Is Joni Mitchell Still Sick?
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is one of the most decorated singer-songwriters that has ever lived. Her career has spanned 60 years, from small nightclubs in Saskatoon in her native Canada to being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Unfortunately, the influential singer has faced a few serious health conditions throughout her life, too, including during her childhood. Fans are worried about how she is doing today, at the age of 80.
“I always think that polio was a rehearsal for the rest of my life,” Mitchell explained in a 2021 speech, referencing the bout of polio she faced at 9 years old. “I’ve had to come back several times from things. And this last one was a real whopper. But, you know, I’m hobbling along but I’m doing all right!”
Read on to learn what health issues Joni Mitchell has dealt with over the years—and to get her current health status (at least as we know it).
Is Joni Mitchell sick?
As of this writing, Joni Mitchell is believed to be in relatively good health. She seemed to be doing well in March 2023, for instance, when she made a public appearance as the 2023 honoree of the Gershwin Prize, given by the Library of Congress each year to honor an artist’s contribution to popular music over their career. Mitchell was in good spirits and walking with just the help of a cane when she accepted the honor. She will also be performing at the Grammys for the first time in her career, on Feb. 4, 2024.
However, the “Help Me” singer has seen her fair share of health issues throughout her life. She first faced a major blow to her health when she was just 9 and came down with polio.
“I had polio at the age of 9. My spine was twisted up like a train wreck. I couldn't walk. I was paralyzed. Forty years later, it comes back with a vengeance,” Mitchell explained in 1995, referencing the fact that, like 60 percent of polio patients, she was experiencing post-polio syndrome. “It's like multiple sclerosis. It means your electrical system burns out and your muscles begin to atrophy. It means impending paraplegia. I have to guard my energy. Just like the bunnies in those battery commercials. I'm the one that's about to keel over. I'm not the one that's going and going."
Polio is caused by a virus. It mainly impacts the nerves in the spinal cord and/or the brain stem. In severe cases, it can cause paralysis and even death.
Another recurrent health issue that Mitchell has had to battle is the little-known skin condition Morgellons disease. Those with the issue report feeling as if something is stinging or crawling on their skin. Intense itching and sores can occur in connection with the disorder, in addition to a belief that fibers, threads or black stringy material are either in or on their skin. It can cause the sufferer to have difficulty concentrating and depression.
Some health care professionals believe it is indeed a skin condition of unknown causes, potentially due to an infectious process in the skin cells, however, others believe it is a delusional infestation that comes from the patient’s mind.
In 2010, Mitchell herself described her experience with the condition as, "... this weird, incurable disease that seems like it’s from outer space." She went on to say she has, "... fibers in a variety of colors protrude out of my skin like mushrooms after a rainstorm: they cannot be forensically identified as animal, vegetable or mineral."
Related: Joni Mitchell, 79, Stuns Fans as She Joins Brandi Carlile Onstage Following Health Battle
Did Joni Mitchell have a brain tumor?
Joni Mitchell did not have a brain tumor. However, the singer-songwriter did have a brain aneurysm in 2015. On March 31, 2015, she was found unconscious and unresponsive in her home after suffering a brain aneurysm rupture. Her recovery from the incident was hard going, requiring her to undergo physical therapy and daily rehabilitation.
Did Joni Mitchell suffer a brain aneurysm?
Joni Mitchell did suffer a brain aneurysm rupture in 2015. The incident left her unable to both walk and talk for some time and required her to undergo physical therapy and daily rehabilitation.
Mitchell herself described her experience with the aneurysm in 2020. “Once again I couldn’t walk. I had to learn how again. I couldn’t talk. Polio didn’t grab me like that, but the aneurysm took away a lot more, really. Took away my speech and my ability to walk.”
She continued, “And, you know, I got my speech back quickly, but the walking I’m still struggling with. But I mean, I’m a fighter. I’ve got Irish blood! So you know, I knew, ‘Here I go again, another battle.'”
Related: See Joni Mitchell’s Touching Reaction to Star-Studded Tribute at Gershwin Prize Ceremony
Has Joni Mitchell recovered from her aneurysm?
Joni Mitchell has faced a long road to recovery after enduring a brain aneurysm rupture in 2015. The rupture left Mitchell unable to walk or talk. She had to undergo rehabilitation and physical therapy to be able to recover both skill sets, in addition to re-learning how to play the guitar and other musical instruments. In recent years, the acclaimed singer has shown a massive improvement in her abilities, including performing a three-hour concert in June 2023 with only the assistance of a cane. Mitchell will be topping off her miraculous recovery with a performance at the 2024 Grammys—her first ever—on Feb. 4, 2024.
What kind of stroke did Joni Mitchell have?
In 2015, Joni Mitchell suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm, which is also referred to as a hemorrhagic stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke is different from a more traditional stroke, which is caused by clots in the arteries.
Mitchell had to undergo rehabilitation and physical therapy to regain much of her cognitive and physical abilities following her aneurysm. She recalled that time as, “a return to infancy.”
She re-taught herself how to play the guitar partially through viewing old videos of her performances, “to see where I put my fingers.”
Learning how to play the guitar in the first place was not easy for Mitchell, who suffered from a weakened left hand due to her childhood experience with polio.
Was Joni Mitchell in a coma?
After Joni Mitchell suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm in 2015, it was falsely reported that the singer was in a coma. However, a representative for Mitchell, Allisse Kingsley, refuted that claim at the time.
“Contrary to rumors circulating on the internet today, Joni is not in a coma. Joni is still in the hospital—but she comprehends, she's alert, and she has her full sense. A full recovery is expected." She added, “As we all know, Joni is a strong-willed woman and is nowhere near giving up the fight. Please continue to keep Joni in your thoughts."
Related: Everything to Know About the 2024 Grammys, Including the Nominees
Was Joni Mitchell in a wheelchair?
Following her ruptured brain aneurysm in 2015, Joni Mitchell lost the ability to both walk and talk. For some time after this health scare, Mitchell was wheelchair-bound as she underwent rehabilitation and physical therapy to regain her cognitive and physical abilities. She made several public appearances in a wheelchair, like when she attended Elton John’s birthday party in 2017.
However, nowadays, the singer has been appearing in public without the assistance of a wheelchair. Mitchell demonstrated her miraculous recovery when she attended Martin Short’s daughter’s birthday party in December 2023, where she smiled for the cameras while walking with only the help of a cane.
What happened to Joni Mitchell's voice?
Joni Mitchell’s voice has been impacted by several factors over the years. In the mid-1990s, Mitchell suffered from post-polio syndrome after having battled polio as a child, and she felt her voice had changed later in life as a result of the recurrence.
In addition, the singer suffered another health issue when she endured a ruptured brain aneurysm in 2015, which necessitated her to relearn how to walk and talk. This challenge to her physical and cognitive abilities also caused a change in her voice.
Lastly, Mitchell’s voice has been impacted simply by the fact that she is aging and it is common for the voice to change as one grows older. She has been performing for around 60 years and turned 80 in 2023, so it would make sense that audiences have noticed a different sound from the singer over the course of her career.
In 2023, Mikael Wood of The LA Times noted the change in Mitchell’s voice at a recent performance. “Mitchell fans know that her voice has changed—has lowered and gotten grainier—since the high-and-pure days of Blue, but it's a gift to hear how much (more) emotional wisdom her singing has accrued as she nears 80.”
