Joni Mitchell celebrates becoming a US citizen: ‘A journey that began 62 years ago’

See more of our coverage in your search results. Joni Mitchell is officially an American citizen after more than 60 years in the United States. The Canadian-born singer, 82, shared a photo of herself holding an American flag and a video capturing her naturalization ceremony at a Department of Homeland Security office. “A journey that began 62 years ago,” Mitchell posted on Instagram Tuesday. Joni Mitchell holds an American flag during her naturalization ceremony after becoming a US citizen. Joni Mitchell / Instagram Her citizenship announcement drew congratulations from fellow musicians, including ex-boyfriend Graham Nash. “Congrats, Joan! Just in time to vote!” Nash commented. The “Help Me” legend, born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, was 21 when she moved to the US with her first husband, folk singer Chuck Mitchell, in 1965. The couple settled in Detroit before she headed to New York City in 1967 after their marriage ended. Mitchell lived at 41 W. 16th St. in Chelsea, where she wrote songs including “Chelsea Morning.” The Canadian-born singer-songwriter plays acoustic guitar in 1968, the year she moved to Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. Getty Images She spent roughly a year in New York before moving to Los Angeles in 1968, where Laurel Canyon’s thriving music scene helped shape the next chapter of her career. Mitchell has called California home for much of her adult life, later living in Bel Air and eventually settling in Santa Barbara. She married musician Larry Klein in 1982, divorcing in 1994, and has one daughter, Kelly Dale Anderson, whom she placed for adoption as an infant in 1965 and reunited with in 1997. Joni Mitchell performs at the Central Park Music Festival in New York City in 1969. Getty Images Mitchell has previously spoken about dividing her time between the US and Canada, once describing Los Angeles as her professional base and British Columbia as home to her heart. “LA is my workplace, BC is my heartbeat,” she told the Ottawa Citizen in 2006. The citizenship news also comes after Mitchell made a rare return to Canada in March to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 Juno Awards. Joni Mitchell performs at Madison Square Garden in New York City in May 2000. New York Post The “Both Sides, Now” singer received the honor from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and took the opportunity to weigh in on American politics, praising the Canadian leader while alluding to President Trump. Mitchell said Canadians were “so fortunate” to have Carney in power, adding, “I’m living in the States and you know what’s happening there.” The musician’s latest milestone follows a major health setback in 2015, when she suffered a brain aneurysm. 5. Joni Mitchell accepts the Best Historical Album award during the 68th Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony at the Peacock Theater on Feb. 1, 2026. Getty Images “I had a [brain] aneurysm, which changed my life — oddly, for the better,” she said during her acceptance speech at the Juno Awards. “I went into a coma, which helped me to quit smoking. And my house filled up with the most wonderful nurses. I was on the road with men for years and years; now I live with a house full of women,” she added. Meanwhile, director Cameron Crowe is developing a biopic about the singer with Meryl Streep set to portray an older version of the music icon. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!