Folk singer Joni Mitchell hospitalized after being found unconscious

LOS ANGELES - Legendary folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was rushed to the hospital on Tuesday after being found unconscious at her L.A. home.

The Canadian musician’s official Twitter account confirmed Mitchell’s hospitalization, saying they’re still awaiting word on her condition.

According to TMZ, paramedics hurried to the singer’s Bel Air residence after receiving a 911 call about an unconscious woman, though she was reportedly alert on the way to the hospital.

The website describes her medical condition as “quite serious.”

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that paramedics responded to an emergency 911 call on Mitchell’s street in Bel Air at about 2:30 on Tuesday, but was unable to confirm her condition.

Her rep could not be reached for comment.

Mitchell is a lifelong smoker who has said in the past that “six decades of smoking have robbed me of my voice.”

The eight-time Grammy winning musician, now 71, is known for songs like “The Circle Game” and “Help Me” and helped define the era of 1960s and ’70s music. Her songs, such as “Big Yellow Taxi” and “River,” have been famously covered over the years.

“Well, it’s taking personal responsibility for the failure of a relationship,” she said of “River” in an NPR interview. “And my generation — you know, the ‘Me Generation’ — is known to be a Peter Pan, narcissistic generation, right? So it’s really, you know — it’s really that aspect of our inability — you know, ‘I’m selfish and I’m sad.’ Right? You know, people think that’s confessional, but I’d say, you know, in my generation, you think that that’s a unique personal statement? You know what I mean? It’s like, no wonder there’s so many covers of it?”

Mitchell’s most recent album of original music, “Shine,” was released in 2007.