Since the end since March there have been worrying reports about Joni Mitchell’s health situation. Since then, the 71-year-old Canadian artist has been the subject of mixed tributes for his unparalleled life’s work in popular music and cryptic messages of concern about his health.

On Wednesday, several American media reported that he was in a coma. The official website immediately denied the report, writing that Mitchell was in the hospital, conscious and that he was expected to be released from the hospital eventually.

First message about his hospitalization coincided with a fine celebration of Mitchell’s long recording career in British music magazine Uncut. The timing is a little strange, but like many others, they probably realized they “forgot” to mark his 70th birthday in November 2013.

In an Uncut article, David Crosby said that Mitchell, along with Bob Dylan, was the greatest artist and performer in popular music, but that Mitchell was the greatest, both as a musician and singer. Although Dylan’s 70th birthday was celebrated solidly by most media outlets with culture sections, there were very few articles discussing Mitchell’s day.

While Dagbladet celebrating Bob Dylan’s 70th birthday for a few days, and once again promoting his candidacy for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Mitchell was mentioned in the anniversary week with Atle Pettersen performing “Big Yellow Taxi” in “Stjernekamp”.

Mitchell isn’t necessarily pitted against Dylan, but it’s surprising how different they are viewed in the media. Mitchell also managed to provoke Dylan devotees when, in one of his rare interviews in 2010, he was quoted as saying that Dylan was a “plagiarist” who presented himself as an original.

Like Dylan Mitchell was a giant, a pioneering songwriter who transformed popular music into great personal works of art in the 60s and 70s. Nearly every female singer-songwriter with a guitar or piano in existence has been compared to her. When Dylan chose blues, he also chose jazz.

What is somewhat less realized is how strong a relationship some male artists had with Joni Mitchell. When Prince gave one of his rare interviews with Rolling Stone Magazine in 1985, he said that the last recording of any artist he liked was Joni Mitchell’s “The Hissing Of Summer Lawns” from 1975. Håkan Hellström has a great Swedish version of ” Both Sides Now”.

When I interviewed Pogo Pops’ Frank Hammersland on the occasion of his solo album, he said that Joni Mitchell was his greatest musical love, explaining her version of “Night Ride Home” from his fine ’91 album of the same name.

Even though he is has some great pop songs too, Joni Mitchell is an artist to look up to. The series of albums from 1969–76 is unparalleled, but his entire career offers a treasure trove. Some of them offer resistance and require maturation on the part of the listener. Therefore, he is an artist to develop together. An artist should be listened to by more men. Then perhaps the 75th birthday celebration will be more than appropriate.