Joni Mitchell

“I had in fact, seen quite a bit of the ‘I’ve looked at life from both sides now’. I had some serious battles for a twenty-one-year-old. But I was trying to become a realist in all ways”

The melancholic folk singer was a distinctive voice in the late 1960s. With her beautiful lyrics, long blonde hair, and keen observations Joni Mitchell gained a passionate following, though her personal life was often difficult.

Joni Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson, 1943, in Alberta, Canada. Her early childhood was marred when she contracted polio. Doctors told her she might never walk again but she was determined to prove them wrong, which she did. She developed a love of art, poetry and music and taught herself the ukelele and eventually the guitar. She started singing and began playing in various folk clubs. When she dropped out of university she travelled to Ontario where she continued singing. In 1964 she discovered she was pregnant to her boyfriend, who soon left her. Destitute Joni gave birth to a daughter, Kelly, but had to put her up for adoption. Devastated she turned to song writing as a way to deal with her grief. That same year, 1965, she married fellow singer, Chuck Mitchell. Whilst her work gained in popularity the couple's relationship struggled and they were divorced in 1967. Joni moved to New York and the following year released her debut album, Song to a Seagull. In 1969 she released, Clouds, which featured one of her best loved songs, 'Both Sides Now'. That same year she wrote 'Woodstock' after hearing of her friends experiences at the famed festival. It became one of her most popular songs.
When the 1960s ended Joni released the albums, Ladies of the Canyon and the critically acclaimed, Blue. She continued to develop her musical style and eventually moved from folk to jazz, she became renowned for her lyrics. Following Blue, she released a further fifteen studio albums. She suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015 and has been in ill health, though friends say she continues to improve. She stopped touring and recording following her last album but continues to paint.

Joni was one of the most popular female singers of the late sixties. Her beautiful, personal lyrics struck a chord with many as did her distinctive and unusual guitar work, developed when she discovered her fingers had been weakened by polio and she had to create different tunings. She had the ability to create stories with her words as seen in some of her most popular songs, 'Both Sides Now', 'Woodstock', 'Big Yellow Taxi' and 'The Circle Game'. Her distinctive soprano voice is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful and she gained a strong female audience in an industry largely dominated by men. She maintained the rights to her music and designed all her album covers, she often stated that at heart she was a painter and it was a passion she developed throughout her life. The cover of Clouds features her beautiful self portrait.

Joni was a determined woman who suffered many personal tragedies. As an unmarried mother in the sixties she faced many hardships, she did not even tell her family of her child. She supported herself as best she could and ultimately sacrificed her own happiness so that her daughter would be safe. The experience strengthened her resolve to make something of herself, but also highlighted the many injustices faced by women of the era. Happily she was reunited with Kelly later in life.

Joni had a strong creative vision and was dedicated to her ideas. Her lyrics were often confessional in nature and proved relatable for many women. She continued to explore new styles and forged a distinctive voice and place within the music industry, where she showed remarkable courage in the face of hardship.

“I sing my sorrow and I paint my joy”

Linda McCartney

“I had daydreams and fantasies when I was growing up. I always wanted to live in a log cabin at the foot of a mountain. I would ride my horse to town and pick up provisions. Then return to the cabin, with a big open fire, a record player and peace”

The talented photographer made a name for herself in a male dominated industry with her portraits of musicians. She caused a stir when she fell in love with, and married a Beatle, and spent her life devoted to her family and passions.

Linda Eastman was born in New York on the 24th September, 1941. As a child she developed her lifelong passions for animals and music. She studied art at university and married fellow student, Joseph Melville See. Whilst studying in Arizona Linda attended a photography class and became fascinated with the medium. Following her divorce from See, Linda and her young daughter, Heather, moved back to New York where Linda found a job working for 'Town and Country' magazine. Whilst working there she came across an invitation to a Rolling Stones press conference. Linda went along with her camera and was the only photographer allowed to photograph the band. Her pictures of the Stones were in high demand and she began taking on free lance work, photographing both local and international groups. In 1967 she travelled to England to do a series for the book 'Rock and Other Four Letter Words'. By chance she met Beatle Paul McCartney in a nightclub and they were instantly taken with each other. A few days later Linda was invited to take photos at the Sgt. Pepper launch party. She and Paul spent the evening talking together and they began a relationship the following year. They were married in March 1969 and welcomed a baby daughter, Mary, later in the year.
In the early seventies Linda and Paul released the album RAM as a duo and went on to form the band 'Wings'. Linda sang, played the keyboard and synthesiser and co-wrote many of the bands songs. She became a passionate vegetarian and animal rights activist and created her own range of frozen vegetarian meals. Throughout her life Linda continued with her photography and published several books and was featured in numerous exhibitions and galleries. Tragically Linda passed away, from a long battle with breast cancer, in 1998. Following her death Paul released an album of her solo work titled, Wide Prairie.

Linda was one of the most successful photographers, in what was a largely male dominated industry, during the 1960s. She was the first woman to have a photo (of Eric Clapton) published on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Her interest in people's personalities is evident in her work, and many of her subjects commented on how at ease she made them feel, as if she were a friend and not a photographer. She photographed all the major musicians of the day, including, The Beatles, The Kinks, Simon & Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, The Rolling Stones and The Doors. Her other favourite subjects were animals, children, nature and, of course, Paul!

Linda was a strong woman who made a life for herself and her child as a single mother. She remained strong when many aimed cruel criticism at her for marrying Paul. She was an American divorcee, and many fans couldn't understand what Paul saw in her. But Linda remained kind hearted and passionate. She didn't pay attention to others opinions of her, she just lived her life. Her relationship with Paul proved to be loving and enduring, they raised four children together and supported each other through everything that came their way. Paul credited Linda with helping him through his nervous breakdown, suffered following the breakup of the Beatles, she supported and encouraged him to start writing again.

Throughout her life Linda remained true to herself. She pursued her interests, photography, music and animals, with her distinctive, passionate vision. She was a loving, caring mother and wife and became a pioneer in her chosen fields. Though she was often dogged by unfair criticism she continued to do what she loved, forging a path for herself in often difficult professions.

“I don’t need a lot of money. Simplicity is the answer for me”