Joni Mitchell becomes U.S. citizen, keeps Canadian passport

Joni Mitchell, the Alberta-born singer-songwriter, became a U.S. citizen this week at age 82 and will keep her Canadian citizenship, according to her own Instagram post and reports by CNN and Fox News.

Mitchell announced the news on Instagram on Oct. 14 with a photo of herself holding an American flag and a short video of a room applauding at her naturalization ceremony. Her caption read, “A journey that began 62 years ago.”

CNN reported that the ceremony took place on a Tuesday and that Mitchell, who turns 83 next month, used a walking stick. She wore a red beret, sunglasses and extra stars-and-stripes pins on her cardigan, CNN said. In the video, a speaker announced “And Joni Mitchell, Canada,” to cheers, Fox News reported. Neither outlet named the location of the ceremony, and Mitchell’s post does not say where it was held.

Canada and the United States both allow dual citizenship, so Mitchell keeps her Canadian passport, CNN reported. Born in Fort Macleod, Alta., in 1943, she studied commercial art in Alberta and moved to Toronto in 1964 to perform in folk clubs and coffee houses. Fox News reported that she moved to the United States in 1965 and lived in Detroit and New York before settling in California. She now lives in Santa Barbara, Fox News said.

The timing drew attention because of strained relations between the two countries and Mitchell’s past comments about U.S. politics. CNN said it was unclear why she chose to naturalize now. At a Hollywood Bowl concert before the 2024 U.S. election, Mitchell told the crowd she was an immigrant who could not vote, saying, “I’m one of those lousy immigrants,” CNN reported.

At the Juno Awards in March, where she received a lifetime achievement honour, Mitchell said, “I’m living in the states, and you know what’s happening there,” Fox News reported. Fox News also said White House spokesperson Davis Ingle later told The Independent, “Who the hell is Joni Mitchell?” Canada News Media has not independently confirmed that exchange. Our earlier coverage of that night is in our Junos roundup.

Mitchell has 19 studio albums and six live records, CNN reported. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2002. She won the 2024 Grammy for best folk album for Joni Mitchell at Newport, released in 2023, after a stroke and brain aneurysm in 2015. Her best-known songs include “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Blue,” “Amelia” and “Woodstock.”

For Canadian readers, the change does not affect her Canadian citizenship. The Juno Awards, where she received that lifetime achievement honour in March, are accepting submissions until Nov. 5 after a category overhaul, as we reported.

CNN also reported that an untitled biopic is in development, with Cameron Crowe listed as director and Meryl Streep in the lead role, citing IMDb. No studio has confirmed those details, and this story will be updated if Mitchell’s representatives comment.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.

Via CNN (Lianne Kolirin, syndicated by KSL.com) and Fox News (Ashley Hume), with Mitchell’s Instagram post.