Joni Mitchell becomes a US citizen after decades in America
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Joni Mitchell has officially become a United States citizen, sharing a photograph of herself holding an American flag and a video of her receiving official documents. The article says she first arrived in the country 64 years ago, while her caption described the process as “a journey that began 62 years ago”.
The news comes six years after Mitchell’s longtime Canadian friend Neil Young became a US citizen. Mitchell is also the subject of an upcoming biopic, with Meryl Streep set to play her older self. At the 2026 Juno Awards, where she received a Lifetime Achievement Award, Mitchell said recovering from a brain aneurysm had changed her life; next month marks 50 years since her album *Hejira*.
- Joni Mitchell has officially become a US citizen.
- Her caption called it a journey that began 62 years ago.
- The milestone follows a long career and connection to the US.
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Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose work has shaped popular music since the 1960s. She has had a long connection with the United States, where much of her career developed, and has been friends with fellow Canadian musician Neil Young for many years.
Mitchell’s music and life have continued to attract attention across generations. Her albums remain part of her legacy, while a planned film about her life is expected to bring her story to new audiences.
Full account
Joni Mitchell has become a U.S. citizen, more than six decades after moving from Canada to the United States. She announced the news on Instagram on Tuesday, October 13, sharing a photograph of herself with a small American flag and a video from her citizenship ceremony. The caption described it as “a journey that began 62 years ago.”
The footage shows Mitchell being called forward at a ceremony in a Department of Homeland Security office, where people applaud. She has not publicly explained why she decided to pursue citizenship. Born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, in 1943, she moved to the U.S. in the mid-1960s. After an early stop in Detroit, she settled in Los Angeles, where she became associated with the Laurel Canyon music community and developed a body of work that shaped generations of songwriters.
The change in status follows remarks Mitchell made during a 2024 performance at the Hollywood Bowl. She urged the audience to vote and said she wished she could cast a ballot, describing herself at the time as a Canadian immigrant. She also directed a profane insult at then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Her new citizenship marks a change in her ability to participate in U.S. elections.
Mitchell’s citizenship announcement comes amid renewed attention to her life and work. Cameron Crowe is developing a biopic, with Meryl Streep reported to play Mitchell in older age; a possible casting of Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger Mitchell has not been confirmed. Her catalogue includes “Help Me,” her highest-charting U.S. single, and the acclaimed albums Court and Spark and Blue.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 says Mitchell arrived in the U.S. 64 years ago, while all three sources quote her caption saying the journey began 62 years ago. Sources 2 and 3 place her move in the mid-1960s; the reports do not explain the discrepancy.
Source 3 gives more detail about the ceremony, describing a Department of Homeland Security office and a group of roughly two dozen people. Source 2 focuses on the Instagram images and her career, while Source 1 adds context about Neil Young's citizenship, a recent Juno Award appearance and the upcoming anniversary of Hejira.
Sources 2 and 3 foreground Mitchell's 2024 comments about Trump and her inability to vote as a Canadian. Source 1 does not include that episode, instead emphasizing her recent public appearances and music projects.
The biopic coverage differs in certainty: Sources 1 and 3 identify Meryl Streep as set to play an older Mitchell, while Source 3 says reports of Anya Taylor-Joy playing a younger Mitchell remain unconfirmed. Source 1 does not mention Taylor-Joy.
More coverage
- Billboard — Joni Mitchell Celebrates U.S. Citizenship After ‘A Journey That Began 62 Years Ago’
- Consequence — Joni Mitchell Completes “Journey That Began 62 Years Ago” By Becoming US Citizen
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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “Joni Mitchell Becomes a U.S. Citizen: ‘A Journey That Began 62 Years Ago’”.