While the music industry struggled, coming back in fits and starts as the pandemic receded, the genre-straddling musical artist Brandi Carlile ‘s year was epic beyond all measure. Her memoir, “Broken Horses,” released last year, became a worldwide bestseller. And her album “In These Silent Days” racked up seven Grammy nominations in October, and led to a massive tour that stretched throughout this year. That tour, most notably, included a stop at the Newport Folk Festival, where Ms. Carlile, 42, brought her hero, Joni Mitchell , on stage for Ms. Mitchell’s first live appearance in 20 years. And, capping off her exceptional year, in November Ms. Carlile joined another of her longtime heroes, Elton John , at Dodger Stadium, for what was billed as his final U.S. concert performance.

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