Joan Armatrading

Joan Armatrading is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist who has achieved global recognition, making her the first Black woman in the United Kingdom to impact the music industry with her original compositions. After releasing her debut album ‘Whatever’s for Us’ in 1972 through Cube Records, Joan Armatrading established herself as the first Black woman in the United Kingdom to impact the music industry with her original compositions. Following her appearance in the touring production of ‘Hair’ in 1968, Armatrading signed with A&M Records in 1975, releasing ‘Back to the Night’ that same year. Her 1976 self-titled album became a Top 20 hit and featured the Top 10 single ‘Love and Affection.’ This success continued with ‘Show Some Emotion’ (1977) and ‘To the Limit’ (1978).

Her compilation, ‘The Very Best of Joan Armatrading,’ returned to the Top 10 in 1991. Armatrading’s 2007 Grammy-nominated blues album ‘Into the Blues’ debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard Blues Chart. She released ‘This Charming Life’ in 2010, which peaked at No.

Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2001 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2020, her musical output includes ‘Consequences’ (2021) and the live album ‘Live at Asylum Chapel’ (2022). In 2022, she published her book of selected lyrics, ‘The Weakness in Me,’ and composed her first classical work, ‘Symphony No. 1,’ which premiered with the Chineke! Orchestra at Southbank Centre in 2023.

In 2024, Armatrading released her latest album, ‘How Did This Happen and What Does It Now Mean.’