Joni Mitchell Stunned Newport
Last weekend, it was just a normal day in Rhode Island, when the iconic Joni Mitchell stunned Newport! It was a Newport Folk Festival to remember!
Why Was Newport Stunned?
The last time we saw Joni Mitchell perform LIVE was back in 2015. According to NPR:
Joni Mitchell’s surprise performance at the Newport Folk Festival on Sunday is already becoming the stuff of legend. The unsuspecting crowd roared as the singer-songwriter stepped onto the stage in her first public performance since suffering a debilitating brain aneurysm in 2015. The last time Joni performed with guitar in hand in front of a paying audience was 8,660 days ago, on her 55th birthday, according to Mitchell’s website.
Brain Aneurysm
Joni suffered a debilitating brain aneurysm back in 2015, that made it almost impossible to do ANYTHING. So for her to arrive on stage, surprised her adoring fans is nothing short of a miracle, and inspiring. According to NPR:
In an interview with CBS News following the show, the iconic singer, who is now 78, talked about losing the ability to speak and walk, or even get out of a chair. She described the experience of the last few years as “a return to infancy.”
Joni Mitchell-Legendary
Joni is to folk music, what Elton John is to pop music. Mainstream audiences know her smash top 40 hit, Help Me. Her deeper album cuts, Both Sides Now, and Big Yellow Taxi are known to her core audience.
Did Joni Date Cheech?
There’s a random story out there that Joni and Cheech Marin from Cheech and Chong fame, were…a thing. From Dangerousminds.net:
In Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography, Chong says that Mitchell was romantically involved with Cheech, and that she witnessed the conception of the duo’s immortal teen rebellion anthem, “Earache My Eye.” The place is Malibu, the year 1972:
Cheech rented a house in the Hollywood Hills and became the party guy in town. While he dated a bevy of eligible Hollywood ladies, one in particular fed my admiration for the Cheech charm. Joni Mitchell, the genius Canadian songwriter, was entangled with Cheech for a while. Gaye Delorme, the guitarist, was staying with Cheech when Joni was over with David Geffen, who was Joni’s personal manager at the time. Gaye was trying to convince Joni to buy a Canadian-built acoustic guitar, but David Geffen shot the deal down when he said he didn’t especially like the guitar. David knew the music business and Joni respected his opinion, so she passed on the guitar. This did not stop the Canadian from trying. Gaye wrote the music and the riff for a tune soon to be known as “Earache My Eye.”
That song was a Cheech and Chong song, and seemingly brought the two together. I think she finally got the guitar she wanted.
Ok, this started nice, but ended weird! Hey, that’s rock n roll. Joni Mitchell stunned Newport, and me.
Welcome back Joni!