Los Angeles, April 1 (IANS): Legendary singer Joni Mitchell has been rushed to hospital after falling ill at her home here.

The 71-year-old was found unconscious at her home on Tuesday. However, she was alert on the way to hospital, reports tmz.com.

Mitchell's official Twitter account confirmed her hospitalisation. Two hours later, JoniMitchell.com tweeted: “Joni is currently in intensive care in an LA area hospital but is awake and in good spirits. More updates to come as we hear them.”

She had earlier said that “six decades of smoking have robbed me of my voice".

The eight-time Grammy winning musician is best known for songs like “Both Sides Now”, “The Circle Game”, “Free Man in Paris” and “Help Me” and helped define the Laurel Canyon sound of the 1960s and 1970s. Her songs such as “Big Yellow Taxi” and “River”, have been famously covered over the years.

Mitchell’s most recent album of original music, “Shine”, was released in 2007. A four-volume boxed set, “Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting to Be Danced,” came out in 2014.