Roberta Joan Anderson was born on November 7, 1943, in Alberta, Canada. Her dad Bill was a grocery store manager, while her mom Myrtle was a former schoolteacher. When Joni was seven, a classmate introduced her to classical composers and she begged her parents for piano lessons. However, instead of memorizing the notes, she'd start hearing new melodies in her head. It frustrated teachers, but was just a sign of what was to come.
Sent to a hospital 100 miles from home, she continued to lie in a polio ward as Christmas approached. Her mother only came to visit once and wore a mask. As for her father, he didn't come at all. One doctor told Joni she'd never walk again and the physical therapists gave up, too. It's horrifying to think about going through this as an adult—can you imagine how a nine-year-old would feel?
But Joni refused to let anyone—or anything—stop her. At night, she did exercises by herself, guided by the light on her Christmas tree. "I turned myself around," she told NPR in 2014. "I came back, and I said, 'Now can I go home?' You know, it's the fighting Irish, eh? But that's another thing that made me more of an artist. So, you know, no doubt in the universe is unfolding as it should be."
By 20, she'd left Saskatoon for Toronto to chase her folk singer dreams—busking in church basements and working at a department store to pay the rent. After a brief marriage to fellow folk singer Chuck Mitchell, Joni moved to New York City in 1967.
Photo by Robert Knight Archive on Getty Images
Over the next five decades, Joni won 11 Grammys, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rolling Stone named her one of the greatest songwriters of all time. But in March 2015, she suffered a brain aneurysm that left her unconscious in her Los Angeles home. The health crisis made global headlines, but Mitchell was ready to fight—just as she'd done as a child and in every chapter of her life. Over the next several years, she slowly relearned how to walk, talk and even play the guitar.
A beaming Joni Mitchell surprises fans with a performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival.Photo by Douglas Mason on Getty Images
Throughout her life, Joni Mitchell has defied the odds and overcome the unthinkable—and that's why she's today's quote of the day.
Quote of the Day by Joni Mitchell
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In just 18 words, Joni captures one of life's most beautiful, hard-won truths: The very thing that nearly destroys you can ultimately become the foundation for your most beautiful chapter. The phoenix—that mythical bird that rises from its own ashes—isn't just a poetic metaphor here. For Joni, it's a literal description of how she rebuilt her life after one of the most devastating medical events imaginable. And coming from a woman who's already risen from her own ashes more than once, those words carry the weight of a lifetime spent proving them true.
If you've ever known pain—and let's face it, we all have—the worst thing someone can say is "Everything happens for a reason." What I love about Joni's quote is that she's not saying anything even close to this. She's saying that the ashes left behind are not the end of your story.
So whatever pain you're feeling right now, just keep going like Joni did. Fight for yourself and never give up because eventually, you'll feel yourself rising above it.
More Quotes by Joni Mitchell
"Depression can be the sand that makes the pearl. Most of my best work came out of it." "They'll crucify you for staying the same, and they'll crucify you for change. I'd rather be crucified for changing." "Freedom to me is a luxury of being able to follow the path of the heart, to keep the magic in your life." "I sing my sorrow, and I paint my joy." "I've been around a long time, and life still has a whole lot of surprises for me.""Something's lost, but something's gained, in living every day. I've looked at life from both sides now." "You've got to keep the child alive; you can't create without it."Related: Next Up:
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