bgcolour	orange
name	Norman Seeff
birth name	Norman Seeff
birth date	March 05, 1939
birth place	Johannesburg, South Africa
nationality	American
field	Photographer, Filmmaker
signature	}}

Norman Seeff was born March 5, 1939 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Since moving to the United States in 1969, his work as a photographer and filmmaker has been focused on the exploration of human creativity and the inner dynamics of the creative process.

Early life and career

Seeff graduated with honors in science and art at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg. At the age of 17, he was drafted as the youngest player in the South African national soccer league.

Seeff qualified as a medical doctor in 1965. For three years he worked in emergency medicine at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto focusing on the management of traumatic shock. In 1969, he immigrated to the United States to pursue his creative passions and artistic abilities.

New York

Soon after arriving in New York, Seeff’s photographs of the people he encountered on the streets of Manhattan were discovered by the famed graphic designer, Bob Cato. Cato introduced Seeff to the world of album cover design and his first major photographic assignment for The Band brought him immediate recognition. His early work also includes images of Robbie Robertson, Patti Smith, Robert Mapplethorpe, Andy Warhol as well as other New York personalities.

In 1971, Seeff spent a year as Professor of Photography at Bennington College in Vermont.

Los Angeles

In 1972, on the recommendation of Cato, Seeff relocated to Los Angeles to become creative director of United Artists Records where his work in design and photography received multiple Grammy Award nominations.

Three years later, he opened an independent studio on Sunset Boulevard. His photographic sessions soon became legendary and attracted audiences of 30-40 at each session, swelling to over 200 on some occasions. A combination of actor’s workshop and a celebration of creative spontaneity, Seeff’s sessions were emotionally engaging experiences that resulted in many iconic images with leading artists and innovators of the time.

Seeff’s creative interaction with artists inspired him to film his sessions beginning with an Ike & Tina Turner session in 1975. Using the photo session as a vehicle for exploring the inner dynamics of the creative process with artists at work, Seeff has continued this process for over 3½ decades. His film and tape archive of more than 400 shoots with musical artists, film directors, authors, television personalities, scientists, visionaries and entrepreneurs provides a unique insight of artists and innovators in the act of creation.

Television Commercials

In 1990, Seeff applied the spontaneous and co-creative approach he had developed during his photo sessions to working with actors in television commercials. During the 90’s, he became an acclaimed, award-winning director of hundreds of national commercials for major brands including Apple, Levis, Glaxo, Nissan, Toyota, General Motors and Motorola.

Recent work

Seeff returned to photography and the documentation of his sessions in 2000 working with the stars of Paramount Television, a documentary exploration of the artist’s journey for Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project and Caltech’s many Nobel Science Laureates.

It was the latter assignment that led to Seeff being invited to work with the NASA space explorers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and to the production of his documentary film ''Triumph of the Dream.''

''Triumph of the Dream'' reveals the human face of the Mars Exploration mission that landed two rovers on Mars in 2004. In the film, Seeff uses the Seven Stage Dynamic of the Creative Process he developed in his photo sessions as the underlying narrative structure. ''Triumph of the Dream'' is scheduled for release in 2010 as a theatrical event featuring excerpts from Seeff’s previously unreleased sessions archive and a round table discussion on creativity with leading artists.

Personal life

Seeff lives in Los Angeles with his wife Sue Kiel and works out of his studio in Burbank. He has two children. His daughter, Tai Power Seeff, is a photographer and his son Shane studies music and filmmaking at Cape Town University in South Africa.

Famous Photographs

1.) Patti Smith & Robert Mapplethorpe 1969 : Seeff and Mapplethorpe met soon after Seeff first arrived in New York and Mapplethorpe asked Seeff if he could airbrush some of his prints. Seeff loved what Mapplethorpe had done and offered to photograph Mapplethorpe and Smith. These shots have been featured widely since the release of Smith’s book “Just Kids”.

2.) The Band 1969 : Seeff was commissioned by the late Bob Cato to take the liner images for The Band's 1970 release “Stage Fright”. However Cato loved Seeff’s image so much it became the major design feature of the album as a poster insert. The poster rapidly became a collector’s item and helped launch Seeff's career as one of rock n roll's leading photographers and album cover designers.

3.) James Taylor 1970 : Seeff photographed Taylor who was building a home on Martha's Vineyard. Taylor and singer-songwriter Carly Simon were later to live in the house.

4.) Andy Warhol 1970 : Seeff photographed Warhol and members of the Factory in Warhol’s space in New York.

5.) Mick Jagger 1971 : Seeff photographed Jagger and The Rolling Stones for the "Exile on Main Street" album, in which Seeff was the art director.

6.) Keith Richards 1971 : Seeff also took a number of individual shots of Richards during the “Exile on Main Street” shoot.

7.) Rolling Stones 1971 : The Stones commissioned Seeff to shoot an iconic series of 12 images that were featured as an insert of 12 postcards. The postcards are to be re-released in 2010.

8.) Bobby Womack 1972 : Seeff worked with Womack numerous times, but perhaps the best known photograph by Seeff of Womack is featured on the cover of his 1972 album “Understanding.”

9.) Miles Davis 1974 : Seeff shot his iconic image of Davis who at the time was recovering from a throat condition and had just come off stage.

10.) Sly Stone 1974 : Seeff’s shot of Sly Stone kissing his then wife Kathy Silva was included in the Brooklyn Museum 2009 exhibition ‘‘Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present.’’

11.) Carly Simon 1974 : Seeff’s cover shot of Carly Simon dressed in a teddy for her “Playing Possum” album was thought to be ‘racy’ and was featured in Sheila Weeler’s book “Girls Like Us”. In fact it came from a series of shots of Simon doing yoga poses.

12.) Kiss 1974 : Much has been written about Seeff’s shoot with Kiss for their 1974 album "Hotter Than Hell" although by all reports, it is more fiction than fact.

13.) The Jacksons 1975 : This series of shots features Michael Jackson in his late teens.

14.) Ike and Tina Turner 1975 : Seeff was a great admirer of the artistry of both Ike and Tina and many of his shots from this session illustrate the edge in their relationship. This session was the first that Seeff documented on 16mm film.

15.) Joni Mitchell 1975 & 1976 : Seeff had a long working relationship with Mitchell with whom he did 7 sessions.

16.) Frank Zappa 1976 : Seeff photographed Zappa multiple times. The images were used for album cover art (see cover of Strictly Commercial) and were featured extensively in the February 1994 issue of Musician magazine in observation of Zappa’s recent passing in late 1993. Prior to his death, Seeff’s photos of Zappa and his daughter Moon Unit were also featured in a 1989 LIFE magazine article.

17.) Johnny Mathis 1976 : This session was also filmed on 16mm film.

18.) Cher 1976 : Seeff shot Cher for her album “I'd Rather Believe in You”. The shots captured Cher's iconic '70s look.

19.) Eagles 1976 : Seeff shot the Eagles for their album “One of These Nights.”

20.) John Travolta 1976 : Seeff photographed and filmed Travolta who was preparing for his starring role in the 1977 film ''Saturday Night Fever''.

21.) Cher & Greg Allman 1977 : Seeff shot a series of images of Cher and Greg Allman while they were married.

22.) Steve Martin 1977 : This series of images demonstrate the amazing physical comedic talent of Martin early in his career. The images were used as album cover art for his 1977 album Let's Get Small.

23.) Zubin Mehta 1977 : During the shoot, Mehta asked Seeff to play classical music at full volume to illustrate that it could outperform rock ‘n’ roll.

23.) Van Morrison 1977 : This shoot of Morrison performing in a private concert was also filmed on 16mm film. Morrison considers it one of his best examples of performance footage.

24.) Santana 1978 : Seeff’s shots of Santana were taken for the “Inner Secrets” album.

25.) Johnny Cash 1978 : Seeff shot Cash on several occasions, including the cover for Cash’s 1984 album Biggest Hits.

26.) Fleetwood Mac 1978 : Taken for the “Tusk” album, Seeff’s images of Fleetwood Mac illustrate the charisma and intensity of relationships between the members of the band.

27.) Rickie Lee Jones 1978 : Taken for Jones’ first album release which broke her into the music business.

28.) Chicago 1978 : Taken for the “Hot Streets” album, this was the first and only time Chicago had a photo of the band on the cover.

29.) Van Halen 1979 : Taken for the “Women and Children First” album.

30.) Boomtown Rats 1979 : Featuring Bob Geldof was shot for a LIFE magazine article on new music.

31.) Blondie 1979 : Seeff photographed the band for their album “Eat to the Beat.”

32.) Curtis Mayfield 1979 : Mayfield wrote an original song during the filmed photo session.

33.) John Belushi 1981 : Seeff photographed Belushi both alone and as part of The Blues Brothers.

34.) Sir Francis Crick 1982 : Seeff photographed the Nobel Prize winner, the discover of the double helix, both at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and at his home.

35.) Tina Turner 1983 : Seeff was asked to take a series of images of Turner as she rebuilt her career, launching a string of hits beginning with her 1983 single "Let’s Stay Together” which featured Seeff’s image on the cover. The photo session with Tina was filmed and featured spontaneous live performances.

36.) Quincy Jones 1984 : Seeff’s shot Quincy Jones with his daughter at his home and was featured in the 2009 book “The Art & Soul of Quincy Jones.”

37.) Steve Jobs 1984 : Seeff shot Jobs at the Apple HQ in Cupertino, California These are iconic images of the young Steve Jobs in the early days of Apple’s success.

38.) Ray Charles 1985 : The classic image was used by Concord Records on the album “Genius Loves Company.”

39.) John Huston 1985 : Seeff interviewed and photographed Huston for a series on American film directors. One of the photographs from this session was used by Apple for their "Think Different" campaign and appeared on giant billboards across America.

40.) Martin Scorsese 1986 : Seeff photographed and filmed their conversation on the creative process for a series on American film directors.

41.) Billy Wilder 1986 : Seeff’s photograph of Wilder greets patrons to the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.

42.) Jim Henson 1986 : Shot for a series on American film directors including an image which became a US Postal Service stamp.

43.) Bob Fosse 1986 : Seeff photographed and filmed Fosse for a series on American film directors.

44.) David Crosby 1986 : From a shoot with Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

45.) Norman Mailer 1988 : Seeff photographed an entire an issue of Esquire magazine on authors, which included Mailer.

46.) Aerosmith 1989 : Seeff shot the photographic session for their album “Pump.” The session was also documented.

47.) Steve Tyler 1989 : Photographed during the session for Aerosmith’s album “Pump.”

Album Design & Photography

The Band, “Stage Fright”: Photography 1969

Ike & Tina, “What You Hear is What You Get – Live at Carnegie Hall”: Art Direction & Photography 1971

The Rolling Stones, "Exile on Main Street": 1971

Bobby Womack, : Art Direction & Photography 1972

Ike & Tina, “Let Me Touch Your Mind”: Art Director, Design & Videographs 1973

Leo Kottke, “My Feet are Smiling”: Photography 1973

Kiss, “Hotter Than Hell”: Art Direction & Photography 1974

John Klemmer, “Touch”: Design & Photography 1974

Art Garfunkel, “Breakaway”: Photography 1975

Carly Simon, “Playing Possum”: Photography and Design 1975

Eagles, “One of These Nights”: Photography 1975

Carmen McRae, “I am Music”: Photography 1975

Gloria Gaynor, “Experience Gloria Gaynor”: Photography 1975

Joni Mitchell, “Hejira”: Photography 1976

James Taylor, “In the Pocket”: Photography 1976

Andy Gibb, “Flowing Rivers”: Photography 1977

Joni Mitchell, “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter”: Photography 1977

Santana, “Inner Secrets”: Design, Art Director & Photography 1978

Earl Klugh, “Magic In Your Eyes”: Photography 1978

Glen Campbell, “Basic”: Photography 1978

Chicago, “Hot Streets”: Design & Photography 1978

Captain & Tennille, “Dream”: Photography 1978

Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg, “Twin Sons of Different Mothers”: Photography 1978

Foreigner, “Double Vision”: Design & Photography 1978

Gilberto Gil, “Nightingale”: Photography 1979

Fleetwood Mac, “Tusk”: Photography 1979

Captain & Tennille, “Make Your Move”: Photography 1979

Tanya Tucker, “Tear Me Apart”: Design & Photography 1979

Blondie, “Eat to the Beat”: Design & Photography 1979

Curtis Mayfield, “Heartbeat”: Photography 1979

Van Morrison, “Into the Music”: Photography & Design 1979

Van Halen, “Women and Children First”: Photography 1980

Andy Gibb, “Greatest Hits”: Photography 1980

Al Jarreau, “Jarreau”: Photography 1983

Tina Turner, “Let’s Stay Together”: Photography 1983

Johnny Cash, “Biggest Hits”: Photography 1984

Ramsey Lewis & Nancy Wilson, “The Two of Us”: Photography 1984

Aerosmith, "Pump": Photography 1989

Frank Zappa, "Strictly Commercial": Photography 1995

Books

Seeff’s first book “Hot Shots”, published in 1978, was awarded the New York Art Directors Club Gold Medal for photography. His second book “Sessions” was published in 1988.

