Lionel Richie apologized on stage in New York City for canceling his previous show an hour after it was meant to start: 'I tried to bribe the pilot'

• Lionel Richie offered an apology Monday for canceling his previous show one hour after it was due to start.
• The singer said he couldn't make his show in New York City on Saturday because of "severe weather."

Lionel Richie gave an onstage apology to his fans on Monday after canceling his previous concert one hour after it was supposed to start.

Richie was set to perform to a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden in New York City alongside Earth, Wind & Fire on Saturday night.

Just over an hour after the show was set to begin, however, he tweeted to say he couldn't fly in because of "severe weather" conditions.

"I'm so bummed," he wrote on Saturday.

Addressing the crowd at a rescheduled concert Monday, the "All Night Long" singer joked: "I tried to bribe the pilot and the pilot said, 'I do want to see my wife tomorrow.'"

"So tonight, we are going to make up for that," he added. "I apologize a thousand times."

Richie's initial cancellation resulted in backlash online from fans who had already shown up for the event.

"Thank you so much for announcing this an hour after the show was supposed to start," one fan tweeted.

Another wrote: "You've lost a fan. Personally I think you're full of it. How does a performer not be in the area that they contracted for by show time?"

One angry fan tweeted: "What actually happened? Nobody flies in late and blames weather. Weather was A OK. We are a group of 12 and so disappointed but not as disappointed as the tourists and fans who made plans around the gig and wil now miss it. What's the real, substantial and genuine reason?"

Richie, 74, is widely regarded as one of the greatest soul singers of all time.

He rose to fame as the lead singer of the Motown group Commodores, writing and recording the hit singles "Easy," "Three Times a Lady." and "Still."

Since going solo in 1982, Richie has sold over 100 albums worldwide and had five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.