Description of Joan Armatrading's Work:
Singer-songwriter
Comparisons:
Fans of Joni Mitchell, Janis Ian, and Ani DiFranco may appreciate the work of Joan Armatrading. She's touched on a number of different genres through the years and her fans may be interested in checking out folks like Toshi Reagon and Bitch.
Recommended CDs by Joan Armatrading:
Back to the Night (A&M, 1974) 
The Millennium Collection: The Best of Joan Armatrading (A&M, 2000)
Into the Blues (429 Records, 2007)
Purchase/Download Joan Armatrading MP3s:
Joan Armatrading Biography:
Joan Armatrading was born in the West Indies in December, 1950, and her family then moved to England when she was seven years old. She started writing songs as a teenager but didn't develop a career as a musician until the 1970s when she appeared in a London production of the musical Hair.
She released her debut album Whatever's For Us (co-written with Pam Nestor) on Cube Records in 19172. Later, in 1975, she inked a deal with A&M Records. The following year, she had a Top 10 single with "Love and Affection." While the 1980s saw Armatrading taking a more mainstream pop approach, her records from the 1970s were decidedly folk influenced. Since then, she's dabbled in pop, jazz, blues, folk, and other styles.
Armatrading has released 19 albums in all and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards. She continues to perform and release records independently.
