Joni Mitchell’s FireAid concert performance hailed as ‘miracle’ after aneurysm stole her ability to speak

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA: Legendary songwriter Joni Mitchell has been hailed for her touching performance during the Los Angeles FireAid benefit concert despite battling a brain aneurysm.

As per the Mayo Clinic, a brain aneurysm is also called a cerebral aneurysm or intracranial aneurysm, which is “a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain. If the brain aneurysm leaks or ruptures, it causes bleeding in the brain, known as a hemorrhagic stroke.”

The 81-year-old icon reportedly sang her 1966 hit ‘Both Sides Now’ while holding her cane and sitting in a gilded chair on January 30, leaving her fans in tears.

Joni Mitchell hailed for her ‘miraculous’ performance

Now, a tipster has called it “a miracle,” referring to Joni Mitchell's decade-old brain aneurysm diagnosis that made her unable to speak, as reported by Radar Online.

The source continued, “After her aneurysm, she couldn't even speak and now she's back performing. She had to relearn how to talk, to sing, to play music, and she's done it.”

“But of course, it was a whole lot of hard work on her part – so much physical therapy and speech and vocal therapy – and for a long time she was having multiple appointments a day,” they stated.

Despite all the hardships, Mitchell was ready to sing at the FireAid benefit, which raised money to help those affected by the devastating wildfires that hit Southern California.

Joni Mitchell ‘not ready to quit’

The insider mentioned, “She wouldn't have missed it for the world. Seeing her reunited with friends like Graham Nash and Stephen Stills at the benefit concert was just like old times.”

“She was as magnetic as ever, holding court. She's very selective about what she commits to,” they stated.

The tipster also revealed that the multi-instrumentalist is ready to do more concerts. “She has one coming up in Germany in April and is looking to add more, depending on her energy. She's not ready to quit. She's a fierce woman with so much grit, it's quite amazing. And she still has her wit and her incredible joie de vivre,” the insider added.

Joni Mitchell was diagnosed with an aneurysm in 2015

In 2015, Joni Mitchell's conservator Leslie Morris shared that she suffered an aneurysm.

The statement read, “Joni did in fact suffer an aneurysm. However, details that have emerged in the past few days are mostly speculative. The truth is that Joni is speaking, and she's speaking well.”

“She is not walking yet, but she will be in the near future as she is undergoing daily therapies. She is resting comfortably in her own home and she's getting better each day. A full recovery is expected,” it added.