The musician | Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell may not have released an album this year — or even in the past 17 years — but she’s still making headlines. She made a comeback to remember with an aptly-named “Joni Jam,” performing at the Hollywood Bowl for her first full L.A. show in 24 years. She also brought the audience to tears with her Grammy performance debut at 80 years old, winning her 10th Grammy award. Here’s to 50 more years of Joni.
My friendship with Joni Mitchell began in the mid 1960s. Her first performance at the Riverboat, my club in Yorkville, was in November 1966, as her songs came to the attention of the music-loving public. One time I picked up Joni at the airport and she was excited for me to hear a song she had just written called “Clouds,” which we now know as the iconic “Both Sides Now.” After her career took off, she always made a point of visiting me in Toronto, and I was a frequent visitor to her home in L.A. and her place of escape in Sechelt, B.C. Joni always knew where she was going. Her accomplishments in the folk genre are legendary, and she continued to reinvent her music, bringing in the influences of jazz, poetry, social causes and personal struggles. Her lyrics and melodies come straight from her heart and touch the hearts of others. I last had dinner at her home in L.A. in early 2023. As Joni gave me a tour of her own new paintings gracing the walls of her beautiful home, I could only be in awe of her exceptional talent. Artists may be great singers or songwriters or musicians or fine artists and painters. Very few have all of these qualities together with the drive to bring their artistry into the public realm. Her professional accomplishments are even more impressive in light of her triumph over serious illnesses and challenges. Joni continues to perform to enraptured audiences, such as at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival. Recently her 1971 album, Blue, became widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Joni has truly seen life from both sides now, and I am honoured to consider her my good friend.
