Nearly sixty years ago this weekend, two singer-songwriter legends took the stage together for a surprise performance that left a lasting impact on music lovers.
It was late summer 1968, and Joni Mitchell and Cass Elliot (“Mama Cass”) both showed up to the fifth annual Big Sur Folk Festival unexpectedly, according to a review of the festivities from John Davis, and, on the final day, teamed up for a performance that has left folks jealous of the crowd to this day.
Mitchell remembered the moment in music history on social media earlier today, Sept. 7, sharing a photo by Sulfiati Magnuson of the two women, both standing on stage with their bare feet. Mitchell held an acoustic guitar in her hands, strumming the chords for whatever track they crooned together, as both women leaned into their respective microphones. Mitchell wore a striped button-up blouse underneath a patterned vest with a black skirt, while Elliot wore a white button-up blouse with loose black slacks.
“On this day in 1968, Joni took the stage with Mama Cass at the Big Sur Folk Festival 💙,” Mitchell captioned the photo.
Mitchell’s followers loved the small glimpse back in time and gushed over the “Amazing pair of voices 🎶.”
“Man, how incredible would it have been to be there!” one marveled.
Davis’ recounting, originally published in the now-defunct folk-focused publication Broadside, now lives on Mitchell’s website, documenting the energy surrounding the weekend. Mitchell and Elliot were reportedly both surprise performers, with Mitchell playing a solo set on Saturday, Sept. 7, “with just her own guitar accompaniment.”
Davis was a clear fan of the “River” singer, calling her “the girl I think has more talent in her little finger than most people can acquire in a lifetime.” The following day, she was joined on stage by Elliot, performing a series of unspecified duets together. Later in the day, every performer came together to close out the festival with the song “Any Day Now.”
“What really made the Festival for me was the informality. There wasn’t any of this super-star business. …the beautiful simple clothes the gals were wearing, everyone having a ball – it was just a beautiful thing and something to be remembered for a long time,” he concluded, emphasizing the unique vibes that would certainly be hard to come by today.
Elliott died in 1974 at just 32 years old. Today, Mitchell is 81 years old. She isn’t seen very often these days, but did make a rare public appearance earlier this year.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Sep 8, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
