Joni Mitchell and James Taylor were once involved in a romantic relationship. Everything started in 1970. Joni used to sing as a backup singer for James Taylor. Both singers had the same taste for music. Soon they grew interested in each other.
The couple was so deeply in love that they wrote songs about each other. James also played guitar in Joni Mitchell’s tracks. However, the happiness did not last. Only a year later, the couple parted their ways. So what happened to them afterward? Why did they split up?
How Did Joni Mitchell and James Taylor Meet?
Joni Mitchell is a renowned singer and songwriter. Since her childhood, she had a great interest in painting and studied a little about classical piano. From a bonfire singer, Joni was promoted as a paid singer only at 18.
While Joni was struggling to establish her name in the music industry, she got pregnant by her boyfriend Brad Macmatt and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Kelly Dale Anderson. For want of child support, she put her baby up for adoption and continued to thrive for music.
Later, in 1970, Joni met James Taylor, who shared the same taste in music. In an interview with the Guardian, Taylor shared how he met Joni. After all the heartbreaking dramas in her life, Joni traveled through Europe for a year. She gathered inspiration and words for her song.
After she returned, Joni and Taylor met in the same circle. Eureka! Love sparked in them. Heroin addiction could not get the best of Taylor during that period. He was genuinely happy.
Journey As a Couple
Though they had a romantic relationship for a brief period, both expressed the purity of those times in their music. The love birds were seen performing together at the Paris Theater, London, in 1970.
Taylor mentioned in an interview that Joni’s voice felt like a cool breeze to him. During their relationship, Joni quit smoking so her voice felt more vibrant and pure.
Despite much love and respect, the couple did not have a long relationship. Only after a year did they split their paths and move on with their lives.
Songs They Made Together
Joni Mitchell got inspiration for music from her partner, James Taylor. Both expressed their romantic period as the most creative era of their lifetime. Mitchell stated that James was her main inspiration for the song “See You Sometime.”
On the other hand, Taylor released a song called “You Can Close Your Eyes“. The song was a massive hit. It is needless to say that the song was written for Joni.
As a folk singer, Joni experimented with pop and jazz elements. At the same time, James was incorporated into Pop and folk fusions. James Taylor played guitar in many tracks of the album “Blue,” like- A Case of You, All I Want, Carey, etc.
The album “Blue” helped Joni to get a breakthrough in her career. It was nominated as the Most Excellent Album in the Female Artist section in 2017. All the tracks from the album are considered a turning point in pop music in the 19th century.
After the release of Taylor’s track, “You Can Close Your Eyes,” Both Joni and Taylor performed it together on stage in 1970. This showed how they loved their creativity and supported each other in every situation.
Songs made by Joni Mitchell and James Taylor together are-
- That song about the midway
- Steamroller
- Carey
- Carolina in my mind
- California
- You can close your eyes
- The priest
- Rainy Day Man featuring
- Gallery
- He played well for free
- The circle game
Why Did the Couple Split?
It is said that music brought these two prodigies together and music separated them. Starting with folk, Joni tried her vocals in pop and jazz music. At first, James also had the same taste in music.
But Joni started to move away from her basic music. Needless to say, James chooses to be the same. That is when their dreams parted their path. They were cool with it. Both the singers respected their taste and broke off.
Later in 1972, James Taylor married singer Carly Simon in New York. Joni also recovered from the heartbreak and moved on with her life. In 1982, she married Larry Klein to start a new life.
What’s Their Current Relationship Status?
Not all exes have a toxic relationship. Though the couple broke off only after one year of dating, they decided to remain friends for the rest of their lives.
In an interview with the Guardian, James Taylor stated that he and Joni Mitchell have been good friends for the last 50 years. Joni also visited Taylor’s show in the Hollywood Bowl. The pair met through music and even after fifty years, they are bound together by music.
FAQs
Joni Mitchell took her relationship with James Taylor as an inspiration and wrote “The Roses.” It also expresses her sadness about their broken relationship.
James dated singer Carly Simon after breaking up with the pop musician Joni Mitchell. Later, in 1972, he married Carly in a secret ceremony.
Joni and Taylor were in a romantic relationship for a short period. Some sources stated that it was for six months. Some sources mentioned that they had been in a relationship for one year.
Joni Mitchell and James Taylor decided to remain friends and support each other through music after their breakup.
In 1971, Joni Mitchell wrote the album “Blue” for James Taylor. She dedicated the song Blue from the album to the singer.