Lionel Richie postpones Atlanta concert with Mariah Carey

Lionel Richie performs onstage during the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 47th Annual Induction And Awards at Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 9, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame )

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Credit: Melissa Ruggieri

Lionel Richie performs onstage during the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 47th Annual Induction And Awards at Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 9, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame )

BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene

The Lionel Richie/Mariah Carey tour has hit a snag and won't take place until this summer.

Richie is still recovering from a knee procedure and said in a statement that he won’t be ready to launch the 35-date tour in Baltimore next week as planned.

“When you have been performing as long as I have it takes a toll on your body,” he said. “I don’t want to disappoint my fans and I look forward to being back on stage so we can all be ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ together again.”

The tour was slated to play Philips Arena on May 24. A spokesperson for the venue confirmed that tickets were no longer being sold for that show; a new date has not been announced. All previously purchased tickets will be honored at the new date.

Tickets for the tour – which will mark the first time the duo has shared a bill - were heavily reduced through discount sites and Ticketmaster offers prior to the postponement, an unusual step for such high-profile performers.

Richie recently wrapped his "All the Hits" residency at the Axis at Planet Hollywood , while Carey will conclude her "#1 to Infinity" show across the Las Vegas Strip at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with a handful of shows in July.

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