Latest news with #JoniMitchell
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
He was kind and rich. His expensive gifts hinted at something darker
He was everything I wasn't. A New Yorker from a wealthy family, a film producer who moved easily among famous people, called them by their first names and went to Nobu with them for dinners that cost almost as much as the monthly rent for my rent-controlled apartment. His home in Pacific Palisades included a pool and guesthouse. His full-time maid adored him. He ordered breakfast in from Café Vida as routinely as I might put a letter out for the mailman. He kept horses in Burbank, where he rode the hills of Griffith Park. Trips to New York were frequent. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, a driver met him with a sign bearing his name. In the city, his hometown, he could have navigated the streets and avenues with his eyes closed. I thought I wanted a piece of all that; not so much the affluence, but the ease with which he moved through the world with money and social strata no deterrence. Meanwhile I, a minister's daughter from small-town Mississippi, was one of the few people I knew who had moved farther west than Memphis or Dallas. I dreamed of becoming a successful writer but didn't know quite how to get there. When meeting celebrities, I felt timid and awkward. To me, New York was the epitome of sophistication, but I had rarely been there. Our first meeting, at Starbucks, went smoothly. He drove up in a late-model Lexus SUV, wearing a sport coat and jeans with a T-shirt and clogs and carrying a large shoulder bag. He was short and balding, with beady brown eyes, a friendly face and gracious manner. He pulled a couple of easy chairs into a corner so we could talk. The first thing I noticed was how completely comfortable he seemed in his own skin. I admired that. On most of these arranged first meetings, guys seemed to work hard to impress me rather than just being themselves. He was a good listener and asked thoughtful questions. He didn't want to know if I played pickleball or liked to cook, but rather if my father had been devastated when my mother died. He seemed intrigued by stories of my simple Southern upbringing, finding them valuable rather than quaint, as many do. His remarkably sweet smile popped up often. He said his house was full of musical instruments that he and his sons played, and he wanted to send me a playlist he thought I'd like. One of the songs was 'Southern Nights,' which I found a thoughtful choice for me. We started dating. We'd go to dinner in the Palisades or Venice. Our conversations were deep and covered many topics. I felt free to talk to him about anything and was rewarded with thoughtful answers. It was clear he had a brilliant, creative mind, a kind spirit, and an unfailing belief in himself and his projects. He was confident but not boastful. He seemed world-wise and encouraged my aspirations as a writer, admonishing me to always 'write my truth.' After dinner we'd go to his house where he'd play his grand piano and various guitars. We sang Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and John Denver songs. I felt bonded to him because we had lived at the same time but had very different lives. The '60s music was a welcome meeting point, a shared love, where our differences briefly vanished. I went along on one of his trips to New York. We stayed in a fancy hotel and, while he worked, I explored the city. Before we flew home, I met his mother who lived in an apartment on the Upper East Side, filled with family mementos, giving me a glimpse into his childhood. She was gracious and, even at 75, up-to-the-minute on all that was going on in New York, fully engaged in the world around her. Back in L.A., we attended a magic show at Geffen Playhouse and concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, where we joined private pre-concert dinners in a special room and went back at intermission for dessert. We went horseback riding. He bought me a helmet and paid for my private lessons. On the way home, we stopped for ice cream. I thought we were completely comfortable together. Occasionally, though, I wouldn't hear from him for two or three weeks. Then he'd invite me to lunch at an expensive restaurant on the Westside. One time, before we parted, he handed me his platinum American Express card. 'Go to Saks,' he said. 'Buy yourself something nice.' That was a red flag to me. Why such a gesture out of the blue? For my birthday, maybe, but that was months away. I had a good job and could buy what I wanted within reason. His offer felt patronizing. Was he trying to assuage his guilt for some transgression? In the car, as he took me home, he seemed jittery and distracted. His phone rang. I could see that the caller had a woman's name. He didn't answer it. Soon the picture began emerging. I wasn't the only girlfriend. He was usually juggling a few. I saw that his extravagant gifts were an attempt to compensate for his disloyalty. When I confronted him, he said, 'Oh, I always leave myself some wiggle room.' The pattern continued. He didn't want to lose me, he said, but he wouldn't, or maybe couldn't, change. The more I pulled away, the more lavish the gifts became, ending with extremely expensive jewelry from Tiffany & Co. and Cartier. Through this experience I learned a basic truth I should have known all along: the dash of New York, pricey dinners on the beach and expensive presents are not where love is. It was a heartbreaking error to assume they were. In the end, much of what I had observed as a high life that might someday include me was simply smoke and mirrors artfully and deceitfully played. I stopped seeing him and haven't looked back. But I have missed the rich conversations, his abundance of creative ideas and his belief in unlimited possibility. The gifts, not so much. However, my principles have not convinced me to let go of the Tiffany diamond necklace. I'm not that virtuous. The author is a journalist and essayist. She lives in Culver City. L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@ You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'60s Singer and Songwriter Legend, 81, Marks Milestone of Meeting Fellow Icon With Epic Throwback Photo
'60s Singer and Songwriter Legend, 81, Marks Milestone of Meeting Fellow Icon With Epic Throwback Photo originally appeared on Parade. The '60s were truly a revolutionary time. From politics to music, it was an era that gave us some of the most prolific icons that would inevitably shape music and culture as we know it. Very seldom are the catalyst-moments caught on camera, but when they are, it's pretty rewarding. Singer and songwriter Joni Mitchell, 81, caught just that and shared it with the world, with a throwback photo of the milestone moment she met the late Leonard Cohen at the 1967 Newport Folk Festival. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Joni Mitchell (@jonimitchell) Fans felt privileged to be getting a glimpse of these priceless memories. "Both have lyrics that read like poetry," wrote one fan. "So young, beautiful and talented! Their voices and poetry will never leave my heart," added another. "I could drink a case of you both," another cleverly commented. The late '60s meeting was the beginning of a brief but intense romantic relationship between the two talents. It would be the inspiration behind several works including Mitchell's "Rainy Night House" which Mitchell once confirmed to Far Out Magazine was about Cohen. 'Yeah. I went one time to his home, and I fell asleep in his old room, and he sat up and watched me sleep," she claimed. "He sat up all night, and he watched me see who in the world I could be.' Her iconic ballad "Case of You" is also rumored to be about him, but was never publicly confirmed to. It's also believed that "Winter Lady" was Cohen's ode to two maintained a long friendship despite their brief romance, until Cohen died in 2016. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 '60s Singer and Songwriter Legend, 81, Marks Milestone of Meeting Fellow Icon With Epic Throwback Photo first appeared on Parade on Jul 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Irish Times
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Music Quiz: Which Co Meath town is mentioned in CMAT's song The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station?
