Earth Wind & Fire Call Off San Francisco Show Due to ‘Medical Emergency’

The Lionel Richie/Earth Wind & Fire gig scheduled for Thursday night (Aug. 6) at the Chase Center in San Francisco was called off at the last minute due to an illness affecting the “September” band. In an Instagram statement, EW&F wrote, “We are unable to perform as scheduled tonight at Chase Center in San Francisco due to a medical emergency involving a member of our band.”

At press time, the veteran R&B act had not provided any additional information on which member of the group had fallen ill or the nature of the medical issue and a spokesperson had not returned Billboard‘s request for additional comment.

As a result of the call-off, the show will be rescheduled on a date to be announced soon. The band asked ticket holders to hold on to their original tickets, which will be honored for the new date; otherwise, refunds will be available at the point of purchase. “We sincerely apologize for the unexpected change and appreciate everyone’s understanding,” EW&F wrote.

According to ABC 7, the Chase Center issued statements at 7:20 and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, reportedly forcing thousands of fans inside the arena and those outside in line to exit the building.

This isn’t the first time the tour has hit a snag. In June, Richie, 77, had to cut his portion of the show short on June 24 after experiencing a dizzy spell on stage on the opening night of the outing. After postponing the next two shows, Richie was back on stage on June 30, joking with the crowd, “I had you worried there for a minute, huh? You have no idea what I have been through in the last 24 hours, listening to my friends tell me their advice on what I should be doing.”

The next scheduled stop on the Sing a Song All Night Long tour is on Saturday night (Aug. 8) in Palm Desert, Calif.