By Megan Riedlinger
12:48pm PDT, May 2, 2024
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Joni Mitchell is turning 80!
The iconic singer-songwriter celebrates the milestone birthday on Nov. 7, 2023, and in honor of the occasion, Wonderwall.com is looking back at photographs from the start of her career. First up? This flashback…
Canada-born Joni Mitchell flashed a smile in this undated photo. The musician got her big break in 1967 after David Crosby discovered her at a club in Coconut Grove, Florida. That chance meeting led to her finding management, being signed to a record label and releasing her first album, "Song to a Seagull."
Keep reading for more photos of the one and only Joni…
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What's more glamorous than velvet and braids? Joni Mitchell donned both during a stunning London photoshoot in 1970. That was the year she won her first Grammy Award for best folk performance for "Clouds" and released her third album, "Ladies of the Canyon."
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Joni Mitchell had a two-year romance with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young member Graham Nash. The couple are seen here looking smiley while arriving at Heathrow Airport in London in December 1969.
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This photo of Joni Mitchell was taken during a show at the Boston Music Hall in December 1976. Earlier that year, Joni wrote and released the album "Hejira," which she created mostly while driving across the country from Maine to California.
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Joni Mitchell gave a wave while being photographed in her Shelbourne hotel suite in Dublin, Ireland, in April 1983. That year, the iconic musician was on a massive world tour that also visited Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia.
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Joni Mitchell rocked a cozy cardigan while being interviewed in Amsterdam back in 1972. That October, after touring, she released her fifth album — "For the Roses."
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This photograph appeared in Vogue in November 1968! Joni Mitchell did a photoshoot for the iconic fashion magazine that saw her playing her trusty acoustic guitar while seated on the ground.
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Just a member of the crowd! Joni Mitchell clapped for performers during the 1969 Big Sur Folk Festival in Big Sur, California. She performed on both days alongside big names like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Joan Baez.
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Joni Mitchell gave a small smile in this undated photo taken near the beginning of her career. The '70s was a transformative decade for the singer-songwriter: Her album "Ladies of the Canyon" became a radio smash and resulted in her first gold album.
Despite her massive success, Joni chose to step back from touring the year it was released — 1970 — and take some time off to write and paint. She released her next album, "Blue," in June 1971.
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A radiant Joni Mitchell was on hand for the 1985 Grammy Awards. At that point in her career, the star — who sported a stunning sequined gown at the big event — already had two Grammys to her name: one for best folk performance from 1970 and one for best arrangement accompanying vocalist from 1975.
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Check out this duo! James Taylor and Joni Mitchell collaborated often in the '70s — they're seen here recording backing vocals for Carole King's "Tapestry" album in January 1971. That same year, Joni lent her voice to James's "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon" album, providing backup vocals for the song "You've Got a Friend."
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Joni Mitchell is pictured here in stunning black and white in 1970 — two years after the release of her debut album.
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We loved the puffy sleeves on Joni Mitchell's velvet blouse in this black-and-white snap from 1970. The musician was known for her flowy fashion and boho style.
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Joni Mitchell flashed a big smile while clutching her guitar in this snap from 1968 — the year she released her debut album, "Songs to a Seagull."
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Joni Mitchell rocked a beautiful flower crown while performing on stage in 1974 during a two-month U.S. and Canada tour that received rave reviews.
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Check out that windswept hair! Joni Mitchell posed for a black-and-white portrait in this undated snapshot that showcased her signature straight face.
