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Joni Mitchell Garners Standing Ovation for Moving 'Both Sides Now' 2024 Grammys Performance Print-ready version

After getting nominated 18 times and winning nine Grammy Awards, Joni Mitchell took the Grammys stage to perform for the first time

by Kimberlee Speakman
People
February 4, 2024

Joni Mitchell and Brandi Carlile perform onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 4, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. PHOTO: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES

Joni Mitchell gave another history-making performance at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

The legendary performer was introduced by Brandi Carlile. "Whether we know it or not any one of us out here who ever dreamed of becoming a truly self-revealing singer-songwriter did it standing on the shoulders of one, Joni Mitchell," Carlile, 42, said.

"Joni is one of the most influential and emotionally generous creators in human history," she continued. "She redefined the very purpose of a song to reflect the contents of a person's soul and before she took this leap, the popular song was observational. It was brilliant and influential, of course, but the exhilarating risk that we all now take by turning ourselves inside out for all the world to see started as far as I can tell with Joni Mitchell doing it first."

The "Big Yellow Taxi" singer, 80, then took the Grammys stage for the first time in her storied music career, performing "Both Sides Now." She was seated on a throne and surrounded by chandeliers for the heartfelt performance. She was joined on stage by Carlile, as well as Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of the pop act Lucius and more musicians for the performance, which brought the crowd to their feet for a standing ovation.

While this was Mitchell's first time performing at the Grammys, it wasn't the first time she graced the Grammys red carpet. She is a 10-time Grammy Award winner and has been nominated a total of 18 times.

Mitchell's 10th Grammy win came Sunday in the best folk album category for Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live]. Other nominees in the category included Paul Simon for Seven Psalms, The Milk Carton Kids for I Only See the Moon, Dom Flemons for Traveling Wildfire, Rufus Wainwright for Folkocracy and Nickel Creek for Celebrants.

The win capped a spectacular year for the legendary singer-songwriter, who marked her first live performance in 20 years at the Newport Folk Festival in July 2022 (which was recorded and released in the form of the 2023 album). The singer, who had a brain aneurysm in 2015, said it took some time to get back into singing and playing the guitar again.

"I'm learning," she said. "I'm looking at videos that are on the net to see where I put my fingers, you know. It's amazing what an aneurysm knocks out - how to get out of chair!... You have to relearn everything."

She's also received several honors including the MusiCares Person of the Year in Las Vegas, where she was honored by some of music's biggest names including Lionel Richie, Brandi Carlile, Beck, John Legend and Mickey Guyton.

"We are all better artists because of the lines you dared to cross," Billy Porter said ahead of a moving performance of "Both Sides Now." "Joni Mitchell, you are marvelous."

In June, 2023 she headlined first ticketed show in 20 years called "Joni Jam" at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington. She is also set to perform a Hollywood Bowl show on October 19. Due to the large demand for tickets, she even added a second show on October 20. These performances will be her first set of live shows in Los Angeles since 2000.

"Both Sides Now" was written in 1966 and first recorded commercially by Judy Collins, who won the 1969 best folk recording Grammy for her performance. Mitchell recorded it herself for the 1969 album Clouds, which won the best folk recording Grammy in 1970.

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Added to Library on February 5, 2024. (417)

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