Joni Mitchell was just nine years old when she faced a life-threatening battle with polio. "My spine was twisted up like a train wreck," she said. "I couldn't walk. I was paralyzed." Later, she'd describe it as "a rehearsal for the rest of my life." It built the resilience, hope and unshakeable spirit that the "Both Sides Now" artist continues to embody at the age of 82.
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.
But in the fall of 1952, Joni's life would change forever when the polio epidemic hit Saskatchewan. One October morning, she woke up feeling oddly different. She made it three blocks toward school before her body gave out and she had to sit down to rest. By the next day, Joni couldn't get out of bed—she was paralyzed.
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?
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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."
After months in the hospital, Joni finally made it home. But polio had permanently weakened her left hand. As a teenager, she saved up $36 to buy a baritone ukulele and taught herself to play from a Pete Seeger songbook. When she finally graduated to guitar, her weakened hand couldn't form standard chord shapes—but why would she let that stop her? Joni invented her own alternate tunings just to play, taking what was once considered a disability and building the foundation for her legendary sound—those iconic "Joni chords" no one else in music has ever been able to replicate.
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
By 1968, Judy Collins had turned one of the most classic Joni Mitchell songs, "Both Sides Now," into a Top 10 hit, and a young David Crosby had spotted her in a Florida club—calling her "stunningly good, right off the bat." Crosby brought her to LA, produced her debut album Song to a Seagull and introduced her to the legendary Laurel Canyon music scene. The little girl who was told she'd never walk again and refused to believe it was now sitting at the center of one of the most important music movements in history.
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
Then, in July 2022, Joni shocked the world with a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival—her first public concert in nine years. Friends joined her on stage as she performed for nearly 80 minutes, even treating guests to a guitar solo! The recording—Joni Mitchell at Newport—won her a Grammy in 2024. On the same night, she had her first-ever Grammys performance at 80 years old, bringing Taylor Swift to tears.
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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"My life has changed for the better. Out of a catastrophe, like a phoenix, rose a better life."
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.
Related: Quote of the Day: John Denver’s 15 Words on Surviving Life’s Lowest Moments Will Transform Your Mindset
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.
Let's take the myth of the phoenix. The lesson isn't that the bird successfully avoided the fire—it's that the fire is part of what made her rise. She didn't get to skip the burning. She didn't get to bypass the loss—she had to go all the way through it. But once she made it to the other side, she was able to enjoy a better life—one that simply couldn't exist if she hadn't endured that pain.
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.
Related: Folk Rock Legend, 82, Sounds ‘Amazing’ Singing Iconic 70’s Hit and Fans Are ‘Crying With Joy’
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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