References

External links

Norman Seeff's website

Category:1939 births Category:Living people Category:People from Johannesburg

name	Ray Charles
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ray Charles Robinson
origin	Greenville, Florida, United States
born	September 23, 1930Albany, Georgia, United States
died	June 10, 2004Beverly Hills, California, United States
instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards, alto saxophone, trombone
genre	Rhythm and blues, soul, blues, rock and roll, jazz, country, pop, gospel
occupation	Composer, musician, arranger, bandleader
years active	1947–2004
label	Atlantic, ABC, Warner Bros., Swing Time, Concord, Columbia, Flashback
associated acts	The Raelettes, Quincy Jones, Betty Carter, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Little Richard
website	Official website 200px|altA signature penned in black inkSignature of Ray Charles }}

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930June 10, 2004), known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his ''Modern Sounds'' albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.”

The influences upon his music were mainly jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and country artists of the day such as Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, Charles Brown, Louis Armstrong. His playing reflected influences from country blues and barrelhouse, and stride piano styles.

''Rolling Stone'' ranked Charles number 10 on their list of "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004, and number two on their November 2008 list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In honoring Charles, Billy Joel noted: "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley. I don't know if Ray was the architect of rock & roll, but he was certainly the first guy to do a lot of things . . . Who the hell ever put so many styles together and made it work?"

Early life: 1930–1945

Ray Charles Robinson was the son of Aretha Williams, a sharecropper, and Bailey Robinson, a railroad repair man, mechanic and handyman. Aretha Williams was a devout Christian and the family attended the New Shiloh Baptist Church. When Ray was an infant, his family moved from Albany, Georgia, where he was born, to the poor black community on the western side of Greenville, Florida. In his early years, Charles showed a curiosity for mechanical things and he often watched the neighborhood men working on their cars and farm machinery. His musical curiosity was sparked at Mr. Wiley Pit's Red Wing Cafe when Pit played boogie woogie on an old upright piano. Pit would care for George, Ray's brother, so as to take the burden off Williams. However, George drowned in the Williams' wash tub when he was four years old.

Charles started to lose his sight at the age of five. He went completely blind by the age of seven, apparently due to glaucoma. He attended school at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945, where he developed his musical talent. During this time he performed on WFOY radio in St. Augustine. His father died when he was 10 and his mother died five years after.

In school, Charles was taught only classical music, but he wanted to play the jazz and blues he heard on the family radio. While at school, he became the school's premier musician. On Fridays, the South Campus Literary Society held assemblies where Charles would play piano and sing popular songs. On Halloween and Washington's birthday, the Colored Department of the school had socials where Charles would play. It was here he established "RC Robinson and the Shop Boys" and sang his own arrangement of "Jingle Bell Boogie." He spent his first Christmas at the school, but later the staff pitched in so that Charles could return to Greenville, as he did each summer.

Henry and Alice Johnson, who owned a store not unlike Mr. Pit's store in Greenville, moved to the Frenchtown section of Tallahassee, just west of Greenville; and they, as well as Freddy and Margaret Bryant, took Charles in. He worked the register in the Bryants' store under the direction of Lucille Bryant, their daughter. It's said he loved Tallahassee and often used the drug store delivery boy's motorbike to run up and down hills using the exhaust sound of a friend's bike to guide him. Charles found Tallahassee musically exciting too and sat in with the Florida A&M; University student band. He played with the Adderley brothers, Nat and Cannonball, and began playing gigs with Lawyer Smith and his Band in 1943 at the Red Bird Club and DeLuxe Clubs in Frenchtown and roadhouse theatres around Tallahassee, as well as the Governor's Ball.

Career

Early career: 1945–1952

After his mother died in 1945, Charles was 15 years old and didn't return to school. He lived in Jacksonville with a couple who were friends of his mother. For over a year, he played the piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla, earning $4 a night. Then he moved to Orlando, and later Tampa, where he played with a southern band called The Florida Playboys. This is where he began his habit of always wearing sunglasses, made by designer Billy Stickles.

Charles had always played for other people, but he wanted his own band. He decided to leave Florida for a large city, but Chicago and New York City were too big. After asking a friend to look in a map and note the city in the United States that was farthest from Florida, he moved to Seattle in 1947 (where he first met and befriended a 14 year old Quincy Jones) and soon started recording, first for the Down Beat label as the Maxin Trio with guitarist G.D. McKee and bassist Milton Garrett, achieving his first hit with "Confession Blues" in 1949. The song soared to No. 2 on the R&B; charts. He joined Swing Time Records and under his own name ("Ray Charles" to avoid being confused with boxer Sugar Ray Robinson) recorded two more R&B; hits, "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" (No. 5) in 1951 and "Kissa Me Baby" (No. 8) in 1952. The following year, Swing Time folded and Ahmet Ertegün signed him to Atlantic Records.

Atlantic Records: 1953–1959

Almost immediately after signing with Atlantic, Charles scored his first hit single. "Mess Around" was an R&B; hit in 1953. "It Should Have Been Me" and "Don't You Know" both made the charts in 1954, but "I Got a Woman" (composed with band mate Renald Richard) brought him to national prominence.

The song reached the top of Billboard's R&B; singles chart in 1955 and from there until 1959 he would have a series of R&B; successes including "A Fool For You" (No. 1), "This Little Girl of Mine", "Lonely Avenue", "Mary Ann", "Drown in My Own Tears" (No. 1) and the No. 5 hit "The Night Time (Is the Right Time)", which were compiled on his Atlantic releases ''Hallelujah, I Love Her So'', ''Yes Indeed!'', and ''The Genius Sings the Blues''.

During this time of transition, he recruited a young girl group from Philadelphia, The Cookies, as his background singing group, recording with them in New York and changing their name to the Raelettes in the process.

Crossover success: 1959–1967

After his Atlantic Records contract had ended, Ray Charles signed with ABC-Paramount Records in November 1959, obtaining a much more liberal contract than other artists had at the time. Following his commercial and pop crossover breakthrough with the complex hit single "What'd I Say" earlier that year, ABC offered Charles a $ 50,000 annual advance, higher royalties than previously offered and eventual ownership of his masters — a very valuable and lucrative deal at the time. Composed by Charles himself, the single furthered Charles's mainstream appeal, while becoming a Top 10 pop hit and selling a million copies in the United States, despite the ban placed on the record by some radio stations, in response to the song's sexually-suggestive lyrics. However, by the time of the release of the instrumental jazz LP ''Genius + Soul = Jazz'' (1960) for ABC's subsidiary label Impulse!, Charles had virtually given up on writing original material and had begun to follow his eclectic impulses as an interpreter.

With his first hit single for ABC-Paramount, Charles received national acclaim and a Grammy Award for the Sid Feller-produced "Georgia on My Mind", originally written by composers Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael, released as a single by Charles in 1960. The song served as Charles's first work with Feller, who arranged and conducted the recording. Charles also earned another Grammy for the follow-up "Hit the Road Jack", written by R&B; singer Percy Mayfield. By late 1961, Charles had expanded his small road ensemble to a full-scale big band, partly as a response to increasing royalties and touring fees, becoming one of the few black artists to crossover into mainstream pop with such a level of creative control. This success, however, came to a momentary halt in November 1961, as a police search of Charles's hotel room in Indianapolis, Indiana during a concert tour led to the discovery of heroin in his medicine cabinet. The case was eventually dropped, as the search lacked a proper warrant by the police, and Charles soon returned his focus on music and recording.

The 1962 album, ''Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music'' and its sequel ''Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2'', helped to bring country into the mainstream of music. His version of the Don Gibson song, ''I Can't Stop Loving You'' topped the Pop chart for five weeks and stayed at No. 1 R&B; for ten weeks in 1962. It also gave him his only number one record in the UK. In 1962, he founded his own record label, Tangerine Records which ABC-Paramount promoted and distributed. He also had major pop hits in 1963 with "Busted" (US No. 4) and ''Take These Chains From My Heart'' (US No. 8), and a Top 20 hit four years later, in 1967, with "Here We Go Again" (US No. 15) (which would be a duet with Norah Jones in 2004).

Later years: 1965-2004

In 1965, Ray Charles was arrested for possession of heroin, a drug to which he had been addicted for nearly 20 years. It was his third arrest for the offense, but he avoided jail time after kicking the habit in a clinic in Los Angeles. He spent a year on parole in 1966, when his single "Crying Time" reached No. 6 on the charts.

During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Charles's releases were hit-or-miss, with some big hits and critically acclaimed work. His version of "Georgia On My Mind" was proclaimed the state song of Georgia on April 24, 1979, and he performed it on the floor of the state legislature. He also had success with his unique version of "America the Beautiful".

In November 1977 he appeared as the host of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. In the 1980s a number of other events increased Charles's recognition among young audiences. He made a cameo appearance in the popular 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. In 1985, "The Right Time" was featured in the episode "Happy Anniversary" of ''The Cosby Show'' on NBC. The next year, he sang America The Beautiful at Wrestlemania 2. In a Pepsi Cola commercial of the early 1990s – composed by Kenny Ascher, Joseph C. Caro, and Helary Jay Lipsitz – Charles popularized the catchphrase "You Got the Right One, Baby!" and he was featured in the recording of "We Are the World" for USA for Africa.

After having supported Martin Luther King, Jr. and for the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, Charles courted controversy when he toured South Africa in 1981, during an international boycott of the country because of its apartheid policy.

In 1989, Charles recorded a cover version of the Japanese band Southern All Stars' song "Itoshi no Ellie" as "Ellie My Love" for a Suntory TV advertisement, reaching No. 3 on Japan's Oricon chart. Eventually, it sold more than 400,000 copies, and became that year's best-selling single performed by a Western artist for the Japanese music market.

Charles also appeared at two Presidential inaugurations in his lifetime. In 1985, he performed for Ronald Reagan's second inauguration, and in 1993 for Bill Clinton's first.

In the late 1980s/early 1990s, Charles made appearances on the Super Dave Osbourne TV show, where he performed and appeared in a few vignettes where he was somehow driving a car, often as Super Dave's chauffeur. At the height of his newfound fame in the early nineties, Charles did guest vocals for several projects. He also appeared (with Chaka Khan) on long time friend Quincy Jones' hit "I'll Be Good to You" in 1990, from Jones's album ''Back on the Block''. Following Jim Henson's death in 1990, Ray Charles appeared in the one-hour CBS tribute, ''The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson''. He gave a short speech about Henson, stating that he "took a simple song and a piece of felt and turned it into a moment of great power". Charles was referring to the song "It's Not Easy Being Green", which he later performed with the rest of the Muppet cast in a tribute to Henson's legacy.

During the sixth season of ''Designing Women'', Charles sang "Georgia on My Mind", instead of the song being rendered instrumentally by other musicians as in the previous five seasons. He also appeared in 4 episodes of the popular TV comedy ''The Nanny'' in Seasons 4 & 5 (1997 & 1998) as 'Sammy', in one episode singing "My Yiddish Mamma" to December romance and later fiancee of character Gramma Yetta, played by veteran actress Ann Guilbert.

In 2003, Ray Charles headlined the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C. where the President, First Lady, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice attended. He also presented one of his greatest admirers, Van Morrison, with his award upon being inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the two sang Morrison's song "Crazy Love". This performance appears on Morrison's 2007 album, ''The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3''.

In 2003 Charles performed "Georgia On My Mind" and "America the Beautiful" at a televised annual electronic media journalist banquet held in Washington, D.C., at what may have been his final performance in public. His final public appearance came on April 30, 2004, at the dedication of his music studio as a historic landmark in the city of Los Angeles.

