"You Can't Stop Her" - James Taylor On Joni Mitchell's Return To The Stage

I'm sorry but "Oh I played on the original" is one of the best responses to any talk show host questions ever! and Colbert knows it!

Thank you for letting James Taylor speak.

I love James Taylor. The STORIES HE COULD TELL.

Enormous respect for the legend.

I love the little smile he makes when he’s mentioning his wife

James Taylor, another one of America's treasures.

Get James talking he's had an amazing life and carrier in music.

I have seen James Taylor three times in concert. He doesn’t try and dazzle you with visuals. He sits or stands and plays his songs.

She had to relearn her own songs by watching YouTube videos of herself. She's an inspiration for us all!

The last time I was at Tanglewood a few years ago for Yo Yo Ma's Bach concert, James made a surprise appearance and together they performed " Baby James." It was simply magical, from beginning to end.

"Blue", "Court & Spark", "Sweet Baby James"...they wrote & recorded at least three of the best albums of the 70s. It doesn't get much better than that!

James came to our house about a week or so before his first album was released. At the time, he was even more quiet than he is now. We had not heard him play, yet. That evening, after dinner, we brought him to the club he was playing. When he started to play, every jaw at the table dropped in unison. I was but 10, but I knew I was hearing a very special talent. It's wonderful to see him still out there!

“No, I played on the original,..” That’s some serious mic drop there,.. 🎤 😂 ,..And yet so humble ☺️

James Taylor, from the Guardian's article, 22 June 2021: "Joni had succeeded in music. She had a house and an automobile and wanted to have fun and see the world. After a year or two travelling in Europe with her portable dulcimer, she came back with lots of songs and ideas. We moved in the same circles and ended up together. I’m not saying I was sober, but my then addiction to heroin was relatively quiet. It was a calm, peaceful, amazing, creative time. She quit smoking and her voice was excellent. She was at the height of her powers. It felt natural and easy for me to play on the album. There were very few people in the sessions. Blue’s brilliance lies in its minimalism. It thrives on her voice, melody and personality. It’s pure Joni. California, which she wrote in Paris, is a coming home song. After travelling, your home has a different context within the world and California captures that. It’s delightful, personal and genuine. When I was taking her to meet my family in North Carolina, between flights she suddenly said she had to return to California and left me at the airport - at the altar, so to speak. Maybe she sensed the wreckage of my next 15 years and didn’t want to be tied down. She is totally real and self-invented and it’s one of the best things in my life that I’ve known her."

He takes me back to the day, and lifts me up to this very day. What a great life and time to be alive with such artists beside you.

A lot of his friends thought he wouldn't live long enough to make it to 20. And he's still here, making people happy!

Joni absolutely brought me to tears, over and over, really didn't expect to see her perform again, but to see her play GUITAR again?? Most people who suffer a brain aneurysm either die or are permanently damaged. This woman has seriously beat the odd to make a recovery like she has!

What a great segment, thank you for being the perfect host and not rushing the story.

I just love this guy. So humble and genuine despite being such a legend. Besides his amazing music, it’s part of why I love him.

James Taylor calmed me and made me sing along all through the 70’s. Later, I sang “Sweet Baby James” to my son every night to get him to sleep. He still loves that song. Thanks for the memories. Looking forward to your new album. ❤️❤️❤️