Joni Mitchell Sworn In as a U.S. Citizen, Capping ‘a Journey That Began 62 Years Ago’
Joni Mitchell has been sworn in as a US citizen, adding American citizenship after more than six decades of living and working in the country. She announced the news on Instagram with a photograph holding an American flag and a video of the ceremony, captioned, “A journey that began 62 years ago.”
Born in Alberta in 1943, Mitchell moved to the US in 1965 and later settled in California, while keeping ties to Canada. She previously said she wished she could vote in the US, and her new citizenship may prompt a New York Times songwriting list to be reconsidered, as the paper had explained her omission by noting she was Canadian. After a 2015 brain aneurysm, she returned to group performances from 2022 onwards.
- Joni Mitchell has become a US citizen.
- She described it as a journey that began 62 years ago.
- The Canadian-born singer has lived in the US since 1965.
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Joni Mitchell is a Canadian-born singer and songwriter, known for albums such as Blue and songs including “Big Yellow Taxi”. Born in Alberta in 1943, she moved to the United States in 1965 and later made her home in California, while retaining ties to Canada.
Her work has been influential in popular music, and her nationality has sometimes shaped how American institutions classify her. For example, the New York Times has cited her Canadian citizenship when explaining her absence from a list of American songwriters. U.S. citizenship also gives her the right to vote in federal elections.