Lionel Richie ill - Gary Barlow Fills In

Lionel Richie has halted recording of his new album and pulled out of a star-studded concert in London after falling ill. The 'Dancing on the Ceiling' hitmaker was due to headline BBC Radio 2′s Live In Hyde Park gig on Sept. 11, alongside other stars including Lenny Kravitz and Will Young.

But Richie has been battling illness, and has decided to postpone his recording sessions and drop out of the line-up for the show in order to recover.

BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans told listeners of his morning show on Thursday:

“Due to illness, Lionel Richie will not be able to perform at Hyde Park as billed.

“As much as Lionel is distressed at cancelling this show for his fans and Radio 2, he would never allow himself to give less than 100 per cent excellence in performance.

“We talked to him in America yesterday, he said, ‘I’m sorry that I wont be able to make the concert on Sunday’. He was recording his new album, that’s also had to stop as well.”

In a statement, Richie adds, “The show has a fantastic line up and I was looking forward to joining the other artists on what promises to be a fabulous day of entertainment. To all the fans that bought tickets I promise to be back very soon and make up for it with something very special.”When Lionel Richie cancelled at the last minute due to illness, most music fans agreed Gary Barlow was not a bad replacement. Even with Take That hits Greatest Day, Patience, A Million Love Songs and Back For Good at his disposal, he still felt the need to further satisfy the crowd.

“After 20 years I’ve reached the pinnacle of my career, filling in for Lionel Richie,” grinned Gaz. “I don’t want to let down anyone who wanted to see him, so I hope you like this,” he added before launching into a perfect version of Lionel’s 1984 goldie oldie Hello.

The Full Set List Contained:

Greatest Day
Patience
Hello
A Million Love Songs
Back For Good
Rule The World
Never Forget