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Joni Mitchell's Rep Denies Online Rumors That Singer Is In A Coma

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — A spokesperson for Joni Mitchell is quashing online rumors that the singer-songwriter is unconscious.

The 71-year-old Grammy-winning artist was hospitalized March 31 after being found unconscious in her Los Angeles home.

A message on JoniMitchell.com says she was resting comfortably and improving.

The rumors began circulating Tuesday after Leslie Morris, who's identified as a friend of Mitchell's for more than 44 years, filed a petition to be named conservator for the singer, as first reported by celebrity website TMZ.

Mitchell's spokesperson clarified the move:

"Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet today, Joni is not in a coma. Joni is still in the hospital - but she comprehends, she's alert, and she has her full senses. A full recovery is expected. The document obtained by a certain media outlet simply gives her longtime friend Leslie Morris the authority - in the absence of 24-hour doctor care - to make care decisions for Joni once she leaves the hospital. As we all know, Joni is a strong-willed woman and is nowhere near giving up the fight. Please continue to keep Joni in your thoughts. You may add your well wishes for her at the website WeLoveYouJoni.com.

Phone messages for Morris and her attorney, Alan Watenmaker, were not immediately returned.

Mitchell has received eight Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award in 2002. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

She started her career as a street musician in her native Canada before moving to Southern California, where she became part of the flourishing folk scene in the late 1960s. Her second album, "Clouds," was a breakthrough with such songs as "Both Sides Now" and "Chelsea Morning," winning Mitchell the Grammy for best folk performance.

Her 1970 album, "Ladies of the Canyon," featured the hit single "Big Yellow Taxi" and the era-defining "Woodstock." The following year, she released "Blue," which ranks 30th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time."

Her musical style integrates folk and jazz elements, and she counts jazz giants Charles Mingus and Pat Metheny among her past collaborators.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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