Joni Mitchell has officially become a U.S. citizen, after first moving to the country in the mid-1960s. The 82-year-old Canadian-born singer-songwriter posted a video of her naturalization ceremony on Instagram, along with a photo of herself beside an American flag and the caption: "A journey that began 62 years ago."
The naturalization means Mitchell can now vote in U.S. elections — something she had previously complained she was unable to do.
At a 2024 concert, Mitchell said: "Fuck Donald Trump, I love that song," referring to YG's rap track. She added: "I wish I could vote... I'm a Canadian. I'm one of those bad immigrants."
Mitchell was born in 1943 in Fort Macleod, Alberta, and her family later settled in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her first performances took place at folk clubs there, then in Calgary and Toronto, where she met American folk singer Chuck Mitchell. The two married in 1965 and Mitchell moved to the U.S. The marriage lasted two years before falling apart, but by then Mitchell had established her own sweet, distinctive voice on the bustling American folk scene.
She released her debut album in 1968, and not long after, thanks to royalties from that record, moved to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, where she recorded her first best-selling album, Ladies of the Canyon. She still lives in California and is now based in Santa Barbara.
Mitchell's most recent studio album is Shine, released in 2007. Afterward, she stepped away from the spotlight for a long stretch due to a brain aneurysm in 2015 that required extensive recovery. But she returned to live performance in 2022 with a surprise set at the Newport Folk Festival, and since then has staged a number of star-studded concerts under the name "Joni Jam."
A biopic about her is being prepared 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 will play Mitchell in the film.