Personal life

Family

Charles was married twice and fathered 12 children with nine different women. His first marriage to Eileen Williams was brief: July 31, 1951 to 1952. He had three children from his second marriage, to Della Beatrice Howard Robinson from April 5, 1955 to 1977. His long term girlfriend and partner at the time of his death was Norma Pinella.

A list of his children:

Born ~ 1950: Evelyn Robinson (to Louise Mitchell)

Born ~ 1955: Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. (to Della Robinson)

Born ~ 1958: David Robinson (to Della Robinson)

Born ~ 1959: Charles Wayne Robinson (to Margie Hendricks)

Born ~ 1960: Reverend Robert Robinson (to Della Robinson)

Born ~ 1961: Raenee Robinson (to Mae Mosely Lyles)

Born ~ 1963: Sheila Raye Charles Robinson (to Sandra Jean Betts)

Born ~ 1966: Alicia Robinson (unknown)

Born ~ 1968: Alexandra Robinson (to Chantal Bertrand)

Born ~ 1977: Vincent Robinson (to Arlette Kotchounian)

Born ~ 1978: Robyn Robinson (to Gloria Moffett)

Born ~ 1987: Ryan Corey Robinson (to Mary Anne den Bok)

Charles gave 10 of his 12 children one million USD cheques each in December 2002 at a family luncheon, while the other two could not make it.

Substance abuse and legal issues

On November 14, 1961, Charles was arrested on a narcotics charge in an Indiana hotel room, where he waited to perform. The detectives seized heroin, marijuana, and other items. Charles, then 31, stated that he had been a drug addict since the age of 16. While the case was dismissed because of the manner in which the evidence was obtained, Charles's situation did not improve until a few years later. Individuals such as Quincy Jones and Reverend Henry Griffin felt that those around Charles were responsible for his drug use.

By 1964 Charles's drug addiction caught up with him and he was arrested for possession of marijuana and heroin. Following a self-imposed stay at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood, California, Charles received five years' probation. Charles responded to the saga of his drug use and reform with the songs "I Don't Need No Doctor", "Let's Go Get Stoned", and the release of his first album since having kicked his heroin addiction in 1966, ''Crying Time''.

Other interests

Charles played chess using a special board with holes for the pieces and raised squares. Charles referred to Willie Nelson as "my chess partner" in a 1991 concert. In 2002, he played and lost to American Grandmaster and former U.S. Champion Larry Evans.

Death

Charles died on June 10, 2004 at 11:35 a.m. of lung cancer at his home in Beverly Hills, California, surrounded by family and friends. He was 73 years old. His body was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery.

His final album, ''Genius Loves Company'', released two months after his death, consists of duets with various admirers and contemporaries: B.B. King, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, James Taylor, Gladys Knight, Michael McDonald, Natalie Cole, Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, and Johnny Mathis. The album won eight Grammy Awards, including five for Ray Charles for Best Pop Vocal Album, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones, and Best Gospel Performance for "Heaven Help Us All" with Gladys Knight; he also received nods for his duets with Elton John and B.B. King. The album included a version of Harold Arlen's "Over the Rainbow", sung as a duet by Charles and Johnny Mathis, which recording was later played at his memorial service.

Two more posthumous albums, ''Genius & Friends'' (2005) and ''Ray Sings, Basie Swings'' (2006), were released. ''Genius & Friends'' consisted of duets recorded from 1997 to 2005 with his choice of artists. ''Ray Sings, Basie Swings'' consists of archived vocals of Ray Charles from live mid-1970s performances added to new instrumental tracks specially recorded by the contemporary Count Basie Orchestra and other musicians. Charles's vocals recorded from the concert mixing board were added to new accompaniments to create a "fantasy concert" recording. Gregg Field, who had performed as a drummer with both Charles and Basie, produced the album.

Legacy

Charles possessed one of the most recognizable voices in American music. In the words of musicologist Henry Pleasants:

Sinatra, and Bing Crosby before him, had been masters of words. Ray Charles is a master of sounds. His records disclose an extraordinary assortment of slurs, glides, turns, shrieks, wails, breaks, shouts, screams and hollers, all wonderfully controlled, disciplined by inspired musicianship, and harnessed to ingenious subtleties of harmony, dynamics and rhythm... It is either the singing of a man whose vocabulary is inadequate to express what is in his heart and mind or of one whose feelings are too intense for satisfactory verbal or conventionally melodic articulation. He can’t tell it to you. He can’t even sing it to you. He has to cry out to you, or shout to you, in tones eloquent of despair — or exaltation. The voice alone, with little assistance from the text or the notated music, conveys the message.

Ray Charles is usually described as a baritone, and his speaking voice would suggest as much, as would the difficulty he experiences in reaching and sustaining the baritone's high E and F in a popular ballad. But the voice undergoes some sort of transfiguration under stress, and in music of gospel or blues character he can and does sing for measures on end in the high tenor range of A, B flat, B, C and ev in full voice, sometimes in an ecstatic head voice, sometimes in falsetto. In falsetto he continues up to E and F above high C. On one extraordinary record, "I’m Going Down to the River’ . . . he hits an incredible B flat . . . . giving him an overall range, including the falsetto extension, of at least three octaves.

In 1979, Charles was one of the first of the Georgia State Music Hall of Fame to be recognized as a musician born in the state. Ray's version of "Georgia On My Mind" was made the official state song for Georgia. In 1981, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was one of the first inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural ceremony in 1986. He received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986.

In 1987, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991, he was inducted to the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. In 1993, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. In 1998 he was awarded the Polar Music Prize together with Ravi Shankar in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2004 he was inducted to the Jazz Hall of Fame, and inducted to the National Black Sports & Entertainment Hall of Fame. The Grammy Awards of 2005 were dedicated to Charles.

On December 7, 2007, Ray Charles Plaza was opened in Albany, Georgia, with a revolving, lighted bronze sculpture of Charles seated at a piano. Later that month, on December 26, 2007, Ray Charles was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. He was also presented with the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, during the 1991 UCLA Spring Sing.

In 2003, Charles was awarded an honorary degree by Dillard University. Upon his death, he endowed a professorship of African-American culinary history at the school, which is the first such chair in the nation. A $20 million performing arts center at Morehouse College was named after Charles and was dedicated in September 2010.

The biopic ''Ray'', an October 2004 film portrays his life and career between 1930 and 1966 and stars Jamie Foxx as Charles. Foxx won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for the role. The movie is the all-time number one biopic per screen average, opening on 2006 screens and making 20 million dollars.

The RPM International building is located on the corner of Westmorland Blvd. and Washington Blvd., which is also dedicated as the "Ray Charles Square".

Discography

Filmography

''Swingin' Along'' (1961)

''Ballad in Blue'' (1964)

''The Big T.N.T. Show'' (1966) (documentary)

''The Blues Brothers'' (1980)

Who's The Boss (himself) 1987

''Limit Up'' (1989)

''Listen Up: The Lives of Quincy Jones'' (1990) (documentary)

''Love Affair'' (1994)

''Spy Hard'' (1996)

''The Nanny'' (1999) as Sammy

''Adv. Super Dave'' (2000)

''Blue's Big Musical Movie'' (2000)

References

Bibliography

External links

Ray Charles website

Article from the St. Augustine Record noting Charles' being on WFOY.

Ray Charles - Daily Telegraph obituary

Ray Charles at Songwriters Hall of Fame

Ray Charles at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Ray Charles autobiography: The Early Years 1930–1960

I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles and Country Music - Past Exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

Ray Charles's oral history video excerpts at the National Visionary Leadership Project

Category:1930 births Category:2004 deaths Category:ABC Records artists Category:African American musicians Category:African American singers Category:American blues pianists Category:American blues singers Category:American composers Category:American country singers Category:American gospel singers Category:American keyboardists Category:American male singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Blind musicians Category:Blind bluesmen Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery Category:Cancer deaths in California Category:Deaths from liver cancer Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Musicians from Florida Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:People from Albany, Georgia Category:People from Madison County, Florida Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees‎ Category:Rhythm and blues pianists Category:Songwriters from Florida Category:Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Urban blues musicians

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Name	Rufus
Background	group_or_band
Alias	SmokeAsk RufusRufus featuring Chaka KhanRufus & ChakaRufus & Chaka Khan
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genre	R&B;, soul, funk, smooth soul, quiet storm, disco
Years active	1969–1983
Label	Epic, ABC, MCA, Warner Bros.
Past members	Chaka KhanAndre FischerTony MaidenKevin MurphyRon StockertDavid "Hawk" WolinskiBobby WatsonDennis BelfieldPaulette McWilliamsNate MorganWilliam "Moon" CalhounAl CinerLee GrazianoJohn "J.R." RobinsonRomeo Johnson }}

Rufus was an American funk band, from Chicago, Illinois; best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."

Biography

Origins

In 1967, The American Breed had a top ten hit with the classic rock single, "Bend Me, Shape Me". After this success, members Kevin Murphy, Al Ciner and Lee Graziano were forced to create a new group after several members left the group. Recruiting Vern Pilder and Chuck Colbert from the bar band Circus, the group re-emerged in 1969 under the name Smoke. In 1970, female vocalist Paulette McWilliams and musician James Stella were added and the group's name changed again to Ask Rufus. Willie Weeks would replace Vern Pilder after the name change. In 1971, the band signed a contract with Epic Records recording an album that wasn't released. Weeks was replaced by Dennis Belfield. In early 1972, Epic dropped their contract. Former American Breed drummer Andre Fischer returned to his former band mates replacing Lee Graziano while McWilliams hired talented eighteen-year-old vocalist Chaka Khan (née Yvette Stevens) to replace her. James Stella was replaced by Ron Stockert. With that change, the group's name became Rufus, its music guided by Stockert, while Khan became the group's co-leading vocalist.

Early career

After landing several important performances in the Los Angeles area where the band had relocated, the group was noticed by an executive of ABC, who signed them to the label in 1972 (two years later, ABC acquired the American Breed catalog when it purchased the Famous Music Group). Khan had to have participation from her mother since, at nineteen, she was still a minor. The singer married Hassan Khan, who was a bassist of a former band Khan fronted, and the group went to a studio in L.A. to record their first album. ''Rufus'' was issued in 1973. While the songs "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)" and "Feel Good" (both songs led by Khan) brought the group some attention from R&B; radio stations, the album itself tanked and the Stockert-led "Slip & Slide" failed to catch attention from pop radio. The band soon shifted its sound that was favorable to Khan's growing involvement in the group. The group then quickly reentered the studio to record their follow-up album, ''Rags to Rufus''. During sessions, Al Ciner left the group as would Dennis Belfield. Guitarist Tony Maiden and bassist Bobby Watson quickly replaced them.

Success, stardom and tension

''Rags to Rufus'' was released in 1974 and two of its singles - the Stevie Wonder-produced "Tell Me Something Good" and the Khan co-composition, "You Got the Love" - became smash hits leading to ''Rags to Rufus'' going platinum and also landed them opening spots for the tours of several rock stars including Marvin Gaye and The Rolling Stones. "Tell Me Something Good" gave Rufus their first Grammy Award. After this release, Nate Morgan would replace Ron Stockert in the group. In late 1974, the new lineup of Rufus, which now featured the appropriated billing, Rufus featuring Chaka Khan due to Khan's soaring popularity following the release of ''Rags to Rufus'', released their third album, ''Rufusized'', which became another platinum success and a top-ten hit on the album charts thanks to the funk-laden hit "Once You Get Started" and the Brenda Russell-produced ballad "Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me of a Friend)".

From then on most of the group's tracks would prominently feature Khan and, sometimes Tony Maiden and Bobby Watson, backing her up in the background with Maiden playing a prominent role as the co-lead vocalist in the group's later years. However, much of the attention giving to Rufus focused mainly on Khan, who had now emerged in the mid-1970s as one of the most popular female vocalists in pop and R&B; and had also gained a reputation as a sex symbol due to her fashion sense onstage and wild hairdos, with this reputation, she was nicknamed "the wild child" by the mainstream press. Khan's multi-octave, wide-range vocals influenced by jazz and the vocal dramatics of Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin also helped the group blur the lines between pop, R&B;, soul, rock and funk and, including a multi-racial lineup, much like Sly & the Family Stone, successfully helped the group to make a crossover to pop audiences.

