Joni Mitchell latest health updates: Music icon can speak and is awake

Joni Mitchell, seen here performing in 2002, has been admitted to an intensive care unit, her representatives have confirmed.Reuters

Music icon Joni Mitchell is recovering. She can speak and her condition is becoming better, according to the most recent post on her website.

Mitchell was found unconscious inside her house in Los Angeles last March 30. She was immediately hospitalized and given medical care after the discovery.

"Joni was found unconscious in her home this afternoon. She regained consciousness on the ambulance ride to an L.A. area hospital. She is currently in intensive care undergoing tests and is awake and in good spirits," a March 31 post on her website stated.

Since then, periodic updates regarding Mitchell's health status were posted on her website, Jonimitchell.com. However, after the April 3 post, which stated that the Canadian artist was under observation in the hospital and that she was recovering, information on Mitchell's status became scarce since there were no further updates posted on the portal.

But in an interview with Huffington Post last week, David Crosby announced that the singer-songwriter had an aneurysm, and nobody found her for a while. Crosby also revealed that Mitchell was going to have to struggle back from the illness the way one struggles back from a traumatic brain injury. He noted that, as far as he knew then, she was not speaking yet.

Leslie Morris, Joni's longtime friend who holds authority in the absence of her doctor, posted an update to last June 28 to address the rumors created by Crosby's statement. She wrote: "Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet today, Joni is not in a coma. Joni is still in the hospital, but she comprehends, she's alert, and she has her full senses."

On another post later that day, Morris gave more detailed information regarding Joni Mitchell's status. "Joni did in fact suffer an aneurysm. However, details that have emerged in the past few days are mostly speculative. The truth is that Joni is speaking, and she's speaking well. She is not walking yet, but she will be in the near future as she is undergoing daily therapies. She is resting comfortably in her own home and she's getting better each day. A full recovery is expected," wrote Morris.

Mitchell is a solo performer and a legendary songwriter who gave birth to such songs as Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock, Urge for Going, Both Sides Now and Chelsea Morning. Because of her contributions to the field of music, she is considered to be a very influential music artist of the 20th century.