Joni Mitchell Sings with 'Pure Silk' Voice at 79 after Brain Aneurysm & Becoming a Grandma

• Joni Mitchell is 79 and doesn't look like she used to.
• Joni Mitchell walks with a cane, but she surprised fans with her voice after suffering a brain aneurysm.
• She mended her relationship with her daughter, whom she gave up for adoption due to personal problems.

Joni Mitchell is one of the women who revolutionized the music industry. Born in Alberta, Canada, in 1943, the folk musician initially had no plans to become a singer. As a child, Mitchell adored painting and dancing and scoffed at the notion of intellectualism. Instead, she was rebellious and preferred to do things her own way.

At the age of ten, Mitchell beat a severe case of polio, although her health would continue to suffer as she grew older. She continued to experience post-polio symptoms, and she contracted the rare Morgellons disease, which left her bedridden for long periods at a time.

Mitchell described the illness as an "unpredictable killer" that would often leave her curled up from pain and cramps, and she likened it to an extraterrestrial phenomenon. Brain trauma further tested the singer's fortitude in, but nothing compares to the loneliness she felt when she was sent to a polio colony in Saskatoon in 1953.

With sunglasses and a blue beret, Mitchell took to the stage at "Brandi Carlile and Friends."

The "Woodstock" singer confessed that she wasn't sure she would ever be able to walk again while she was at the colony. The iron lung terrified her, and the increasing loss of the use of her back muscles didn't make things look promising. At one point, Mitchell almost couldn't straighten her spine at all.

But Mitchell never lost faith. She kept praying for her muscles to heal and persistently fought the disease. Eventually, the "Big Yellow Taxi" singer managed to stand on her own, astounding everyone around her. As she slowly recovered, however, she retracted from public life altogether, only reappearing after ten years of isolation.

Joni Mitchell Surprises with Her Voice after Brain Aneurysm at 79

In 1967, Mitchell captivated audiences with her performance at the Newport Folk Festival. Ever since, the musician has kept drawing crowds in with her smooth voice and thoughtful lyrics. Many thought she was down and out when a tragic brain aneurysm hit her in 2015. But Mitchell wouldn't stay gone for long.

Over the years, Mitchell's life has taken numerous unexpected turns.

Although she rarely appeared in public following the aneurism, the 79-year-old musician diligently worked on a comeback while undergoing physical therapy and recovering. Mitchell also hosted "Jonie Jams" at her private residence, inviting many artists to get together and make music.

For a while, Mitchell only sat by while the other musicians in her home crooned and plucked away. After a few years of this, however, she felt ready to join in and sing with them. A while longer and the "Cactus Tree" singer started to play instruments again as well. Then, in 2022, she made a surprising comeback.

With sunglasses and a blue beret, Mitchell took to the stage at "Brandi Carlile and Friends." Admittedly, she has gained some weight and walks with a cane, but the musician could still perform. While Mitchell sat on an impressive golden throne, her fellow artists struggled to hold back tears beside her.

The singer mentioned, "I wanted to be good, and I wasn't sure that I could be." She also smiled, "But I didn't sound too bad tonight!" Following the performance at Brandi Carlile's show, Mitchell also performed the song "Summertime" as she accepted the Library Congress's Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Although the singer has aged quite a bit, she still has the pipes fans first fell in love with. One Instagram user commented, "Her voice is still smooth as butter!!! Love her!" Another echoed this statement, writing, "Her range may have changed but that voice is still pure silk. Gorgeous ❤️🔥❤️."

What Happened between the Singer and Her Daughter after Almost 30 Years with a Foster Family?

Over the years, Mitchell's life has taken numerous unexpected turns. One of the happiest of these was most probably Mitchell's reunion with her daughter, born Kelly Dale Anderson. Mitchell had given her only child up for adoption when the little one's father, Brad MacMath, walked out on them.

However, with effort and tenacity, Gibb managed to extinguish all the fires that were springing up after meeting Mitchell.

Mitchell had fallen pregnant with MacMath's baby in 1964. At the time, the 20-year-old singer was still attending art college and had very little to her name. Fearing her parents' reaction, Mitchell made her way to a charity hospital in Toronto, where she eventually had her baby. MacMath had left her when she was three months pregnant.

The musician recalled how MacMath had simply left her in a cold attic room, already well on her way with her pregnancy, completely broke, and only with a small heap of banister spindles to survive the winter with. She survived the winter and had her baby but couldn't provide for her. So, Mitchell put her up for adoption.

David Gibb and his wife, Ida Gibb, gladly took the little girl in and renamed her Kilauren Gibb. Her adoptive parents looked after her, providing her with an excellent education. She attended private schools, spent her youth in country clubs, went to Harvard University, and took courses at the University of Toronto.

Gibb spent a large part of her life unaware that her parents weren't her biological relatives. She only found out at the age of 27, and she met her birth mother at the age of 32. Although finding out where she came from was tremendous, Gibb's relationship with her adoptive family suffered, and she and Mitchell often fought.

However, with effort and tenacity, Gibb managed to extinguish all the fires that were springing up after meeting Mitchell. She built a healthy relationship with the musician, and Mitchell was ecstatic to find out she was a granny. Gibb has a son, Marlon Kohler, with her ex-husband Paul Kohler.

Gibb and her ex-husband were married for three years, but like Mitchell, her union didn't work out. The two separated in 1995. Gibb had a daughter in 1999 and supported her kids through a career as a painter. Initially, she worked as a model, but later shifted her career. Gibb is currently 58 years old, and maintains close bonds with all her family.

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