The band's new reputation as superstars was cemented in 1975 with their fourth album, ''Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan'', which included the hits "Fool's Paradise", "Dance With Me", their cover of The Bee Gees' "Jive Talkin'" and the Khan composition, "Sweet Thing", which became their fourth single to go gold. Also going platinum, the album also led to a crossroads in the group's career as Khan's presence slowly began to unravel the group. Tensions build up between Khan and Andre Fischer during the recording of the band's fifth album, aptly titled ''Ask Rufus'' (oddly one of the group's early names). The album went platinum on the strength of the funk hit "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" and the smoother ballad "Hollywood". The R&B; ballad, "Everlasting Love", with vocals all by Khan, has become a radio favorite to this day and remains one of Khan's most requested songs. After this release, Andre Fischer would leave the group and William "Moon" Calhoun became his official replacement. Nate Morgan left by that point and was replaced by Dave "Hawk" Wolinski. This lineup released ''Street Player'', which split leads between Khan and Tony Maiden and featured the top forty hit, "Stay". After this release, Khan would sign a solo contact with Warner Bros. Records where her debut album, ''Chaka'', went platinum on the strength of the feminist hit, "I'm Every Woman". Calhoun would be replaced by John "J.R." Robinson as the group's drummer in 1979.

Decline and final years

In 1979, ABC Records was absorbed by MCA Records and the group, with Khan still a member, released two albums that year - the Khan-less ''Numbers'' and the Khan-featured ''Masterjam'', which was produced by Quincy Jones, who was hired to produce the album after developing a close friendship with Khan after the two collaborated on the Ashford & Simpson composition, "Stuff Like That", from Jones' ''Sounds...and Stuff Like That!!'' in 1978. The collaboration between Jones and Rufus produced the disco-pop hit, "Do You Love What You Feel", which became a top 40 hit in early 1980. Later in 1980, Rufus released another album without Khan's help titled ''Party 'Til You're Broke'', which, like ''Numbers'' before it, also tanked. Meanwhile Khan scored again with her second album, ''Naughty'', which featured the dance hit "Clouds", and went gold. In 1981, Khan and Rufus once again reunited for their last MCA release, ''Camouflage''. After this obligation, Khan was free to leave Rufus for good as she had still been contractually obligated by her contract to work on the group's two albums after ''Street Player'' came out on ABC. Khan's third album, ''What Cha' Gonna Do for Me'', led to success for the singer becoming her second gold album. In early 1983, Rufus released their final studio release, ''Seal in Red'', which like the previous Khan-less Rufus albums had also flopped. Seeing the end of their careers together, Rufus called on Khan to reunite for what was a final farewell tour. With Khan, the group recorded a live album for what was supposed to be a concert documentary, which Warner Bros. chose to shelve for unknown reasons. The album eventually was released as ''Stompin' at the Savoy - Live''. Rufus and Khan worked on four studio singles for the album. One of which caught the eye of the producer of the hip-hop film, ''Breakin''', it was a track written by member Dave Wolinski titled "Ain't Nobody". After it was featured as a track on the movie's soundtrack, Warner Bros. released the single (under the name Rufus and Chaka Khan) and it became a smash hit reaching the top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100, hitting number-one on the R&B; chart and also hitting international charts, reaching number-eight on the UK singles chart. Though Khan was the only vocalist on the track (Wolinski, Murphy and Maiden also contributed to the track), it garnered the group their second Grammy Award in 1984. Khan won her first solo Grammy later that night winning in the Best R&B; Female Vocal Performance for "Bebop Medley". After this success, the group split up for good with Khan going on to international success as a solo artist following the release of the ''I Feel for You'' album later in 1984.

Reunion

In the summer of 2001 Rufus reunited briefly for a tour with a line-up of Khan, Murphy, Maiden, Watson, Wolinski and Robinson. Khan talked about the reunion and her life and times in her 2003 autobiography ''Chaka! Through the Fire,'' which she composed with the help of writer Tonya Bolden. Tony Maiden and Khan reunited on the medley "Pack'd My Bags" / "You Got The Love" on Khan's double Grammy Award winning 2007 album, ''Funk This''. During an interview with ''Billboard'', Khan said there are no plans to reunite the classic lineup of Rufus saying only Maiden is as far as she'll go for a "Rufus reunion". Rufus reformed for a short tour in 2008 with John "JR" Robinson on drums and Bobby Watson on bass guitar. Despite their 1970s success, Rufus, which has been eligible since 1998 for an induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have not been nominated for induction.

Line-Ups

Smoke

Kevin Murphy

Al Ciner

Vern Pilder

Lee Graziano

Chuck Colbert

Ask Rufus

Kevin Murphy

Al Ciner

Willie Weeks

Lee Graziano

James Stella

Paulette McWilliams

Rufus

(also known as Rufus featuring Chaka Khan; Rufus and Chaka and Rufus and Chaka Khan)

1972-1974

Kevin Murphy

Al Ciner

Andre Fischer

Ron Stockert

Chaka Khan

Dennis Belfield

1974-1977

Chaka Khan

Tony Maiden

Kevin Murphy

Andre Fischer

Bobby Watson

Nate Morgan

1977-1979

Chaka Khan¹

Tony Maiden

Kevin Murphy

William "Moon" Calhoun

Bobby Watson

Dave "Hawk" Wolinski

1979-1983

Chaka Khan¹

Tony Maiden

Kevin Murphy

John "J.R." Robinson

Bobby Watson

Dave "Hawk" Wolinski

¹ - Khan would depart from Rufus to record her solo smash, ''Chaka'', in 1978, but would remain contracted to the group through 1982. Khan then reunited in 1983 for the group's final album, the live release, ''Stompin' at the Savoy - Live''.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album	Chart positions			UScertifications	Record label
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
	align="left"	175	44	—	—	rowspan="7"
		4	4	—	Gold
	7	2	48	Gold
	align="left"	7	1	—	Gold
		12	1	—	Platinum
		14	1	—	Gold
	align="left"	81	15	—	—
	14	1	—	Gold	rowspan="3"
		73	24	—	—
	align="left"	98	15	—	—
		—	49	—	—	rowspan="1"

Live albums

Year	Album	Chart positions			UScertifications	Record label
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
		50	4	64	—	rowspan="1"

Compilation albums

Year	Album	Chart positions			UScertifications	Record label
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
		—	—	—	—	rowspan="1"

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions				Album
		! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"	! width="40"
		—	—	—	—
		110	—	—	—	align="left" rowspan="3"
	—	40	—	—
	—	45	—	—
		3	3	—	—
align="left"	11	1	—	—
		10	4	6	—
	48	6	—	—
align="left"	5	1	—	—	align="left" rowspan="3"
		39	5	—	—
	—	35	—	—
		30	1	37	—
	32	3	—	—
	—	17	—	—
		38	3	—	—
	105	34	—	—
		109	16	—	—	align="left" rowspan="1"
align="left"	30	1		—
		102	24	—
	—	43	—	—
		—	18	64	—
	—	56	—	—
	91	8	—	—	align="left" rowspan="2"
		—	66	56	—
		—	47	—	—
	22	1	6	8
		102	37	67	86

Grammy Awards

1974: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Tell Me Something Good" - Win

1978: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: ''Ask Rufus'' - Nomination

1983: Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: "Ain't Nobody" - Win

Covers

Rufus covered songs, including Quincy Jones' "Body Heat". "Ain't Nobody" would be covered by many artists, including Kelly Price, Faith Evans, and George Michael.

References

External links

Rufus Official website

[ Rufus] at Allmusic

Category:American funk musical groups Category:American soul musical groups Category:Musical groups from Chicago, Illinois Category:Musical groups established in 1969 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1983 Category:Grammy Award winners

da:Rufus de:Rufus (Band) es:Rufus (banda) gl:Rufus

name	Chaka Khan
background	solo_singer
birth name	Yvette Marie Stevens
alias	Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi Khan, Queen of Funk
born	March 23, 1953Chicago, Illinois, United States
instrument	Vocals
occupation	Musician, songwriter
genre	R&B;, jazz, funk, soul, disco, adult contemporary
years active	1964–present
label	ABC (1972–1978) Warner Bros. (1978–1998)MCA (1979–1982)NPG (1998–2001) Burgundy (2005–present)
associated acts	Rufus, Prince
website	}}

Chaka Khan (born Yvette Marie Stevens; March 23, 1953) is an American singer and composer who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career. Her signature hits, both with Rufus and as a solo performer, include "Tell Me Something Good", "Sweet Thing", "Ain't Nobody", "I'm Every Woman", "I Feel for You" and "Through the Fire".

Biography

Early life: 1953-1972

Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens in 1953 in Chicago, Illinois. Raised in Chicago's rough Southside projects, Khan was the eldest of five children to Charles Stevens and Sandra Coleman. Her sister Yvonne Stevens later became a successful musician in her own right under the name Taka Boom. Her only brother Mark Stevens, who formed the funk group Aurra, also became a successful musician. She has two other sisters, Kathleen Burrell and Tammy McCrary, who is her current manager. Unlike many of her musical contemporaries, Khan was raised as Roman Catholic. Khan attributed her love of music to her grandmother, who introduced her to jazz music as a child. Khan became a fan of R&B; music as a preteen and at eleven formed her first all-female singing group the Crystalettes, which also included her sister Taka. In the late 1960s, Khan and her sister formed the vocal group Shades of Black and joined the Black Panther Party after befriending fellow member, activist and Chicago native Fred Hampton in 1967. While a member, she was given a name change to Chaka Adunne Aduffe Hodarhi Karifi by an African shaman. In 1969, she left the Panthers, dropped out of high school, having attended Calumet High School, and married Indian bassist Hassan Khan in 1970; Khan later said she married Hassan to sign a recording contract. After this marriage ended, Khan kept her ex-husband's surname as a stage name. Khan briefly sung lead for her ex's band Lyfe, before she replaced the late Baby Huey as a member of the rock-soul group, the Babysitters, before the group disbanded in 1971. Khan then was contacted by friend Paulette McWilliams to replace her in the rock/soul ensemble Ask Rufus, a group formed by The American Breed members Kevin Murphy and Al Ciner. Alongside Andre Fischer, whom she met while performing in Chicago, and Ron Stockert, they would join the group in 1972 and the band shortened its name to simply Rufus. The band relocated to Los Angeles and soon got a deal with ABC. Khan was nineteen at the time of the band's signing to the label.

Early career and success: 1973-1978

In 1973, Rufus released their self-titled debut album. Despite their fiery rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Maybe Your Baby" from Wonder's acclaimed ''Talking Book'' and the modest success of the Khan-led ballad "Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me)", the album failed to garner attention. That changed when Wonder himself collaborated with the group on a song he had written for Khan. That song, "Tell Me Something Good", became the group's breakthrough hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 later winning the group their first Grammy Award. The single's success and the subsequent follow-up, "You Got the Love", which peaked at number-eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 helped their second parent album, ''Rags to Rufus'', go platinum selling over a million copies. Between 1974 and 1979, Rufus would release six platinum-selling albums including ''Rufusized'', ''Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan'', ''Ask Rufus'', ''Street Player'' and ''Masterjam''. Hits the group would score during this time included "Once You Get Started", "Sweet Thing", "Hollywood", "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)" and "Do You Love What You Feel".

The band gained a reputation as a live performing act with Khan becoming the star attraction, thanks to her powerful vocals and stage attire, which sometimes included Native American garb and showing her midriff. Most of the band's material was written and produced by the band itself with few exceptions. Khan has also been noted for being an instrumentalist playing drums and bass, she also provided percussion during her tenure with Rufus. Most of Khan's compositions were often collaborations with guitarist Tony Maiden. Relations between Khan and the group, particularly between Khan and group member Andre Fischer, became stormy. Several group members left with nearly every release. While Khan remained a member of the group, she signed a solo contract with Warner Bros in 1978. While Khan was busy at work on solo material, Rufus released three albums without Khan's participation including 1979's ''Numbers'', 1980's ''Party 'Til You're Broke'' and 1983's ''Seal in Red''.

Early solo career and final years with Rufus: 1978-1983

In 1978, Warner Bros. Records released Khan's solo debut album, which featured the crossover disco hit, "I'm Every Woman", written for her by songwriters Ashford & Simpson. The success of the single helped the album go platinum, selling over a million copies. Khan also was a featured performer on Quincy Jones' hit, "Stuff Like That", also released in 1978.

