Miracle Recovery: Joni Mitchell Performs for Three Hours in Comeback Concert After Near-fatal Brain Aneurysm
79-year-old singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell performed her first ticketed live show this weekend nearly one decade after she suffered a devastating brain aneurysm, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a surprising comeback performance to come eight years after the folk icon suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm on March 31, 2015, the “Both Sides Now” singer played for almost three hours at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington.
Mitchell reportedly referred to the attendees as a “fallen constellation” due to the sea of cell phone lights illuminating the venue, and her performance further solidified her miracle brain aneurysm recovery.
Last year, Mitchell appeared at the Newport Folk Festival arranged by singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, and earlier this year she received the Library of Congress’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in Washington, D.C.
“She’s doing something very, very brave right now for you guys,” Carlile told the Newport Folk Festival audience last year. “This is a trust fall.”
Mitchell then performed a nearly three-hour set on Saturday night, including covers and hits such as “Big Yellow Taxi” and “Raised on Robbery.”
Other musicians joined Mitchell onstage, including Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, Wendy Melvoin, and Lisa Coleman, who provided backing vocals. Joni Jam, an event where artists not only sing with Mitchell but for her, was said to have been “brought to life” at the Gorge.
Despite suffering a brain aneurysm less than ten years ago, Mitchell sang nearly 24 songs at the Gorge Amphitheater. Mitchell’s voice, although changed, received high praise from both the audience and fellow musicians.
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Mitchell’s cane also reportedly featured prominently throughout the three-hour-long performance, according to the New York Times, as it doubled both as a percussion instrument and royal staff.
Mitchell finished off her set with a full sound, including pop band Lucius on backing vocals, Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons on percussion, and Celisse Henderson on guitar and vocals.
The night was said to have ended on a high note, with Mitchell performing covers such as “Love Potion No. 9” and “Young at Heart.”
Meanwhile, the 79-year-old singer continues to receive recognition for her groundbreaking music work, including the Library of Congress’s Gershwin Prize for Popular Song which was awarded to her in March of this year.
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As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Mitchell first signaled that she planned to start touring again during a rare sighting in October.
While Mitchell told a photographer at the time that she was “happy to be alive,” she also confirmed she would be taking the stage again in 2023 for the first time in almost 23 years.