Chaka Khan shares her love for Joni Mitchell: “She saved my life”
Some artists have an impact that extends far beyond the surface-level sonics they create. Their music penetrates further than the eardrum, finding its way into the hearts of listeners and taking up permanent residence there, each replay making them feel seen and soothed, comforted and understood. Infusing folk soundscapes with vulnerability and poetry, Joni Mitchell has mastered that art of connection through music.
Even the most casual fans of Mitchell’s music will find themselves forming an emotional attachment to her twinkling strums and tales of freedom. It’s almost impossible not to. As her voice wavers and her words detail love and loss with unparalleled poetry, they bring with them warmth and familiarity. It’s this quality that has earned Mitchell the admiration of so many, each finding themselves reflected in her songwriting.
Some of those fans have even been inspired to pick up a guitar and pen lyrics themselves. From Björk to Lana Del Rey, Mitchell’s deeply personal impact can be found across genres and generations of artists. Though she exists within an entirely different realm of music, as the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan has her own personal connection to Michell’s musings.
It’s difficult to find Mitchell’s sonic influence on Khan’s own output. While the former penned intimate folk soundscapes marked by soft strums and understated instrumentation, Khan was more well-known for her groundbreaking ventures into disco and R&B. She found enduring success with hits like ‘Ain’t Nobody’ and ‘I’m Every Woman’, but she also held real admiration for Mitchell’s softer stylings.
Khan formed a particularly meaningful connection to Mitchell’s music as it served as a comfort to her while she was struggling with drug abuse. “I’d get on the bus after a gig,” she recalled during a conversation with Hits, “and I’d be getting fucked up back there.” She often chose Mitchell’s music to accompany her.
“The bus would be flying down the road,” she remembered, “the wind blowing in the bus. I’d have Joni Mitchell blaring through the windows on the bus by myself back there.” She frequented Mitchell’s 1976 record Hejira in particular, a collection of songs which paired soft and playful jazz influences with Mitchell’s characteristically warm vocals and gorgeous lyricism.
It’s easy to see why Hejira became Khan’s comfort album of choice while she was struggling. She even went on to suggest that Mitchell “saved my life” on that album “especially”. It shows just how powerful and important Mitchell’s output and music, more generally, can be. It has the potential to comfort us in our darkest moments to accompany us when we need it most.
