Joni Mitchell Becomes a U.S. Citizen

Joni Mitchell has become a U.S. citizen, completing a process she described as a journey that began 62 years ago. The Canadian-born singer-songwriter announced the news on Instagram on October 13, sharing a photograph from the ceremony and a video showing her being applauded as she was called forward. Mitchell’s post showed her holding a small American flag. Its caption read, “A journey that began 62 years ago.” The video depicts a citizenship ceremony, and reports described her as being sworn in as a U.S. citizen. The reports do not include an independent government record of the naturalization. Mitchell, born in Fort Macleod, Alberta, first moved to the United States in 1965, according to accounts of her life. She initially lived in Detroit, later spent time in New York, and settled in California. She has lived in Southern California since the late 1960s and is reported to live in Santa Barbara. Her citizenship gives her the ability to vote in U.S. elections. During a 2024 performance at the Hollywood Bowl, Mitchell said she wished she could vote because she was Canadian.