Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell is widely considered one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th and 21st centuries. She's released 19 acclaimed studio albums—including 1971's "Blue," often called one of the greatest albums of all time—and has won 11 Grammys. In 1996, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson in Alberta, Canada, and began playing music as a teenager, 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 1965 upon 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 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 she is for her uncompromising artistic vision.