Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer, songwriter and painter whose music moves from intimate folk songs to jazz, with a catalog that includes Blue, Court and Spark and Hejira.
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Latest
Joni’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus her backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Born
- November 7, 1943, in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada
- Grew up
- Saskatchewan, including Saskatoon
- Work
- Singer, songwriter, musician, producer and painter
- First album
- Song to a Seagull, 1968
- Early breakthrough
- Judy Collins took Both Sides Now into the US top ten in 1968
Mini bio
How it started.
Born Roberta Joan Anderson, Joni grew up on the Canadian prairies and loved painting before music became her livelihood. She taught herself ukulele, then guitar, and performed in Calgary coffeehouses while studying art. In 1964 she moved to Toronto, where she worked toward a career in folk music.
Songs that traveled.
Other singers helped introduce her writing to wider audiences, including Tom Rush and Judy Collins. Collins’s recording of Both Sides Now reached the US top ten in 1968. That year Joni released Song to a Seagull, with David Crosby credited as producer. Clouds followed, winning her first Grammy in 1970.
Following her ear.
Ladies of the Canyon brought together Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock and The Circle Game. Blue followed in 1971 with songs including River and A Case of You. She kept changing her musical language: Court and Spark drew on jazz musicians, Hejira featured Jaco Pastorius’s fretless bass, and Mingus grew from her collaboration with Charles Mingus.
Still creating.
Her 2023 album At Newport captures the 2022 Newport Folk Festival performance with Brandi Carlile and the Joni Jam musicians. Recent work includes her personally selected Joni’s Jazz collection and NEWS, a book and exhibition of paintings. Her music and visual art remain closely connected.
Creditschronological, newest first
Music
- 2025Joni’s JazzRecording artist and track selector
- 2024Archives Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980)Recording artist and co-compilation producer
- 2023At NewportVocals and guitar on Just Like This Train
- 1979MingusSinger, lyricist and collaborator with Charles Mingus
- 1976HejiraSinger and songwriter
- 1971BlueSinger and songwriter
Visual art
- 2026NEWSPainter and book designer
Awards
- JUNO Lifetime Achievement Award2026 · Honored at the March 29 ceremony in Hamilton, Ontario.
- Grammy: Best Historical Album2026 · Archives Volume 4, shared with Patrick Milligan and Bernie Grundman.
- Grammy: Best Folk Album2024 · At Newport.
- Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song2023 · Recognition of her lifetime contribution to popular song.
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award2002 · Recognition from the Recording Academy.
Quotes
It is an artist’s duty to speak up.Joni Mitchell, official NEWS announcement, October 15, 2026
She explained the impulse behind NEWS, her politically engaged collection of paintings.
Trivia
- She learned ukulele before guitar, using a Pete Seeger instructional record.
- Alternate guitar tunings helped her work around weakness in her left hand after childhood polio and became central to her sound.
- She wrote Woodstock without attending the festival, after her manager advised her to stay in New York for a television appearance.
- Her debut album is dedicated to Mr. Kratzman, a teacher who encouraged her love of words.
- Her painting practice began before her professional music career.
Find Joni
Follow her official channels for music, paintings and archive discoveries.
Are you Joni Mitchell?
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