Joni Mitchell: Encyclopedia II - Joni Mitchell - Influence

Joni Mitchell - Influence

Mitchell could be labeled a "musician's musician"; her work has had an enormous influence on a number of artists; she has influenced not only "similar" singer-songwriters, such as Sheryl Crow and Shawn Colvin, but a number of artists in diverse genres, such as k.d. lang, Elvis Costello, PM Dawn, Agnes Chan, and Prince.

For instance, Prince's song "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" off the album Sign 'O' the Times, pays tribute to Mitchell, both through his evocative Mitchell-like harmonies and through the use of one Mitchell's own techniques. As in Mitchell's song "This Flight Tonight" Prince references a song in his lyrics (Joni's "Help Me") as the music begins to emulate the chords and melody of that song. The result is a beautiful and subtle tribute.

Other artists are a little more literal in their use of Joni Mitchell. Janet Jackson, used a sample of "Big Yellow Taxi" as the centerpiece of her 1998 single "Got 'Til It's Gone". (Mitchell appears to have enjoyed Jackson's sampling of "Taxi"; she made a rare appearance on MTV/VH1 to appear in a brief clip and give the creation a thumbs up.) Counting Crows scored a hit in 2002 with a cover of "Big Yellow Taxi". Although Mitchell usually refrains from commenting on other artists, particularly ones that she influences, she has been impressed with two jazz-based artists who have interpreted her work, Cassandra Wilson and Diana Krall. Although most listeners tend to remember Mitchell's earlier, more commercially popular work, many musicians have found inspiration in her more experimental work, particularly The Hissing of Summer Lawns and Hejira. She also praised the New Radicals, bemoaning the band's status as one-hit wonders.

Mitchell was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1995, she received Billboard's "Century Award". On May 1, 2002, she was appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada. She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, with a citation describing her 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."

Mitchell received an honorary doctorate from McGill University on October 27, 2004.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Influence", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki