# Joni Mitchell thought Joan Baez would have “broken my leg”. Baez didn’t even see her as competition

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/joni-mitchell-thought-joan-baez-would-have-broken-my-leg-baez-didnt-even-see-her-as-competition/
- Published: 2026-10-23T19:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T20:25:51+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/joni-mitchell-thought-joan-baez-would-have-broken-my-leg/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Mitchell joked Baez would have broken her leg.
- Baez said she never saw anyone as competition.
- She was confident in her distinctive voice.

## Summary

Joni Mitchell once joked that Joan Baez would have “broken my leg”, suggesting she saw Baez as a rival. Baez, however, said she never considered anyone competition, confident that no one had a voice like hers. The contrast highlights how perceptions of rivalry between prominent folk musicians did not necessarily reflect Baez’s own view.

Baez’s career overlapped with major events including the civil rights movement and protests against the Vietnam War. Although she rarely wrote her own songs, she became known for her singing and interpretations of material such as Bob Dylan’s work, as well as songs including “Birmingham Sunday” and “Farewell, Angelina”. She later told The Guardian that she was not close to Mitchell, but once called her to say how deeply Mitchell’s paintings had moved her.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.