Born: 9 December 1950, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Died: NA
Country most active: United Kingdom
Also known as: NA
Caribbean-British singer-songwriter and guitarist Joan Armatrading began writing songs when she was 14, then taught herself guitar on a second-hand instrument. Leaving school at age 15 to help support her family, she lost her first job after she took her guitar to work and played it during tea breaks. She began performing her own songs locally before joining a touring production of Hair in 1968. She released her debut album, Whatever’s for Us in 1972, followed by Back to the Night in 1975. It was her next two albums, Joan Armatrading (1976) and Show Some Emotion (1977), that found major commercial success, with Armatrading becoming the first British female singer-songwriter of African descent to enjoy international popularity and a career of more than five decades.
Discography
Whatever’s for Us (1972)
Back to the Night (1975)
Joan Armatrading (1976)
Show Some Emotion (1977)
To the Limit (1978)
Me Myself I (1980)
Walk Under Ladders (1981)
The Key (1983)
Secret Secrets (1985)
Sleight of Hand (1986)
The Shouting Stage (1988)
Hearts and Flowers (1990)
Square the Circle (1992)
What’s Inside (1995)
Lovers Speak (2003)
Into the Blues (2007)
This Charming Life (2010)
Starlight (2012)
Not Too Far Away (2018)
Consequences (2021)
How Did This Happen and What Does It Now Mean (2024)