Recognized by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest songwriters ever,” Joni Mitchell is the author of over two dozen albums, the recipient of nine Grammy Awards and a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in addition to countless other honors. With a lifetime of musical achievement to her name, her work has served as a source of inspiration to generations of up-and-coming singer-songwriters.
Born on November 7, 1943 in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, the young Joni Mitchell was never one to follow the rigid expectations of others. She struggled in school, preferring a more freethinking way of learning than the classroom allowed. Inspired by a teacher to write poetry, she dropped out of school in grade 12 to pursue music full-time, devising alternate tunings of guitar and ukulele to compensate for a left hand weakened by her childhood bout with Polio. She later returned to high school to finish her primary education, attending the Alberta College of Art after graduation, eventually leaving the school after becoming disillusioned by the commercial focus of her classes.
Turning her focus to music as a full-time job, she took a variety of gigs around Canada as she honed her songwriting and performing skills, moving to New York City 1967 and later to Los Angeles to promote her budding career. What followed was a decades-long musical journey fueled by her artistic vision and the events of her life. Her first Grammy Award came in 1970 for her album Clouds, which included the song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ with its well-known refrain “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”
The 1970s saw her collaborating and experimenting with a number of artists, her work evolving from her earlier folk music sound, picking up additional accolades and awards as she toured extensively across the United States. In the 1980s she launched a world tour and began incorporating synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencers into her music, a notable change from her previous jazz-influenced musical work. 1990 saw Mitchell’s albums gain the attention of a new generation of music fans, with her 1994 Grammy-winning release Turbulent Indigo showing a return to the guitar-focused melodies that made her famous almost thirty years prior.
With the turn of the millennium, Mitchell began winding down her musical career, announcing publicly that she would no longer tour or perform concerts. Challenged by declining health, she has focused instead on her visual art, which is only rarely displayed to the public. While she has stepped away from writing and composing music, she spent the past several years approving a number of publications and archival projects, cementing her artistic legacy and ensuring future generations can enjoy her years of work.