Better late than never. Canada-born singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is now a U.S. citizen after first moving south across the border in the mid-1960s.
The 82-year-old posted footage Tuesday of her naturalization ceremony on her Instagram account, along with a photo of her next to an American flag, accompanied by the caption: “A journey that began 62 years ago.”
In the image shared with her more than one million Instagram followers, a smiling Mitchell wore a red beret and sunglasses, and extra stars and stripes pinned to her cardigan lapel.
It means the folk legend can now vote in U.S. elections, something she had long complained she was excluded from.
FILE: Portrait of Canadian musician Joni Mitchell wearing a black short-sleeved dress with several necklaces, November 1968. This image was from a photo shoot for the fashion magazine Vogue. (Photo by Jack Robinson/Getty Images)
The Guardian reports at a concert in 2024, Mitchell said: “Fuck Donald Trump, I love that song,” referring to the rap track by YG. She added: “I wish I could vote … I’m a Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”
More recently she had another public dig at Trump.
During a rare public appearance earlier this year to accept her lifetime achievement award at the Juno Awards in Canada, the Los Angeles resident told the crowd she was relieved to be back in her home country, saying: “I’m living in the States and you know what’s happening there.”
She then rebuked Trump by praising Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “This man is a blessing. You guys are so fortunate,” Mitchell said.
FILE: Joni Mitchell performs at the Boston Music Hall December 19, 1976 in Boston MA. (Ron Pownall/Getty Images)
When approached for comment on Mitchell’s remarks, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle pithily replied: “Who the hell is Joni Mitchell?”
The Guardian further notes the journey the octogenarian has embarked on to embrace her U.S. citizenship, noting she was born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, in 1943, and eventually settled with her family in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan:
Her earliest gigs were at folk clubs there, followed by Calgary and Toronto, where she met US folk singer Chuck Mitchell.
They married in 1965 and Mitchell moved to the US. The marriage didn’t last, ending two years later.
Mitchell has made the U.S. home ever since.
A documentary about her is being prepared by director Cameron Crowe, who began work on it in the early 2020s.
Earlier this year, record executive Clive Davis announced at a party that Meryl Streep would play Mitchell in the as yet untitled biopic, the Guardian report ends with.