Joni Mitchell is now an American citizen

Joni Mitchell has finally become an American citizen, more than 60 years after leaving her native Canada.

The legendary singer-songwriter posted a picture of herself holding a US flag at the naturalization ceremony on Tuesday, with the caption: “A journey that began 62 years ago.”

In the image shared with her more than 1 million Instagram followers, a smiling Mitchell wore a red beret and sunglasses, and extra stars and stripes pinned to her cardigan lapel.

Mitchell, who turns 83 next month and was using a walking stick, also posted a short video clip from the ceremony, in which she was applauded by others gathered in the room.

Born in Fort Macleod in Alberta, Canada, in 1943, Mitchell will continue to have a Canadian passport as both countries allow residents to hold dual citizenship.

The iconic artist, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2002, is best known for 1970s hits such as “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Blue,” “Amelia” and “Woodstock.”

She studied commercial art in Alberta before moving to Toronto in 1964, where she performed at local folk club and coffee houses. Then, during a brief marriage to folk singer Chuck Mitchell, she lived in Detroit before eventually relocating to New York City. It was there that she made her eponymous album, also known as “Song to a Seagull.”

Mitchell, who has 19 studio albums and six live records to her name, later moved to Los Angeles, where she settled in the city’s Laurel Canyon before later moving to Bel Air.

It is unclear why Mitchell chose this time, when relations between Canada and the US are particularly strained, to become an American. She was widely reported to have taken a swipe at President Donald Trump while performing at the Hollywood Bowl ahead of the last presidential election in 2024.

According to media reports at the time, the noted protest singer encouraged her audience to go to the polls: “Everybody get out and vote. This is an important one. I wish I could vote — I’m Canadian. I’m one of those lousy immigrants.”

Mitchell has suffered from a series of health problems in recent years, including a stroke and a brain aneurysm in 2015.

Her health setbacks did not stop her from performing at the 2024 Grammys, where she won the award for best folk album for her 2023 release “Joni Mitchell at Newport.” This year she also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Junos, Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys.

An as yet untitled biopic of Mitchell’s life is said to be in development, with IMDb listing Cameron Crowe as the director and Meryl Streep in the starring role.