Khan, Lauper, Beck to play MusiCares Joni Mitchell tribute

Joni Mitchell has delivered her first public performance in nine years, taking to the stage at MusiCares’ 2022 Person of the Year benefit gala.Mitchell was bestowed with this year’s titular honour on Friday night (April 1), following in the footsteps of previous recipients Aerosmith (who were celebrated with the title in 2020) and Dolly Parton (in 2019).Mitchell was not announced to be performing at the event, but joined the likes of Beck, Brandi Carlile, Cyndi Lauper, Stephen Stills, Jon Batiste and more to sing her 1970 classics ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ and ‘The Circle Game’.It marked her first time singing in public since June 2013, when she performed two short, impromptu sets at events being held in her honour, where she was initially booked to recite poetry. Prior to those, her last performance took place in 2002, with Mitchell having retired from touring altogether in 2000.Watch Mitchell singing ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ at the MusiCares gala below:At other points during the event, which took place at the Marquee Ballroom in Las Vegas, Mitchell was honoured with a sprawling roster of tributes.Among them were a cover of ‘The Jungle Line’ (from Mitchell’s 1975 album ‘The Hissing Of Summer Lawns’) performed by Beck, St.

Joni Mitchell will be making a rare appearance at this year’s Grammys, where she is due to present an award.The singer-songwriter, who has largely kept out of the public eye since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015, is also nominated for Best Historical Album for ‘Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)’.On Friday (April 1), Mitchell was named Person of the Year at the 2022 MusiCares gala.

Chris Willman Music WriterWith due respect to Joni Mitchell’s lyrical prowess, never were there less prophetic words than “Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” — if only for the due that Mitchell herself is receiving while she is around to take it in. The queen of singer-songwriters got what may be the best of all possible salutes Friday night, feted and serenaded in a three-hour tribute concert that capped MusiCares’ annual pre-Grammy MusiCares fundraising dinner.And even though the event, like the Grammy telecast itself, was transported to Las Vegas this year, with the main ballroom at the MGM Grand Conference Center sitting in for MusiCares’ usual L.A.

Joni Mitchell is the Person of the Year and she was honored at the 2022 MusiCares event during Grammys weekend!

Joni Mitchell just gave her first on-stage performance in years!

LAS VEGAS -- An 81-year-old jazz giant and a 15-year-old rock singer were the first to perform tributes to Joni Mitchell on Friday night.Such was the diversity of artists honoring a most diverse artist, Mitchell, a Canadian-turned-Californian, folkie-turned-rocker-turned-jazz explorer who was honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the year by the Recording Academy two days before the Grammy Awards.Herbie Hancock played a jazz piano rendition of music from Mitchell's 1976 album “Hejira” that was followed by a rocking version of 1974's “Help Me” from Violet Grohl, the teenage daughter of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, to open the tribute concert in a ballroom at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.Mitchell, sitting at the front table, brought out the teenager in many of the older entertainers.“When I first heard Joni Mitchell it was 1968 and I was 15 years old,” Cyndi Lauper, now 68, said. “I had never heard anyone sing so intimately about what it was like to be a young woman navigating this world.”Lauper recited several of Mitchell's lines that moved her most, before launching into “Magdalene Laundry” while playing mountain dulcimer.“I don’t know how you do what you do, I just know I need it like food,” Meryl Streep said in a video message played for Mitchell and the crowd.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Grammy Awards have announced the roster of presenters for the big show on Sunday night: current nominees Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell and Questlove; Grammy winners Lenny Kravitz, Dua Lipa, Ludacris, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, and Keith Urban; past Grammy nominees Kelsea Ballerini and Avril Lavigne; actor-musicians Jared Leto and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez; and actor Anthony Mackie.Previously announced Grammy performers include J Balvin with Maria Becerra, Jon Batiste, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Cynthia Erivo, H.E.R., Lady Gaga, John Legend, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Maverick City Music, Nas, Aymée Nuviola, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, Chris Stapleton, Billy Strings, Carrie Underwood, and Rachel Zegler. The show will also have a special tribute to Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died at the age of 50 last week while the band was on tour in South America.

There’s a new star in town! María Becerra, the Argentine singing sensation, is bringing her talents to the 2022 Grammy Awards! The annual gala celebrating the best and brightest in music will be taking place this year on April 3 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which is the first time the Grammys have been handed out in the City of Sin.

Grammys will pay tribute to the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins during their 2022 ceremony on Sunday (April 3).This year’s Grammys are set to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas this weekend, and Foo Fighters were previously announced as one of the live performers on the night.The band have since cancelled all of their upcoming live gigs “in light of the staggering loss of our brother” Hawkins, who passed away last Friday (March 25) in Bogotá, Colombia at the age of 50.Speaking to Variety in a new interview, Jack Sussman, CBS’ executive vice president of specials, music and live events, has now said that Hawkins’ memory will be honoured during this year’s Grammys.“We will honour his memory in some way,” Sussman said. “We want to figure out what is the right thing to do that is respectful to everyone involved.

NEW YORK -- Elton John has added 11 new dates on the North American leg of his farewell tour, including concerts in New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, Arizona and Washington state.John begins his final run of dates in North America in Philadelphia on July 15, finishing with a three-night engagement at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 19 and 20.The new dates include concerts on July 24 in East Rutherford, New Jersey; July 27 in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Sept. 8 in Toronto; Sept.

Elton John has shared new dates for his final North American tour – tickets will be available here.The 11 new shows will take place between July 15 to November 20, with fresh stops in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ontario, South Carolina, California, Washington, British Columbia and Arizona.The tour ends with back-to-back performances at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium. See a full list of his newly added live dates below.John’s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road’ tour has faced multiple postponements since kicking off in 2018, due to the pandemic as well as the singer’s hip injury.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOn the heels of Elton John’s 75th birthday, the singer and AEG Presents have unveiled the final North American dates of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour.” The announcement promises that the 11 new dates “mark the final shows added to his North American tour.”The new dates include additional performances in East Rutherford, NJ; Foxborough, MA; Toronto,; Vancouver, BC; and Phoenix,  along with a third show added at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Concerts in San Diego, Santa Clara, CA, and Tacoma, WA, have also been added.Elton John’s final North American show – a return to the site of what is arguably his most iconic performance, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium – on November 20 will be his 2,000th  U.S.

Keanu Reeves‘ films have reportedly been pulled from several streaming services in China.The Los Angeles Times reports that Reeves’ films have been removed from major streaming services in the country such as iQiyi, Tencent Video, Bilibili, and Xigua Video.Deleted films on iQiyi include The Matrix trilogy, Speed, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Something’s Gotta Give and The Lake House.The Los Angeles Times report that at least 19 films were removed from Tencent Video while Youku and Migu Video now house only Toy Story 4, in which Reeves voices a character.NME has reached out to representatives of Reeves for comment.It comes after Reeves attended at the 35th annual Tibet House Benefit Concert on March 3. The actor participated in the virtual concert alongside Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper, and Iggy Pop.The event once again featured artistic direction from composer Philip Glass, who was celebrating his 85th birthday at the event. All proceeds from the benefit went to Tibet House US.In the past, China has blacklisted many high profile figures who have supported Tibet or the Dalai Lama, its former head of state.