12 Musicians You Didn't Realise Have Truly Bizarre Alter Egos

2. Joni Mitchell Wears Blackface, Calls Herself Art Nouveau

Joni Mitchell is known as much for her songwriting as for her rebelliousness within the music industry. She was a non-conformist who jumped in and out of genres--folk, pop, and jazz--whenever a whim caught her. