A Moment and a Lifetime with Joni by Trevor Dodson
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hen I was about 15 years old, my dad received some belongings from a family member who had passed which included a box of CDs. My dad gave me the box and said I should flip through them to see if anything interested me. I downloaded a few onto my iPod (these were pre-streaming days) and did some sample listens. One of those albums was Joni Mitchell’s 1991 “Night Ride Home”. I was mesmerized by such a distinct voice flowing through my headphones, with intricate guitar pickings accompanying. That voice combined with poetry and complex guitar tunings – I knew she must be special. Over the next few years, I took a deep dive and discovered a well-respected artist with an impressive discography. I quickly started searching for and collecting Joni Mitchell LPs. I was instantly enamored with the album art and, of course, the music.
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With my love came sorrow. I thought Joni wouldn’t ever perform publicly in my lifetime. She hasn’t made an album since 2002, and has smoked almost her entire life; it seems like each decade, her voice has lowered in range and has become huskier. If she were to tour, I guessed it would be too far away and probably quite expensive. After Joni suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015, I was sure the world wouldn’t hear her sing again. In her youth, Joni overcame polio and its complications; doctors claimed she wouldn’t walk again. She proved them wrong, demonstrating great resilience. Turns out she’s quite the fighter, and surprised a crowd at the Newport Folk Festival in July of 2022 by singing and playing the guitar with the help of a crew of musicians.