Complete Coheed and Cambria's 2005 album title, Good _____, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness Zeus Apollo God Aphrodite What is Joni Mitchell's first Christian name? Sally Joanna Abigail Roberta Which Co Meath town is mentioned in CMAT's song The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station? Ashbourne Dunboyne Curragha Ratoath What is Bryan Adams' middle name? Ralph Guy Scott Noel Which US rapper, now deceased, was born Lesane Parish Crooks? Tupac Shakur Notorious B.I.G. Coolio DMX In 2020, which T Rex hit single did Peaches cover? Metal Guru Hot Love Solid Gold Easy Action Get it On Who sings the opening line on USA for Africa's charity song, We Are the World? Diana Ross Lionel Richie Michael Jackson Tina Turner In Squeeze's character-driven song, Up the Junction, what time in the morning did the 'girl from Clapham' give birth to a baby? 4.40 4.50 5.20 5.30 Madonna's 2005 song, Hung Up, samples which ABBA song? Dancing Queen Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) Winner Takes It All Honey, Honey Cosmic Carpark Paintings is the title of an art exhibition by which UK singer-songwriter? Lewis Capaldi Annie Lennox Ed Sheeran Lily Allen
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Music with Kirsten Zemke: Songs about climate change
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. Photo: Pixabay Music correspondent Kirsten Zemke looks at songs over the past 50 years that have tried to focus attention on issues like climate change and damage done to the environment. "Big Yellow Taxi" Joni Mitchell 1970 "Recycling Song" Jack Johnson 3Rs 2006 "Pollution" Tom Lehrer 1967 "Four Degrees" Anohni 2016 "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" Marvin Gaye 1971 Kirsten Zemke is an ethnomusicologist at the University of Auckland's School of Social Sciences.
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The best song to have sex to? Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley': Rick Astley's honest playlist
The first song I fell in love with I've got two older brothers and an older sister. My sister played the grooves out of Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell. When I got my chance, I'd put on I Wan'na Be like You from The Jungle Book. The song I do at karaoke Tale As Old As Time from the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, even though it's a duet. My daughter Emilie is 33, but when she's home, we'll watch a Disney film together. She turns into a five-year-old, I turn into a young dad and it's just lovely. The first single I bought I was 10 and went into this clothes shop in Ashton called Slaters that sold school uniforms, because my dad had given me money to buy a pair of jeans. They had a little record booth and said I could choose a free single. I was intimidated by the older kids, so said: 'I'll have whatever's No 1,' which just happened to be an incredible record: I Feel Love by Donna Summer. The song I inexplicably know every lyric to Certainly not my own! Never Gonna Give You Up has become ingrained to the point it's ridiculous. But there have been moments where I've stepped out of my own body. The best song to play at a party Absolutely everybody will dance to Dancing Queen by Abba if you play it at the right moment, from small kids, teenagers, people in their 20s right the way through to the grannies and granddads. The song that make me cry Ridley Scott uses Vide Cor Meum by Patrick Cassidy, which is inspired by Dante's La Vita Nuova, in Kingdom of Heaven. When the king dies, I have to hold it together not to cry. The song I can no longer listen to I Should Be So Lucky by Kylie Minogue, because apparently when you slow it down to 33rpm, it sounds like me. Even I nearly believed it was me when I first heard it. To clarify: I definitely did not sing the Kylie version of I Should Be So Lucky. The song that changed my life I play drums in a midlife crisis rock band, the Luddites. We do everything from the Sex Pistols to the Clash and Blink 182. Times Like These by Foo Fighters is a favourite. Performing Never Going to Give you up with Foo Fighters was definitely a euphoric moment. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The song that gets me up in the morning I like to go for a long walk in the morning, and I'm a big Biffy Clyro fan. I'll put on the Only Revolutions album, and by the time it gets to Bubbles, I'll be really powering. The best song to have sex to Anything by Marvin Gaye. Nothing by Rick Astley. The song I want played in my funeral I should say There Is a Light That Never Goes out by the Smiths because I got to sing it with Blossoms when we did our Smiths set at Glastonbury. But I don't want to be the one responsible for the picking. Rick Astley plays Henley festival on Friday.
