Joni Mitchell Brings Meryl Streep and Beyoncé to Tears With Debut GRAMMY Performance

Joni Mitchell Brings Meryl Streep and Beyoncé to Tears With Debut GRAMMY Performance

Joni Mitchell is a music legend — and at the 66th GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, she added another chapter to her storied career.

The iconic singer took the stage to perform for the first time ever on music’s biggest night, receiving a standing ovation after her rendition of her hit 1966 song, “Both Sides Now.”

Mitchell started the performance sitting in a chair, facing away from the live audience. Eventually, she turned around, earning excited applause from the star-studded room.

The audience was delighted by the performance, with celebs including Beyoncé and Meryl Streep appearing to be moved to tears after Mitchell’s time onstage.

Mitchell also became a 10-time GRAMMY winner during Sunday’s ceremony after being presented with the golden gramophone for Best Folk Album for Joni Mitchell at Newport, the live recording of her headline-making appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival — her first full live performance in nearly 20 years.

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Mitchell suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015, but in the years since has used music to help herself rehabilitate. Her emotional Newport performance was originally billed as “Brandi Carlile and Friends,” but later dubbed the “Joni Jam.”

At the Newport Folk Festival, Carlile and Mitchell were joined onstage by a host of artists, including Blake Mills, Taylor Goldsmith, Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd, Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, among others, playing “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Summertime,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” and more.

Mitchell received a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, where she was described as “one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era” and “a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity.”

The 2024 GRAMMY Awards were held on Sunday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and broadcast and streamed live on CBS and Paramount+ from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Follow along at ETonline.com for full coverage from music’s biggest night, including performances, GRAMMY winners and more.