Joni Mitchell is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th and 21st centuries. She's released 19 studio albums—including 1971's "Blue," often called one of the greatest albums of all time—and has won 11 Grammys. In 1997, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
> Mitchell was diagnosed with polio as a child, which weakened her left hand and forced her to create a distinctive guitar style. (Read)
> Explore a critic's guide to Mitchell's best albums. (Read)
Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson in Alberta, Canada, and began playing music as a child, starting first with the more affordable ukulele before eventually learning the guitar. She enrolled at the Alberta College of the Arts but dropped out in 1964 after learning she was pregnant. After giving her daughter up for adoption, Mitchell began pursuing folk music more seriously, which led several artists to record her songs, including Judy Collins, Tom Rush, and Buffy Sainte-Marie.
> Mitchell's daughter found her 30 years after she was adopted, thanks to a newspaper story. (Read)
> Mitchell wrote "The Circle Game" as a response to a song Neil Young showed her while they were struggling musicians. (Watch)
Mitchell began releasing well-regarded solo records in the late '60s, defined by her vivid lyrics and distinctive guitar style. In the '70s, she began experimenting with jazz, then explored synthesizers, pop, and orchestral music through the 21st century. Mitchell is often cited as an influence by rock, folk, R&B, and jazz musicians, as much for her songs as for her uncompromising artistic vision.
> She wrote the definitive song about the Woodstock festival, though she wasn't able to attend the event. (Watch)
> Janet Jackson sampled Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" for a '90s radio hit. (Watch)
Discover more:
> Watch Mitchell's 1970 appearance on the BBC. (Watch)
> At the height of her popularity, Rolling Stone derided Joni Mitchell as "Old Lady of the Year" and listed her rumored lovers. (Read)
> Mitchell wore blackface on one of her '70s album covers, which was changed decades later. (Read)
> Watch Joni Mitchell's surprise performance at the 2022 Newport Folk Fest, her first concert after suffering a brain aneurysm. (Watch)
