Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Anderson (born 1943-11-07 in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian‑American singer‑songwriter, multi‑instrumentalist and painter whose career reshaped popular music across folk, pop, jazz and rock. Emerging from the 1960s Canadian folk circuit, she earned early acclaim for songs such as "Urge for Going" and "Both Sides, Now", which were first popularized by other artists before she recorded them on her debut album Song to a Seagull in 1968. Her lyrical honesty, unconventional open‑tuning guitar work and emotive vocal style made the 1971 album Blue a landmark, often listed among the greatest records of all time and praised for its raw confession and melodic richness. Throughout the 1970s she expanded her palette with jazz collaborations, working with Jaco Pastorius, Charles Mingus and Herbie Hancock, and produced chart‑topping hits like "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris" on Court and Spark. After a series of experimental releases, she turned to pop and electronic textures in the 1980s before retreating from the spotlight in the 1990s, focusing on visual art and archival projects. A brain aneurysm in 2015 paused her public life, but she returned to the stage at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival and has since headlined major venues, earning a 2023 Grammy for Best Folk Album. Recognized with eleven Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Order of Canada, Mitchell remains a towering influence on generations of musicians, celebrated for her artistic integrity, genre‑defying innovations and enduring cultural impact.