In 1979, Khan reunited with Rufus to collaborate on the Jones-produced ''Masterjam'', which featured their hit, "Do You Love What You Feel", which Khan sung with Tony Maiden. Despite her sometimes-acrimonious relationship with some of the group's band mates, Khan and Maiden have maintained a friendship over the years. In 1979 she also duetted with Ry Cooder on his album ''Bop Till You Drop''. In 1980, while Rufus released their second non-Khan release, ''Party 'Til You're Broke'', Khan released her second solo album, ''Naughty'', which featured Khan on the cover with her six-year-old daughter Milini. The album yielded the minor disco hit "Clouds" and went gold. Khan released two albums in 1981, the Rufus release, ''Camouflage'' and the solo album, ''What Cha' Gonna Do for Me''. The same year, Khan appeared on three tracks on Rick Wakeman's concept album ''1984''. In 1982, Khan issued two more solo albums, the jazz-oriented ''Echoes of an Era'' and a more funk/pop-oriented self-titled album. The latter album's track, the jazz-inflected "Bebop Medley", won Khan a Grammy and earned praise from Betty Carter who loved Khan's vocal scatting in the song.

In 1983, following the release of Rufus' final studio album, ''Seal in Red'', which did not feature Khan, the singer returned with Rufus on a live album, ''Stompin' at the Savoy - Live'', which featured the studio single, "Ain't Nobody", which became the group's final charting success reaching number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B; chart, while also reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom. Following this release, Rufus separated for good.

Solo success: 1984-1996

In 1984, Khan released her sixth studio album, ''I Feel for You'', which featured the title track. The title track, originally written and recorded by Prince for his eponymous follow-up to his debut album in 1979, had been previously recorded by The Pointer Sisters and Mary Wells. Khan's version, which featured Stevie Wonder and rapper Melle Mel, reached number-three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one in the United Kingdom. Other singles from the album included "This is my Night" and "Through the Fire" and all three singles helped the album to go platinum. Khan followed that success with albums such as 1986's ''Destiny'' and 1988's ''CK''. Khan was the featured performer on Steve Winwood's number-one hit, "Higher Love", in 1986. Khan found more success in the UK in the late 1980s as a remix album, ''Life is a Dance - The Remix Project'', reached the top ten on the UK albums chart. Khan reacted to the success by performing in the United Kingdom, where she maintained a strong fan base.

In 1990, she was a featured performer on another major hit when she collaborated with Ray Charles and Quincy Jones on a new jack swing cover of The Brothers Johnson's "I'll Be Good to You", which was featured on Jones' ''Back on the Block''. The song reached number-eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 and number-one on the Hot R&B; chart, later winning Charles and Khan a Grammy for Best R&B; Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group. Khan returned with her first studio album in four years in 1992 with the release of ''The Woman I Am'', which went gold thanks to the R&B; success of the songs "Love You All My Lifetime" and "You Can Make the Story Right". Khan also contributed to soundtracks and worked on a follow-up to ''The Woman I Am'' which she titled ''Dare You to Love Me'', which was eventually shelved. In 1995, she and rapper Guru had a hit with the duet "Watch What You Say", in the UK. That same year, she provided a contemporary R&B; cover of the classic standard, "My Funny Valentine", for the ''Waiting to Exhale'' soundtrack. In 1996, following the release of her greatest-hits album, ''Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1'', Khan abruptly left Warner Bros. after stating the label had neglected her and failed to release ''Dare You to Love Me''.

Later career and current work: 1998-present

In 1998, Khan signed a contract with Prince's NPG Records label and issued ''Come 2 My House'', followed by the single "Don't Talk 2 Strangers", a cover of a 1996 Prince song. Khan later went on a tour with Prince as a co-headlining act. In 2000, Khan departed from NPG and in 2004 released her first jazz covers album in twenty-two years with 2004's ''ClassiKhan''. Three years later, after signing with Burgundy Records, Khan released what many critics called a "comeback album" with ''Funk This'', produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The album featured the hit, "Angel", and the Mary J. Blige duet, "Disrespectful". The latter track went to number one on the U.S. dance singles chart, winning the singers a Grammy Award, while ''Funk This'' also won a Grammy for Best R&B; Album. The album was notable for Khan's covers of Dee Dee Warwick's "Foolish Fool" and Prince's "Sign o' the Times". In 2008, Khan participated in the Broadway adaptation of ''The Color Purple'' playing Ms. Sofia to Fantasia Barrino's Celie.

In 2009, Khan hit the road with singers Anastacia and Lulu for Here Come the Girls. In 2010, Khan contributed to vocals for Beverley Knight's "Soul Survivor", collaborated with Clay Aiken on a song for the kids show ''Phineas and Ferb'', and performed two songs with Japanese singer Ai on Ai's latest album "The Last Ai". Khan continues to perform to packed audiences both in her native United States and overseas.

On May 19, 2011, Khan was given the 2,440th Hollywood Walk of Fame star plaque on a section of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Her family was on hand to see the singer accept the honor, as was Stevie Wonder, who wrote her breakout hit "Tell Me Something Good".

Personal life

Khan has been married three times and has two children. Khan married her first husband, Hassan Khan, in 1970. They divorced in 1971. The birth of Khan's daughter Milini was the result of a relationship between Khan and a man named Rahsaan Morris. In 1976, Khan married Richard Holland. Their marriage produced a son, Damien, who was born three years later. In 1980, the couple divorced. In 2001, Khan married a third time to Doug Rasheed,although having an on and off relationship with Donny Maxwell the owner of the now defunct production company the Review Productions, which ended in divorce three years later. Khan is also the grandmother of two. In 2006 Khan's son Damien Holland was accused of murder after 17-year-old Christopher Bailey was shot to death. Khan testified on her son's behalf defending her son's innocence. Holland claimed the shooting was an accident and was found not guilty.

Khan has struggled with drug abuse, alcoholism and weight over the years. She had addictions to heroin and cocaine, which she kicked in the early nineties. After an on-again and off-again bouts with alcoholism, in 2005, Khan declared herself sober. Though she sang at both the 2000 Democrat and Republican conventions, Khan says that she is more of a "Democratic-minded person". In 1990, Khan emigrated to the United Kingdom where she had a steady relationship. She splits her time between Los Angeles, Germany and London but has been living mainly in London since 2006.

In a 2008 interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, feels very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including music downloading. "I'm glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Music) has vaults of my recordings that haven't seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes Robert Palmer's original recording of "Addicted to Love" – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now."

Awards

Grammy Awards

To date, Chaka Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including two as a member of Rufus. She has received 22 Grammy Award nominations, including three as a member of Rufus.

Year	! Award category	! Nominated artist(s)	! Nominated work	! Track from	! Result
rowspan="2"	2008		Chaka Khan
	Chaka Khan, Mary J. Blige	"Disrespectful"	''Funk This''
	2007		Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert, Yolanda Adams, Carl Thomas	"Everyday (Family Reunion)"
	2003	Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance	Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance	Chaka Khan, The Funk Brothers
	1998	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Chaka Khan
		Brandy, Tamia, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan
	Chaka Khan, Meshell Ndegeocello	"Never Miss The Water"
	Luke Cresswell, Fiona Wilkes, Carl Smith, Fraser Morrison, Everett Bradley, Mr. X, Melle Mel, Coolio, Yo-Yo, Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, Shaquille O'Neal, Luniz		''Q's Jook Joint'' (Quincy Jones)
	1996	Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media	Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion Picture Or Television	Bruce Hornsby, Chaka Khan	"Love Me Still"
	1993	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan
	1991	Grammy Award for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals	Best R&B; Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal	Ray Charles, Chaka Khan
	1987	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1986	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1985	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan
		Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	Arif Mardin, Chaka Khan	"Be Bop Medley"
	Rufus	"Ain't Nobody"
	1983	Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female	Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1982	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	colspan="2"
	1979	Grammy Award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance	Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female	Chaka Khan	"I'm Every Woman"
	1978	Grammy Award for Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals	Best R&B; Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus	Rufus
	1975		Rufus	"Tell Me Something Good"

BET Awards

2006 BET Lifetime Achievement Award (Recipient)

2008 BET Awards: BET Awards (nominated)nominated

Soul Train Awards

1998 Lena Horne Award (Career Achievement) (Recipient)

2009 Legends Award (Career Achievement) (Recipient)

United Negro College Fund Award

2011 UNCF: Award of Excellence (Recipient)

American Music Award nominations

To date, she has had four American Music Award nominations. Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner) Favorite Female Video Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Tina Turner) Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Stephanie Mills) Favorite Female Artist - Soul/Rhythm & Blues (Nominee only. Award recipient was Diana Ross) References:

Discography

References

External links

Chaka Khan official website

Chaka Khan Foundation

Chaka Khan at Wenig-Lamonica Associates

Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American singers Category:American contraltos Category:American dance musicians Category:American emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:American expatriates in Germany Category:Black Panther Party members Category:British people of Native American descent Category:English people of African-American descent Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American funk singers Category:American jazz singers Category:Women in jazz Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Lake County, Illinois Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:Illinois Democrats Category:Rufus (band) members

da:Chaka Khan de:Chaka Khan et:Chaka Khan es:Chaka Khan fr:Chaka Khan gl:Chaka Khan id:Chaka Khan it:Chaka Khan lv:Čaka Hāna nl:Chaka Khan ja:チャカ・カーン no:Chaka Khan pl:Chaka Khan pt:Chaka Khan ru:Хан, Чака fi:Chaka Khan sv:Chaka Khan th:ชากา คาน tr:Chaka Khan uk:Чака Хан yo:Chaka Khan

name	Joni Mitchell
genre	Folk-rock, folk-jazz/jazz, pop
background	solo_singer
birth name	Roberta Joan Anderson
born	November 07, 1943Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada
origin	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar, ukulele, dulcimer
occupation	Singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, musician, painter, guitarist, pianist
label	Reprise (1968–1972; 1994–2001)Asylum (1972–1981)Geffen (1982–1993)Nonesuch (2002)Hear Music (2007)
associated acts	Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Graham Nash, Joan Baez, Charles Mingus, Mary Travers, David Crosby, James Taylor, Herbie Hancock, Mama Cass
website	}}

Joni Mitchell, CC, (born Roberta Joan Anderson; November 7, 1943) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Western Canada and then busking on the streets of Toronto. In the mid-1960s she left for New York City and its rich folk music scene, recording her debut album in 1968 and achieving fame first as a songwriter ("Urge for Going", "Chelsea Morning", "Both Sides, Now", "Woodstock") and then as a singer in her own right. Finally settling in Southern California, Mitchell played a key part in the folk rock movement then sweeping the musical landscape. ''Blue'', her starkly personal 1971 album, was voted #30 in Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list of 2003. Mitchell also had pop hits such as "Big Yellow Taxi", "Free Man in Paris", and "Help Me", the last two from 1974's best-selling ''Court and Spark''.

Mitchell's distinctive harmonic guitar style and piano arrangements all grew more complex through the 1970s as she was deeply influenced by jazz, melding it with pop, folk and rock on experimental albums like 1976's ''Hejira''. She worked closely with jazz musicians including Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, and on a 1979 record released after his death, Charles Mingus. From the 1980s on, Mitchell reduced her recording and touring schedule but turned again toward pop, making greater use of synthesizers and direct political protest in her lyrics, which often tackled social and environmental themes alongside romantic and emotional ones.

Mitchell's work is highly respected both by critics and by fellow musicians. ''Rolling Stone'' magazine called her "one of the greatest songwriters ever," while Allmusic said, "When the dust settles, Joni Mitchell may stand as the most important and influential female recording artist of the late 20th century." Mitchell is also a visual artist. She created the artwork for each of her albums, and in 2000 described herself as a "painter derailed by circumstance." A blunt critic of the music industry, Mitchell stopped recording over the last several years, focusing more attention on painting, but in 2007 she released ''Shine'', her first album of new songs in nine years.

Early life

Joni Mitchell was born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7, 1943, in Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, to Bill Anderson and Myrtle Anderson (née McKee). Her mother was a teacher, and her father an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force. During the war years, she moved with her parents to a number of bases in western Canada. After the war, her father began working as a grocer, and his work took the family to Saskatchewan to the towns of Maidstone and North Battleford. When she was eleven years old, the family settled in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which Mitchell considers her hometown.

Her mother's ancestors were Scottish and Irish; her father's were Norwegian and Sami. Her paternal grandmother was born on the farm Farestveit in Modalen, Hordaland, Norway. Her paternal grandfather was from Sømna, Sør-Helgeland, Nordland, Norway.

