Joni Mitchell becomes an American citizen: “A journey that began 62 years ago” | Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell became an American citizen after first immigrating to the country in the mid-1960s. The Canadian-born singer-songwriter, 82, posted footage of her citizenship ceremony on her Instagram account, along with a photo of herself next to an American flag, alongside the caption: “A journey that began 62 years ago.”

This means Mitchell can now vote in the US elections, something she complained about not being able to do.

During a concert in 2024, Mitchell said, “Fuck Donald Trump, I love this song,” referring to YG’s rap track. She added: “I wish I could vote…I’m Canadian. I’m one of those bad immigrants.”

Mitchell was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta in 1943, and eventually settled with her family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her first gigs were in folk clubs there, followed by those in Calgary and Toronto, where she met American folk singer Chuck Mitchell. They married in 1965 and Mitchell moved to the United States. The marriage did not last, ending two years later, but by then Mitchell had established herself as a sweet, original voice on the dynamic American folk music circuit.

She released her first album in 1968, and soon after, using royalties from the album, she moved to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles where she recorded her gold-selling debut album, Ladies of the Canyon. She has remained based in California and currently lives in Santa Barbara.

Mitchell’s most recent studio album is Shine, from 2007. After that, she spent several years out of the public eye, suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015 that required a lengthy recovery. But she returned to concert performance in 2022 with an unannounced gig at the Newport Folk Festival, and has since performed a number of all-star “Joni Jam” concerts.

A biopic about her is in the works by director Cameron Crowe, who began work on it in the early 2020s. Earlier this year, record executive Clive Davis announced at a party that Meryl Streep would play Mitchell in the film.