(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Sat 3 January 2026 15:33, UK
The ever-elegant Joni Mitchell approaches her songs with the meticulous care of a painter working on a canvas.
While at first glance, they might seem so dainty that they’re devoid of tangible elements, she infuses each track with a pulsating heart and a radiant soul. With a masterful command of melody and a voice that resonates profoundly, Mitchell has the ability to touch and move listeners deeply.
Mitchell’s unparalleled legacy as an enchantress has led her to intersect with many esteemed contemporaries, who rightfully recognise her as one of the greatest musicians of her era. Some of these include fellow folk icons Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, whose attention the singer captivated during the burgeoning counterculture movement.
And Prince was even such a fan that he literally wrote her fan mail. However, it would seem she shouldn’t be expecting a letter from Don Henley anytime soon.
Although the Eagles formed years after Mitchell had already gained prominence, they undoubtedly influenced each others’ writing styles. “Christ knows Joni Mitchell has been an inspiration,” Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey said in 1974, whom Mitchell was also involved with at the time. In fact, it’s said that Mitchell wrote her song ‘Help Me’ about Frey as a way of navigating the realisation that the relationship was doomed.
Don Henley on stage. (Credits: Far Out / Derek Russell)So, what happened when she met Don Henley?
As a luminary of the 1960s and 1970s, Mitchell has witnessed many of her contemporaries rise to fame, some of whom handled it better than others. When asked about this during an interview with Mojo in 1994, she explained: “I don’t like ragging on people and making ’em look bad. This makes [Don] Henley look kinda like a jerk, but shall I tell you it anyway? OK, to me, this is kind of funny.”
Despite the trepidation, which she overcame in a matter of milliseconds, Mitchell recalled a strange moment one night after she went to see Sting and her friend and musical partner Vinnie Coluita playing live. It was a magnificent evening with the revered musicians putting on a terrific show. But the same could not be said backstage.
Mitchell’s mood quickly turned sour when she saw Coluita playing alone without anyone beside him, which resulted in her constantly going out for smoking breaks. Afterwards, she was the first to arrive at the afterparty. “I was real cranky,” she said, which encouraged her to approach Henley, who was sitting alone in a booth.
Her greeting was met with something that seemed suspiciously like hostility as the musician wore a worried facial expression, prompting Mitchell to realise the situation: he was waiting for Sting, and seemingly Sting only. Brushing it off with a casual comment, Mitchell decided to walk away and sit at another table with Coluita, Bruce Springsteen, and his wife.
However, when Sting finally arrived, Mitchell wasn’t best pleased with the sudden change of energy in the room: “At that point, Henley sends an emissary, a woman, to my table who says, ‘You can come and sit with Sting and Henley now.’ So, I launch myself into the air, and I yell at Henley over at the end of the room: ‘Never!’”
Was it a joke? Well, put it this way: nobody was laughing. Mitchell was never the biggest fan of stardom. The notion of ‘celebrity’ status seemed like a pretence to her, and, in her opinion, those who played into it were fools.
She even described celebrity culture as “the enemy of art,” adding that “political lamination, frankly, gags me with a spoon”. Perhaps this is what made her art so authentic; unlike many, she was able to shun falsities and focus on what really mattered. Moreover, her willingness to stand up for her convictions speaks volumes about her pioneering spirit.
With this stern outlook in mind, she even bashed Bob Dylan as a pretender, saying, “Bob is not authentic at all. He’s a plagiarist, and his name and voice are fake. Everything about Bob is a deception.” So, if it’s sincerity she favours, then it’s little wonder that Henley’s snub rubbed her up the wrong way, and she snapped back in front of a puzzled Sting.
Never one to mince her words or obscure her actions, while Mitchell wasn’t afraid of saying her piece, she usually preferred to do it in a song, singing sweetly like a rose with plenty of sharp thorns. Listen to ‘Help Me’ below.
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