At the age of eight, Mitchell contracted polio during a Canadian epidemic, but she recovered after a stay in hospital. This was the same polio epidemic (1951) in which singer Neil Young, then aged five, also contracted the virus. It was during this time that she first became interested in singing. She describes her first experience singing while in hospital during the winter in the following way:

"They said I might not walk again, and that I would not be able to go home for Christmas. I wouldn't go for it. So I started to sing Christmas carols and I used to sing them real loud ... The boy in the bed next to me, you know, used to complain. And I discovered I was a ham."

She began smoking at the age of nine as well, a habit which is arguably one of the factors contributing to the change in her voice in recent years (Mitchell herself disputes this in several interviews).

As a teenager, Joni taught herself ukulele and, later, guitar. She began performing at parties and bonfires, which eventually led to gigs playing in coffeehouses and other venues in Saskatoon. After finishing high school at Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon, she attended the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary for a year, during which she made the acquaintance of another budding singer-songwriter, Harry Chapin, but Mitchell then left, telling her mother: "I'm going to Toronto to be a folksinger."

After leaving art college in June 1964, Mitchell left her home in Saskatoon to relocate to Toronto. She found out that she was pregnant by her college ex-boyfriend, and in February 1965 she gave birth to a baby girl. A few weeks after the birth, Joni Anderson married folk-singer Chuck Mitchell, and took his surname. A few weeks later she gave her daughter, Kelly Dale Anderson, up for adoption. The experience remained private for most of her career, but she made allusions to it in several songs, most notably a very specific telling of the story in the 1971 song "Little Green". Mitchell's 1982 song "Chinese Cafe", from the album ''Wild Things Run Fast'', includes the lyrics "Your kids are coming up straight / My child's a stranger / I bore her / But I could not raise her."

Mitchell's daughter, renamed Kilauren Gibb, began a search for her as an adult. In 1997 Gibb mentioned her search to the girlfriend of a man with whom she had grown up. By coincidence, this woman knew a third person who had once told her that he knew Joni Mitchell years earlier "when she was pregnant." Mitchell and her daughter were reunited shortly thereafter.

Career

1965–1969: Folk rock breakthrough

In the summer of 1965, Chuck Mitchell took Joni with him to the United States. While living in Detroit, Chuck & Joni were regular performers at area coffee houses as well as The Alcove bar near Wayne State University and the "Rathskelter" a restaurant on the campus of the University of Detroit. Oscar Brand featured her several times on his CBC television program ''Let's Sing Out'' in 1965 and 1966, broadening her exposure. Mitchell attended school at West Virginia University for a short period, which led to her song "Morning Morgantown." The marriage and partnership of Joni and Chuck Mitchell dissolved in early 1967, and Joni moved to New York City to pursue her musical dreams as a solo artist. She played venues up and down the East Coast, including Philadelphia, Boston, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She performed frequently in coffeehouses and folk clubs and, by this time creating her own material, became well known for her unique songwriting and her innovative guitar style.

Folk singer Tom Rush had met Mitchell in Toronto and was impressed with her songwriting ability. He took "Urge For Going" to popular folk act Judy Collins but she was not interested in the song at the time, so Rush recorded it himself. Country singer George Hamilton IV heard Rush performing it and recorded a hit country version. Other artists who recorded Mitchell songs in the early years were Buffy Sainte-Marie ("The Circle Game"), Dave Van Ronk ("Both Sides Now"), and eventually Judy Collins ("Both Sides Now", a top ten hit, and Michael From Mountains, both included on her 1967 album ''Wildflowers''). Collins also covered "Chelsea Morning", a recording which again eclipsed Mitchell's own commercial success early on.

While she was playing one night in "The Gaslight South", a club in Coconut Grove, Florida, David Crosby walked in and was immediately struck by her ability and her appeal as an artist. He took her back to Los Angeles, where he set about introducing her and her music to his friends. Crosby convinced a record company to agree to let Mitchell record a solo acoustic album without all the folk-rock overdubs that were in vogue at the time, and his clout earned him a producer's credit in March 1968, when Reprise Records released her debut album, alternately known as ''Joni Mitchell'' or ''Song to a Seagull''.

Mitchell continued touring steadily to promote the LP. The tour helped create eager anticipation for Mitchell's second LP, ''Clouds'', which was released in April 1969. It finally contained Mitchell's own versions of some of her songs already recorded and performed by other artists: "Chelsea Morning", "Both Sides, Now", and "Tin Angel." The covers of both LPs, including a self-portrait on ''Clouds'', were designed and painted by Mitchell, a marriage of her art and music which she would continue throughout her career.

1970–1974: Mainstream success

In March 1970 ''Clouds'' won Joni Mitchell her first Grammy Award for Best Folk Performance. The following month, Reprise released her third album, ''Ladies of the Canyon''. Mitchell's sound, still under the guidance of producer Crosby, was already beginning to expand beyond the confines of acoustic folk music and toward pop and rock, with more overdubs, percussion, and backing vocals, and for the first time, many songs composed on piano, which would become a hallmark of Mitchell's style in her most popular era. Her own version of "Woodstock", slower and darker than the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover, was performed on a Wurlitzer electric piano. The album also included the already-familiar song "The Circle Game" and the environmental anthem "Big Yellow Taxi", with its now-famous line, "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

''Ladies of the Canyon'' was an instant smash on FM radio and sold briskly through the summer and fall, eventually becoming Mitchell's first gold album (selling over a half million copies). Mitchell made a decision to stop touring for a year and just write and paint, yet she was still voted "Top Female Performer" for 1970 by ''Melody Maker'', the UK's leading pop music magazine. On the April 1971 release of James Taylor's ''Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon'' album, Joni Mitchell is credited with backup vocals – along with Carole King – on the track "You've Got A Friend". The songs she wrote during the months she took off for travel and life experience would appear on her next album, ''Blue'', released in June 1971. Of ''Blue'' and in comparing Joni Mitchell's talent to his own, David Crosby said, "By the time she did ''Blue'' she was past me and rushing toward the horizon" (A 65th Birthday Tribute to Joni Mitchell, 2008).

''Blue'' was an almost instant critical and commercial success, peaking in the top 20 in the Billboard Album Charts in September and also hitting the British Top 3. Lushly produced "Carey" was the single at the time, but musically, other parts of ''Blue'' departed further from the sounds of ''Ladies of the Canyon'' in favor of simpler, rhythmic acoustic parts allowing a focus on Mitchell's voice and emotions ("All I Want", "A Case of You"), while others such as "Blue", "River" and "The Last Time I Saw Richard" were sung to her rolling piano accompaniment. In its lyrics, the album was regarded as an inspired culmination of her early work, with depressed assessments of the world around her serving as counterpoint to exuberant expressions of romantic love (for example, in "California"). Mitchell later remarked, "At that period of my life, I had no personal defenses. I felt like a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigarettes. I felt like I had absolutely no secrets from the world and I couldn't pretend in my life to be strong."

Mitchell made the decision to return to the live stage after the great success of ''Blue'', and she presented many new songs on tour which would appear on her next album. Her fifth album, ''For the Roses'', was released in October 1972 and immediately zoomed up the charts. She followed with the single, "You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio", which peaked at #25 in the Billboard Charts in February 1973, becoming her first bonafide hit single. The album was critically acclaimed and earned her success on her own terms, though it was somewhat overshadowed by the success of ''Blue'' and by Mitchell's next album.

''Court and Spark'', released in January 1974, would see Mitchell begin the flirtation with jazz and jazz fusion that marked her experimental period ahead, but it was also her most commercially successful recording, and among her most critically acclaimed. ''Court and Spark'' went to #1 on the Cashbox Album Charts. The LP made Joni Mitchell a widely popular act for perhaps the only time in her career, on the strength of popular tracks such as the rocker "Raised on Robbery", which was released right before Christmas 1973, and "Help Me", which was released in March of the following year, and became Joni's only Top 10 single when it peaked at #7 in the first week of June. "Free Man in Paris" was another hit single and staple in her catalog.

While recording ''Court and Spark'', Mitchell had tried to make a clean break with her earlier folk sound, producing the album herself and employing jazz/pop fusion band the L.A. Express as what she called her first real backing group. In February 1974, her tour with the L.A. Express began, and they received rave notices as they traveled across the United States and Canada during the next two months. A series of shows at L.A.'s Universal Amphitheater from August 14–17 were recorded for a live album release. In November, Mitchell released a live album called ''Miles of Aisles'', a two-record set including all but two songs from the L.A. concerts (one selection each from the Berkeley Community Center, on March 2, and the LA Music Center, on March 4, were also included in the set). The live album slowly moved up to #2, matching ''Court and Sparks'''s chart peak on Billboard. "Big Yellow Taxi", the live version, was also released as a single and did reasonably well (Mitchell would ultimately release yet another recording of "Big Yellow Taxi" in 2007).

In January 1975, ''Court and Spark'' received four nominations for Grammy Awards, including Grammy Award for Album of the Year, for which Mitchell was the only woman nominated. She won only the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

1975–1980: Jazz explorations

Mitchell went into the studio in the spring of 1975 to record acoustic demos of some songs she'd written since the ''Court and Spark'' tour ended. A few months later she recorded versions of the tunes with her band, which now included saxophonist Wayne Shorter. Mitchell's musical interests now were diverging from both the folk and the pop scene of the era, toward less structured, more jazz-inspired pieces, with a wider range of instruments. On "The Jungle Line", she also made an early effort at sampling a recording of African musicians, something that would become more commonplace among Western rock acts in the 1980s. Meanwhile, "In France They Kiss on Main Street" continued the lush pop sounds of ''Court and Spark'', and efforts such as the title song and "Edith and the Kingpin" chronicled the underbelly of suburban lives in Southern California.

The new song cycle was released in November 1975 as ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns''. The album was initially a big seller, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Album Charts, but it received mixed reviews at the time of its release. A common legend holds that ''Rolling Stone'' magazine declared it the "Worst Album of the Year"; in truth, it was called only the year's worst album ''title''. However, Mitchell and ''Rolling Stone'' have had a contentious relationship, beginning years earlier when the magazine featured a "tree" illustrating all of Mitchell's alleged romantic partners, primarily other musicians, which the singer said "hurt my feelings terribly at the time." During 1975, Mitchell also participated in several concerts in the Rolling Thunder Revue tours featuring Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and in 1976 she performed as part of ''The Last Waltz'' by The Band. In January 1976, Mitchell received one nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the album ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns'', though the Grammy went to Linda Ronstadt.

In early 1976, Mitchell traveled with friends who were driving cross country to Maine. Afterwards, Mitchell drove back to California alone and composed several songs during her journey which would feature on her next album, 1976's ''Hejira''. She states, "This album was written mostly while I was traveling in the car. That's why there were no piano songs..." ''Hejira'' was arguably Mitchell's most experimental album so far, due to her ongoing collaborations with legendary jazz virtuoso bass guitarist Jaco Pastorius on several songs including the first single, "Coyote", the atmospheric "Hejira", the disorienting, guitar-heavy "Black Crow," and the album's last song "Refuge of the Roads." The album climbed to No. 13 on the Billboard Charts, reaching gold status three weeks after release, and received airplay from album oriented FM rock stations. Yet "Coyote", backed with "Blue Motel Room", failed to chart on the Hot 100. While the album was greeted by many fans and critics as a "return to form", by the time she recorded it her days as a huge pop star were over. However, if ''Hejira'' "did not sell as briskly as Mitchell's earlier, more "radio friendly" albums, its stature in her catalogue has grown over the years." Mitchell herself believes the album to be unique. In 2006 she said, "I suppose a lot of people could have written a lot of my other songs, but I feel the songs on ''Hejira'' could only have come from me."

In the summer of 1977, Mitchell began work on new recordings, what would become her first double studio album. Close to completing her contract with Asylum Records, Mitchell felt that this album could be looser in feel than any album she'd done in the past.''Don Juan's Reckless Daughter'' was released in December 1977. The album received mixed reviews but still sold relatively well, peaking at No. 25 in the US and going gold within three months. The cover of the album created its own controversy; Mitchell was featured in several photographs on the cover, including one where she was disguised as a black man (this is a reference to a character in one song on the album). Layered, atmospheric compositions such as "Overture / Cotton Avenue" featured more collaboration with Pastorius, while "Paprika Plains" was a 16-minute epic that stretched the boundaries of pop, owing more to Joni's memories of childhood in Canada and her study of classical music. "Dreamland" and "The Tenth World", featuring Chaka Khan on backing vocals, were percussion dominated tracks. Other songs continued the jazz-rock-folk collisions of ''Hejira''. Mitchell also revived "Jericho", written but never recorded years earlier (a version is found on her 1974 live album).

