan formed a friendship after they both joined “American Idol” as judges back in 2017. They originally had Katy Perry as part of that lineup, but she eventually left the show, and Carrie Underwood took her spot on the judges’ panel.
Since Lionel and Luke have grown close, the country singer was quick to call his friend after hearing the news about his dizzy spell.
Thankfully, Richie felt something was off on opening night and took precautions to keep himself safe. At a recent show at Madison Square Garden, Richie told the audience that Luke had only one question for him: “Lionel, was you drinkin’?”
Of course, Richie said he hadn’t been drinking, to which Bryan fired back, “Well then, that was the problem. You should have been drinking! That would have cleared everything up.”
Do Not Follow Bryan’s Advice
While Lionel thought the story was too funny not to share with the Madison Square Garden crowd, he did end the story with some advice of his own.
Richie may be loving his time on “American Idol” and his friendship with Bryan, but he did joke about Luke, saying, “You can’t follow that brother. That brother is not well in the head.”
While we have to wait until next year to see the two judges back together on “American Idol,” this story from Richie does give fans a glimpse into the lighthearted friendship the judges have built with each other behind the scenes.
Back At It & Enjoying the Road
Despite the health scare, Richie has returned to the stage and is back on his “Sing a Song All Night” tour. This just goes to show that his brief health scare was just a temporary setback.
And to prove it even more, he shared a post on Instagram and captioned it, “Some magical moments from the road. ✨💛”
Sure, the opening night was rough, and he had to cancel a couple of shows. However, he is back on the road and loving life.
In the post, he shared eight different pictures from the tour over the past two weeks. You can see him standing on the stage with his arm raised, or mid-dance while wearing a red leather jacket. He can also be seen playing a piano under the spotlight, and then one of his name written in huge letters.
