Smokey Robinson says his "brother" Lionel Richie is doing great after a heart procedure

Smokey Robinson has good news for anyone worried about Lionel Richie.

The Motown legend was stopped at LAX last week and asked about his longtime friend. He called Lionel his "brother" and said he is doing great.

A procedure Smokey knows well

Lionel recently underwent an ablation to treat AFib, a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. Smokey brushed off any alarm about it. He described the treatment as normal and routine.

He speaks from experience. Smokey says he went through the very same procedure himself.

What about American Idol?

Smokey was less certain about where things stand with Lionel's judging seat on American Idol. Still, he said he can't picture the show replacing him for good.

A run of health scares

The update follows several worrying months for the singer. Lionel's tour partners Earth, Wind & Fire called off a handful of shows last month.

Back in August he went through cardiac testing at a hospital in St. Louis after a concert. During a June show in St. Paul he had also felt dizzy on stage.