A few months after the release of ''Don Juan's Reckless Daughter'', Mitchell was contacted by jazz great Charles Mingus, who had heard the orchestrated song, "Paprika Plains", and wanted her to work with him. Mitchell began a collaboration with Mingus, who died before the project was completed in 1979. She finished the tracks (most were her own Mingus-inspired compositions, though "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" is a Mingus instrumental standard to which Joni composed lyrics) and the resulting album, ''Mingus'', was released in June 1979, though it was poorly received in the press. Fans were confused over such a major change in Mitchell's overall sound, and though the album topped out at No. 17 on the Billboard album charts—a higher placement than ''Don Juan's Reckless Daughter'' – ''Mingus'' still fell short of gold status, making it her first album since the 1960s to not sell at least a half-million copies.

Mitchell's summer tour to promote ''Mingus'' began in August 1979 in Oklahoma City and concluded six weeks later with five shows at Los Angeles' Greek Theater, where she recorded and filmed the concerts. It was her first tour in several years, and with Pastorius, jazz guitar great Pat Metheny, and other members of her band, Mitchell also performed songs from her other jazz-inspired albums. When the tour ended she began a year of work, turning the tapes from the Los Angeles shows into a two-album set and a concert film, both to be called ''Shadows and Light''. Her final release on Asylum Records and her second live double-album, it was released in September 1980, and made it up to No. 38 on the Billboard Charts. A single from the LP, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love?", Mitchell's duet with The Persuasions (her opening act for the tour), bubbled under on Billboard, just missing the Hot 100.

1981–1993: Pop, protest and personal changes

For a year and a half, Mitchell worked on the tracks for her next album. During this period Mitchell recorded with bassist Larry Klein, eventually marrying him in 1982. While the album was being readied for release, her friend David Geffen, founder of Asylum Records, decided to start a new label, Geffen Records. Still distributed by Warner Bros,, (who controlled Asylum Records), Geffen was able to negate the remaining contractual obligations Mitchell had with Asylum and signed her to his new label. 1982's ''Wild Things Run Fast'' marked a return to pop songwriting, including "Chinese Cafe/Unchained Melody", which incorporated the chorus and parts of the melody of the famous Righteous Brothers hit, and "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", a remake of the Elvis chestnut which charted higher than any Mitchell single since her '70s sales peak when it climbed to No. 47 on the charts. The album, however, peaked on the Billboard Charts in its fifth week at only No. 25.

As 1983 began, Mitchell began a world tour, visiting Japan, Australia, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and then back to the United States. A performance from the tour was videotaped and later released on home video (and later DVD) as "Refuge Of The Roads." As 1984 ended, Mitchell was writing new songs, when she had a suggestion from Geffen that perhaps an outside producer with experience in the modern technical arenas they wanted to explore might be a worthy addition. British synth-pop performer and producer Thomas Dolby was brought on board. Of Dolby's role, Mitchell later commented: "I was reluctant when Thomas was suggested because he had been asked to produce the record [by Geffen], and would he consider coming in as just a programmer and a player? So on that level we did have some problems... He may be able to do it faster. He may be able to do it better, but the fact is that it then wouldn't really be my music."

The album that resulted, ''Dog Eat Dog'', released in October 1985, received a mostly negative critical response. It turned out to be only a moderate seller, peaking at No. 63 on Billboard's Top Albums Chart, Mitchell's lowest chart position since her first album peaked at No. 189 almost eighteen years before. One of the songs on the album, "Tax Free", created controversy by lambasting "televangelists" and what she saw as a drift to the religious right in American politics. "The churches came after me", she wrote, "they attacked me, though the Episcopalian Church, which I've described as the only church in America which actually uses its head, wrote me a letter of congratulation."

Mitchell continued experimenting with synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers for the recordings of her next album, 1988's ''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm''. She also collaborated with artists including Willie Nelson, Billy Idol, Wendy & Lisa, Tom Petty, Don Henley and Peter Gabriel. The album's first official single, "My Secret Place", was in fact a duet with Gabriel, and just missed the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The song "Lakota" was one of many songs on the album to take on larger political themes, in this case the deadly battle between Native American activists and the FBI on the Lakota Sioux reservation in the previous decade. Musically, several songs fit into the trend of world music popularized by Gabriel during the era. Reviews were mostly favorable towards the album, and the cameos by well-known musicians brought it considerable attention. ''Chalk Mark'' ultimately improved on the chart performance of ''Dog Eat Dog'', peaking at No. 45.

After its release, Mitchell, who rarely performed live anymore, participated in Roger Waters' The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990. She performed the song, "Goodbye Blue Sky" and also was one of the performers on the concerts ending song, "The Tide Is Turning" along with Waters, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Adams, Van Morrison and Paul Carrack.

Throughout the first half of 1990, Mitchell recorded songs that would appear on her next album. She delivered the final mixes for the new album to Geffen just before Christmas, after trying nearly a hundred different sequences for the songs. The album ''Night Ride Home'' was released in March 1991. In the United States, it premiered on Billboard's Top Album charts at No. 68, moving up to No. 48 in its second week, and peaking at No. 41 in its sixth week. In the United Kingdom, the album premiered at No. 25 on the album charts. Critically, it was better received than her '80s work and seemed to signal a move closer to her acoustic beginnings, along with some references to the style of ''Hejira''. This album was also Mitchell's first since Geffen Records was sold to MCA Inc., meaning that ''Night Ride Home'' was her first album not to be initially distributed by WEA (now Warner Music Group).

1994–2001: Resurgence and vocal development

To wider audiences, the real "return to form" for Mitchell came with the 1994's Grammy-winning ''Turbulent Indigo''. While the recording period also saw the divorce of Mitchell and bassist Larry Klein, their marriage having lasted almost 12 years, ''Indigo'' was seen as Mitchell's most accessible set of songs in years. Songs such as "Sex Kills", "Sunny Sunday", "Borderline" and "The Magdalene Laundries" mixing social commentary and guitar-focused melodies for "a startling comeback." The album won two Grammy awards, including Best Pop Album, and it coincided with a much-publicized resurgence in interest in Mitchell's work by a younger generation of singer-songwriters.

In 1996, Mitchell agreed to release a greatest ''Hits'' collection when label Reprise also allowed her a second ''Misses'' album to include some of the lesser known songs from her career. ''Hits'' charted at No. 161 in the US, but made No. 6 in the UK. Mitchell also included on ''Hits'', for the first time on an album, her first recording, a version of "Urge for Going" which preceded ''Song to a Seagull'' but was previously released only as a B-side.

Two years later, Mitchell released her final set of "original" new work before nearly a decade of other pursuits, 1998's ''Taming the Tiger''. She promoted ''Tiger'' with a return to regular concert appearances, most notably a co-headlining tour with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. On the album, Mitchell had played a "guitar synthesizer" on most songs, and for the tour she adapted many of her old songs to this instrument, and reportedly had to re-learn all her complex tunings once again.

It was around this time that critics also began to notice a real change in Mitchell's voice, particularly on her older songs; the singer later admitted to feeling the same way, explaining that "I'd go to hit a note and there was nothing there." While her more limited range and huskier vocals have sometimes been attributed to her smoking (she has been described as "one of the world's last great smokers"), Mitchell believes the changes in her voice that became noticeable in the nineties were due to other problems, including vocal nodules, a compressed larynx, and the lingering effects of having had polio. In an interview in 2004, she denied that "my terrible habits" had anything to do with her more limited range and pointed out that singers often lose the upper register when they pass fifty. In addition, she contended that in her opinion her voice became a more interesting and expressive alto range when she no longer could hit the high notes, let alone hold them like she did in her youth.

The singer's next two albums featured no new songs and, Mitchell has said, were recorded to "fulfill contractual obligations", but on both she attempted to make use of her new vocal range in interpreting familiar material. ''Both Sides, Now'' (2000) was an album composed mostly of covers of jazz standards, performed with an orchestra, featuring orchestral arrangements by Vince Mendoza. The album also contained remakes of "A Case of You" and the title track "Both Sides Now", two early hits transposed down to Mitchell's now dusky, soulful alto range. It received mostly strong reviews and spawned a short national tour, with Mitchell accompanied by a core band featuring Larry Klein on bass plus a local orchestra on each tour stop. Its success led to 2002's ''Travelogue'', a collection of re-workings of her previous songs with lush orchestral accompaniments.

2002–2005: Retirement

Mitchell stated at the time that this would be her final album. In a 2002 interview with ''Rolling Stone'', she voiced discontent with the current state of the music industry, describing it as a "cesspool." Mitchell expressed her dislike of the record industry's dominance and her desire to control her own destiny, possibly through releasing her own music over the Internet.

During the next few years, the only albums Mitchell released were compilations of her earlier work. In 2003, Mitchell's Geffen recordings were collected in a remastered, four-disc box set, ''The Complete Geffen Recordings'', including notes by Mitchell and some previously unreleased tracks. A series of themed compilations of songs from earlier albums were also released: ''The Beginning of Survival'' (2004), ''Dreamland'' (2004), and ''Songs of a Prairie Girl'' (2005), the last of which collected the threads of her Canadian upbringing and which she released after accepting an invitation to the Saskatchewan Centennial concert in Saskatoon. The concert, which featured a tribute to Mitchell, was also attended by Queen Elizabeth II. In ''Prairie Girl'' liner notes, she writes that the collection is "my contribution to Saskatchewan's Centennial celebrations."

In the early 1990s, Mitchell signed a deal with Random House to publish an autobiography. In 1998 she told ''The New York Times'' that her memoirs were "in the works", that they would be published in as many as four volumes, and that the first line would be "I was the only black man at the party." In 2005, Mitchell said that she was using a tape recorder to get her memories "down in the oral tradition."

As well in the early 2000s, Joni Mitchell worked with artist Gilles Hebert. Joni visited the Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon, where she and Giles produced a book called 'Voices'. The book received international attention and extended her fame, and the fame of Gilles Hebert.

Although Mitchell stated that she would no longer tour or give concerts, she has made occasional public appearances to speak on environmental issues. Mitchell divides her time between her longtime home in Los Angeles, and the property in Sechelt, British Columbia that she has owned since the early 1970s. "L.A. is my workplace", she said in 2006, "B.C. is my heartbeat." According to interviews, today she focuses mainly on her visual art, which she does not sell and which she displays only on rare occasions.

2006–2009: Late recordings and Morgellons advocacy

In an interview with ''The Ottawa Citizen'' in October 2006, Mitchell "revealed she's recording her first collection of new songs in nearly a decade", but gave few other details. Four months later, in an interview with ''The New York Times'', Mitchell said that the forthcoming album, titled ''Shine'', was inspired by the war in Iraq and "something her grandson had said while listening to family fighting: 'Bad dreams are good—in the great plan.'" Early media reports characterized the album as having "a minimal feel... that harks back to [Mitchell's] early work", and a focus on political and environmental issues.

In February 2007, Mitchell also returned to Calgary and served as an advisor for the Alberta Ballet Company premiere of "The Fiddle and the Drum", a dance choreographed to both new and old songs. Mitchell also filmed portions of the rehearsals for a documentary she's working on. Of the flurry of recent activity she quipped, "I've never worked so hard in my life."

In summer 2007, Mitchell's official fan-run site confirmed speculation that she had signed a two-record deal with Starbucks' Hear Music label. ''Shine'' was released by the label on September 25, 2007, debuting at number 14 on the Billboard 200 album chart, her highest chart position in the United States since the release of ''Hejira'' in 1976, over thirty years previously, and at number 36 on the United Kingdom albums chart.

On the same day, Herbie Hancock, a longtime associate and friend of Mitchell's, released ''River: The Joni Letters'', an album paying tribute to Mitchell's work. Among the album's contributors were Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Leonard Cohen, and Mitchell herself, who contributed a vocal to the re-recording of "The Tea Leaf Prophecy (Lay Down Your Arms)" (originally on her album ''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm''). On February 10, 2008, Hancock's recording won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. It was the first time in 43 years that a jazz artist took the top prize at the annual award ceremony. In accepting the award, Hancock paid tribute to Mitchell as well as to Miles Davis and John Coltrane. At the same ceremony Mitchell won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Pop Performance for the opening track "One Week Last Summer" from her album ''Shine''.

