United Kingdom 
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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.
BIMM University partnered with Joan Armatrading to launch The Joan Armatrading Scholarship, which supports under-represented students in pursuing music education.
Boosey & Hawkes welcomed Joan Armatrading's Symphony No.1 for orchestra into its catalogue, signifying a new agreement with the artist.
Joan Armatrading signed with A&M Records in 1975, releasing several albums including 'Back to the Night' and 'Joan Armatrading'. She remained with the label for almost 20 years.
Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading was born on December 9, 1950, in Basseterre, Saint Christopher and Nevis. At three years old, she moved to Antigua to live with her grandmother before rejoining her parents in Birmingham, England, at age seven. She began writing songs around 14, teaching herself guitar after her mother acquired one from a pawn shop. She left school at 15 to support her family, initially losing a typist job due to playing her guitar during breaks. Her early musical experiences included performing at Birmingham University and playing in local clubs. In 1968, Armatrading joined a touring production of the musical ‘Hair’, where she met lyricist Pam Nestor in 1970.
Her collaboration with Pam Nestor led to her debut album, “Whatever’s for Us,” released by Cube Records in 1972. Armatrading wrote the music and performed all vocals for the album, with Nestor contributing lyrics to most tracks. Despite Nestor’s involvement, Cube Records focused on Armatrading as the primary artist, leading to the dissolution of their partnership. In 1973, her first single, “Lonely Lady,” was unsuccessful. After leaving Cube, she signed with A&M Records in 1975, releasing “Back to the Night.” Her 1976 self-titled album, produced by Glyn Johns, became a Top 20 hit and featured the Top 10 single “Love and Affection.” This success continued with albums like “Show Some Emotion” (1977) and “To the Limit” (1978), establishing her presence in the music scene. The song “The Flight of the Wild Geese” was featured in the 1978 war film “The Wild Geese.” From 1972 to 1976, she made eight appearances on the John Peel show, and in 1977, she performed “Love and Affection” and “Down to Zero” on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”
The 1980s marked a shift to a harder rock- and pop-oriented style with “Me Myself I” (1980), which became her highest-charting album in both the UK and US. Subsequent albums like “Walk Under Ladders” (1981) and “The Key” (1983) also achieved Top 10 success in the UK, with “The Key” producing the hit single “Drop the Pilot.” She began producing her own albums, including “Sleight of Hand” (1986), “The Shouting Stage” (1988), and “Hearts and Flowers” (1990). In 1991, “The Very Best of Joan Armatrading” reached the Top 10. She continued to release albums throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including the Grammy-nominated blues album “Into the Blues” (2007). Her career has also included extensive touring, composing her first classical work, “Symphony No. 1,” in 2022, and receiving numerous accolades, including an Ivor Novello Award and CBE.
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