Elton John Joins Joni Mitchell to Perform ‘I’m Still Standing’ During Rare Concert at Hollywood Bowl

Name a better surprise guest at a concert than Sir Elton John.

Over the weekend, legendary folk singer Joni Mitchell performed a rare pair of shows at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Billed as “Joni Mitchell and the Joni Jam,” the 80-year-old singer was joined by Annie Lennox, Marcus Mumford, Brandi Carlile and the Rocket Man himself, Elton John.

According to fan-filmed footage on social media, John and Mitchell shared the stage to perform a rendition of the English singer’s “I’m Still Standing,” with support from actress Meryl Streep. The surprise was part of Mitchell’s massive three-hour-long set, laden with jokes and deep cuts from her decades-long catalog.

After the show, John shared a video of himself hugging Mitchell to his Instagram Stories and wrote, “Thank you for having me @jonimitchell & @brandicarlile.”

Other special guests for the weekend included Blake Mills, Jacob Collier, Robin Pecknold, Lucius, Allison Russell, Jon Batiste, and more.

In 2022, John and Mitchell celebrated her return to the stage with an intimate interview for his show on Apple Music 1, Rocket Hour. In their chat, Mitchell revealed she did not rehearse for her Newport Folk Festival appearance. John remarked that not only did she sing publicly for the first time in nearly a decade, but she also played guitar.

“I had to figure out what I did, snd I couldn’t sing the key,” Mitchell replied. “I’ve become an alto, I’m not a soprano anymore, so I couldn’t sing the song. And I thought people might feel lighted if I just played the guitar part — but I like the guitar part to that song. So anyway, it was very well received, much to my delight.”

Last week, John, 77, joined Dua Lipa onstage for her historic Royal Albert Hall show to perform their collaboration, “Cold Heart.” It was the “Rocket Man” singer’s first time hitting the stage in over a year since his 2023 farewell tour, which marked the end of his touring career.

Mitchell’s return to the stage comes almost a decade after surviving a brain aneurysm, leading her to relearn how to talk, walk and sing. In 2022, the “Big Yellow Taxi” singer made a surprise appearance at Newport Folk Festival alongside Carlile. She followed that up with a sold-out headlining show at the Gorge Amphitheater in Quincy, Washington, in 2023.