Legendary singer Joni Mitchell proved she’s still got it while performing alongside several other fabulous singers seven years after suffering a brain aneurysm.
As BuzzFeed reports, the last time Joni Mitchell performed a full concert was 20 years ago. But at 78 years old, Mitchell proved nothing can stop her.
Joni Mitchell Brings Wynonna Judd to Tears Will Heartbreaking Performance 7 Years After Brain Aneurysm
However, while Mitchell’s performances brought tears to so many people’s eyes, perhaps the most poignant reaction to one of Mitchell’s most legendary songs was Wynonna Judd’s.
While performing Both Sides Now, a song about love and loss, Judd can be seen behind Mitchel breaking down into tears. The reaction could be the result of only having lost her beloved mother and musical partner, Naomi Judd, back in April.
You can see Judd’s reaction and listen to Mitchell’s hauntingly beautiful performance below:
Following the performance, Mitchell talked about her performance with CBS Morning. “I’ve never been nervous about singing in front of an audience,” Mitchell said of her Newport Folk Festival performance, “but I wanted it to be good and I wasn’t sure that I could be — but I didn’t sound too bad tonight!”
Mitchell also shared a glimpse into her recovery after suffering the brain aneurysm, explaining that she had to relearn how to play the guitar all over again by watching videos online. “You have to learn all these things by rote again,” Mitchell explained.
“You’re going back to infancy almost. You’ve got to relearn everything.”
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But while Mitchell hasn’t been performing in front of people in the last 20 years, that doesn’t mean music hadn’t remained a huge part of her life. In fact, her living room has been her stage for quite some time.
Just picture the likes of Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Charlie Puth, Harry Styles, and so many more legends all huddled in the middle of her living room jamming out. As Carlile revealed, the private “Joni Jam” sessions originally started so that Mitchell can sit comfortably with a glass of wine in her hand but it didn’t stay that way.
Eventually, Mitchell joined in, both singing and playing with those in her living room. And that’s what inspired this particular performance. The stage at the Newport Folk Festival was even set up to mimic Mitchell’s living room.
“I knew she’d do it at Newport,” Carlile told CBS Mornings. “I can’t really say how I knew it. I just pictured her up there. I pictured the water and the fort and the boats.”
Beautiful.