Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell CC
Mitchell performing in 1983
Background information
Birth name	Roberta Joan Anderson
Also known as	Roberta Joan Mitchell Joni Anderson
Born	(1943-11-07) November 7, 1943 (age 73) Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada
Genres	Folk rock jazz pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter painter
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano dulcimer
Years active	1964–2007
Labels	Reprise (1968–1972, 1994–2001) Asylum (1972–1981) Geffen (1982–1993) Nonesuch (2002) Hear Music (2007)
Associated acts	Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young James Taylor L.A. Express Jaco Pastorius Wayne Shorter Herbie Hancock Charles Mingus Larry Klein Thomas Dolby David Crosby Stephen Stills Graham Nash Robben Ford Neil Young The Band
Website	jonimitchell.com

External video

Dr. Joni Mitchell, 15:12, January 7, 2005, CBC Digital Archive

Joni Mitchell on Q – Part 1, 32:43, June 11, 2013, q on CBC

Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell, CC (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and painter.Rolling Stone called her "one of the greatest songwriters ever", and AllMusic has stated, "When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century".

Drawing from folk, pop, rock and jazz, Mitchell's songs often reflect social and environmental ideals as well as her feelings about romance, confusion, disillusionment and joy.

Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in Saskatchewan and western Canada before busking in the streets and shoddy nightclubs of Toronto. In 1965, she moved to the United States and began touring. Some of her original songs ("Urge for Going", "Chelsea Morning", "Both Sides, Now", "The Circle Game") were covered by folk singers, allowing her to sign with Reprise Records and record her debut album in 1968. Settling in Southern California, Mitchell, with popular songs like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "", helped define an era and a generation. Her 1971 recording Blue was rated the 30th best album ever made in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", the highest entry by a female artist. Mitchell switched labels and began moving toward jazz rhythms by way of lush pop textures on 1974's Court and Spark, her best-selling LP, featuring the radio hits "Help Me" and "Free Man in Paris".