On February 12, 2010, "Both Sides, Now" was performed at the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Mitchell is currently receiving treatment for the controversial condition called "Morgellons syndrome". Mitchell spoke to the ''Los Angeles Times'' on April 22, 2010 about the disease, saying, "I have this weird, incurable disease that seems like it's from outer space, but my health's the best it's been in a while." She described Morgellons as a "slow, unpredictable killer" but said she is determined to fight the disease. "I have a tremendous will to live: I've been through another pandemic – I'm a polio survivor, so I know how conservative the medical body can be." According to Mitchell, Morgellons is often misdiagnosed as "delusion of parasites," and sufferers of the disease are offered psychiatric treatment. Mitchell said she plans to leave the music industry to work toward giving people diagnosed with Morgellons more credibility. In the same interview, Mitchell made the statement that singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, with whom she had worked closely in the past, was a fake and plagiarist. The controversial remark was widely reported by other media. Mitchell did not explain the contention further, but it may have related to the allegations of plagiarism surrounding some lyrics on Dylan's 2006 album ''Modern Times''.

Mitchell's longtime archivist, the San Francisco-based Joel Bernstein, maintains a detailed list of all her tunings, and has assisted her in relearning the tunings for several older songs.

Mitchell was also highly innovative harmonically in her early work (1966–72) using techniques including modality, chromaticism, and pedal points.

In 2003 ''Rolling Stone'' named her the 72nd greatest guitarist of all time; she was the highest-ranked woman on the list.

Influence on other artists

Mitchell's work has had an influence on artists as disparate as S. J. Tucker, Led Zeppelin, Nancy Wilson, Sonic Youth, Morrissey, Prince, Chaka Khan, Alanis Morissette, Björk, Counting Crows, Stevie Nicks, Jeff Buckley, Elvis Costello, Dan Fogelberg, Janet Jackson, Maynard James Keenan, Cyndi Lauper, Annie Lennox, k.d. lang, Madonna, Kurt Cobain,Frank Turner, Cassandra Wilson, Cat Power, George Michael, Marillion, Juice Newton, Conor Oberst, The Roots, Roxette, The Sundays, Clannad, Shawn Colvin, Anita Baker, Fiona Apple, Holly Brook, KT Tunstall, Seal, Tori Amos, Keith Green, Spank Rock, Schuyler Fisk, Kate Voegele, Regina Spektor, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Keith Jarrett, Slash, Laura Marling, Keri Noble, Joanna Newsom, Boards of Canada and Sarah Dawn Finer.

For instance, Prince's song "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" on the album ''Sign 'O' the Times'' (1987), pays tribute to Mitchell, both through his evocative Mitchell-like harmonies and through the use of one of Mitchell's own techniques: as in Mitchell's song "This Flight Tonight", Prince references a song in his lyrics (Joni's own "Help Me") as the music begins to emulate the chords and melody of that song. Another Mitchell reference left by Prince can also be seen on the back cover of his 1981 ''Controversy'' record, where one of the headlines reads "★JONI★." His song "Raspberry Beret" also references "McGee's general store" from Joni's song "Paprika Plains".

Madonna has also cited Mitchell as the first female artist that really spoke to her as a teenager; "I was really, really into Joni Mitchell. I knew every word to ''Court and Spark''; I worshipped her when I was in high school. ''Blue'' is amazing. I would have to say of all the women I've heard, she had the most profound effect on me from a lyrical point of view."

Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery and Mark Kelly of Marillion all cite Mitchell as a favorite artist.

A number of artists have enjoyed success covering Mitchell's songs. Judy Collins's 1967 recording of "Both Sides Now" reached No. 8 on Billboard charts and was a breakthrough in the career of both artists (Mitchell's own recording did not see release until two years later, on her second album ''Clouds''). This is Mitchell's most-covered song by far, with 587 versions recorded at latest count. Hole also covered "Both Sides Now" in 1990, renaming it ''Clouds'' and changing the lyrics. Pop group Neighborhood in 1970 and Amy Grant in 1995 scored hits with covers of "Big Yellow Taxi", the second most covered song in Mitchell's repertoire (with 223 covers). Recent releases of this song have been by Counting Crows in 2002 and Nena in 2007. Janet Jackson used a sample of the chorus of "Big Yellow Taxi" as the centerpiece of her 1997 hit single "Got 'Til It's Gone", which also features rapper Q-Tip saying "Joni Mitchell never lies." Rap artists Kanye West and Mac Dre have also sampled Mitchell's vocals in their music. In addition, Annie Lennox has covered "Ladies Of The Canyon" for the B-side of her 1995 hit "No More I Love You's." Mandy Moore covered "Help Me" in 2003. In 2004 singer George Michael covered her song "Edith And The Kingpin" for a radio show. "River" has been of the most popular songs covered in recent years, with versions by Dianne Reeves (1999), James Taylor (recorded for television in 2000, and for CD release in 2004), Allison Crowe (2004), Rachael Yamagata (2004), Aimee Mann (2005), and Sarah McLachlan (2006). McLachlan also did a version of "Blue" in 1996, and Cat Power recorded a cover of "Blue" in 2008. Other Mitchell covers include the famous "Woodstock" by both Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Matthews Southern Comfort, "This Flight Tonight" by Nazareth, and well-known versions of "Woodstock" by Eva Cassidy and "A Case of You" by Tori Amos, Michelle Branch, Jane Monheit, Prince, and Diana Krall. A 40th anniversary version of "Woodstock" was released in 2009 by Nick Vernier Band featuring Ian Matthews (formerly of Matthews Southern Comfort).

Prince's version, "A Case of U", appeared on ''A Tribute to Joni Mitchell'', a 2007 compilation released by Nonesuch Records, which also featured Björk ("The Boho Dance"), Caetano Veloso ("Dreamland"), Emmylou Harris ("The Magdalene Laundries"), Sufjan Stevens ("Free Man in Paris") and Cassandra Wilson ("For the Roses"), among others. Some of the recordings were made in the late 1990s when a project entitled ''A Case of Joni'' was developed but left incomplete. Among those who recorded tracks for the first tribute album, which remain unreleased, were Janet Jackson, Steely Dan, and Sheryl Crow. Chaka Khan recorded "Ladies Man" from Mitchell's LP ''Wild Things Run Fast'' on her 2007 CD titled ''Funk This''. Cassandra Wilson recorded "Black Crow" from Mitchell's ''Hejira'' on her ''Blue Light 'Til Dawn'' CD.

Several other songs reference Joni Mitchell. The song "Our House" by Graham Nash refers to Nash's brief affair with Mitchell at the time Crosby, Stills Nash and Young recorded the Déjà Vu album. Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" was said to be written about Robert Plant and Jimmy Page's infatuation with Mitchell, a claim that seems to be borne out by the fact that, in live performances, Plant often says "Joni" after the line "To find a queen without a king, they say she plays guitar and cries and sings." Jimmy Page uses a double dropped D guitar tuning similar to the alternative tunings Mitchell uses. The Sonic Youth song "Hey Joni" from their acclaimed ''Daydream Nation'' album is named for Mitchell. Sonic Youth also uses a wide variety of alternate guitar tunings. Alanis Morissette also mentions Joni in one of her songs, "Your House." British folk singer; Frank Turner mentions Joni in his song 'Sunshine State'. Fellow Canadian songwriter Ferron invokes Mitchell to open the song "Maya": "Last night I dreamed Joni Mitchell cut her hair and changed her name to Gaia. And she spoke to me in a confident air and said...'You better push the edge of Maya.'"

Melody Green wrote in "No Compromise, the life story of Keith Green", that her husband Keith Green and some friends found Joni's Southern California home security gate was open and they sang in her front lawn until she came out. She invited them all in and Green entertained her for a while on her piano.

Also, on the 2004 album ''eMOTIVe'' by A Perfect Circle, Maynard James Keenan covered Mitchell's song ''Fiddle and the Drum.''

Awards and honors

In 1995, Mitchell received Billboard's Century Award. In 1996, she was awarded the Polar Music Prize. In 1997, Mitchell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but did not attend the ceremony.

She has received eight Grammy Awards during her career, with the first coming in 1969 and the most recent in 2008. She received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, with the citation describing her as "one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era" and "a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination and integrity."

In fitting tribute to Joni Mitchell, the TNT network presented an all-star celebration at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, April 6, 2000. Many legendary performers sang Mitchell's songs, including James Taylor, Elton John, Wynonna Judd, Bryan Adams, Cyndi Lauper, Diana Krall, and Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention fame. Mitchell herself ended the evening with a rendition of "Both Sides Now" with a full 70 piece orchestra. The version was featured on the soundtrack to the hit movie, ''Love Actually''.

Regarding her as a national treasure, Mitchell's home country Canada has bestowed a number of honours on her. She was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1981 and received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000. In 2002 she became only the third popular Canadian singer/songwriter (Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen being the other two), to be appointed a Companion of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour. She received an honorary doctorate in music from McGill University in 2004. In January 2007 she was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. In June 2007 Canada Post featured Mitchell on a postage stamp.

In November 2006, the album ''Blue'' was listed by ''TIME'' magazine as among the "All-Time 100 Albums."

In 1999 Mitchell was listed as fifth on VH1's list of "The 100 Greatest Women of Rock N' Roll." In 2010, Vh1 would name her the #44 Greatest Artist of All Time.

In the 2010 film ''The Kids Are All Right'', the character Joni is supposed to have been named after Joni Mitchell since the character Nic, Joni's mother, declares to be a fan of Mitchell.

Grammy Awards

Album of the Year Record of the Year Pop Female Vocalist Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) Pop Female Vocalist Best Album Package Pop Female Vocalist Best Pop Album Best Album Package Best Female Pop Vocal Performance Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Lifetime Achievement Award Album of the Year

Year !!Category !! Work!! Result
1969	Best Folk Performance	Clouds (Joni Mitchell album)>Clouds''
1974	|	''Court and Spark''	Nomination
1974	|	Help Me (Joni Mitchell song)>Help Me"	Nomination
1974	|	''Court and Spark''	Nomination
1974	|	"Down To You"	Won
1976	|	''The Hissing of Summer Lawns''	Nomination
1977	|	Hejira (album)>Hejira''	Nomination
1988	|	''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm''	Nomination
1995	|	''Turbulent Indigo''	Won
1995	|	''Turbulent Indigo''	Won
2000	|	''Both Sides, Now''	Nomination
2000	|	''Both Sides, Now''	Won
2002	|	–	Won
2007	|	''River: The Joni Letters''	Won*
2007	Best Pop Instrumental Performance	|	"One Week Last Summer"	Won

*Although officially a Herbie Hancock release, Joni also received a Grammy due to her vocal contribution to the album.

Discography

;Studio releases

1968: ''Song to a Seagull''

1969: ''Clouds''

1970: ''Ladies of the Canyon''

1971: ''Blue''

1972: ''For the Roses''

1974: ''Court and Spark''

1975: ''The Hissing of Summer Lawns''

1976: ''Hejira''

1977: ''Don Juan's Reckless Daughter''

1979: ''Mingus''

1982: ''Wild Things Run Fast''

1985: ''Dog Eat Dog''

1988: ''Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm''

1991: ''Night Ride Home''

1994: ''Turbulent Indigo''

1998: ''Taming the Tiger''

2000: ''Both Sides Now''

2002: ''Travelogue''

2007: ''Shine''

See also

Canadian rock

Music of Canada

References

Further reading

External links

Hear the public radio special "The Emergence of Joni Mitchell"

[ Joni Mitchell] at the All Music Guide

Salon.com – Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

CBC Digital Archives – Joni Mitchell: All Sides Now

Category:1943 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Alberta Category:Appalachian dulcimer players Category:Canadian female guitarists Category:Canadian female singers Category:Canadian folk guitarists Category:Canadian folk singers Category:Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Canadian pop singers Category:Canadian singer-songwriters Category:Canadian people of Norwegian descent Category:Canadian people of Irish descent Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:Companions of the Order of Canada Category:Crossover (music) Category:Female rock singers Category:Feminist musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:Juno Award winners Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Southern California Category:People from Saskatoon Category:People from Willow Creek, Alberta Category:Musicians from Saskatchewan Category:Sami people

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