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Joni Mitchell becomes US citizen

Joni Mitchell attends the 2026 JUNO Awards at TD Coliseum on March 29, 2026, in Hamilton, Ontario. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Joni Mitchell is giving her classic song “Both Sides, Now” a new meaning after becoming a United States citizen.

In a social media post on Tuesday, Mitchell shared a photo of herself smiling as she stands in front of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security flag and an American flag with the caption, “A journey that began 62 years ago.”

The singer also shared a video of the moment where she is announced by the speaker, “Joni Mitchell, Canada.” Applause follows from people in the audience as she gets up from her seat.

ABC News has reached out to a representative for Mitchell for further comment.

Mitchell was born on Nov. 7, 1943, in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada. According to a biography on her website, she and her family moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, when she was 9 and has since referred to it as her hometown.

In 1965, she moved to the U.S. with folk-singer Chuck Mitchell and the following year, she played a short set at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1967, she began pursuing her career as a solo artist and released her debut album Song to a Seagull in 1968. Since then, she’s released 18 studio albums and nearly all of them were recorded and produced in the U.S.

Over the years, Mitchell has shared her thoughts about not being a U.S. citizen.

In 2024 at the Hollywood Bowl, during what was dubbed the Joni Jam, her first headlining concert in L.A. in 24 years, Mitchell urged the audience to “get out and vote,” according to the New Musical Express.

“This is an important one,” she said. “I wish I could vote — I’m Canadian. One of those lousy immigrants.”

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Andy Austin

Andy Austin here and thank you for clicking! It’s great to be back in Sanford after 25 years. Growing up here, I’ve spent the majority of my working life in radio. Had it not been for Media Technology at the Sanford Vocation Center and the doors that opened soon after, there’s no telling where I would have gone. With Seacoast Oldies, it’s a pleasure to help serve the community through the power and messaging of radio. Aside from broadcasting, I’ve worked extensively with NASCAR in various roles, but my real passion is cycling. Road, gravel, and fat tire cycling make up a lot of the time I spend outdoors. My girlfriend Heather and I have two rescue animals in Brandon the cat and Ollie Walter the Bernedoodle.

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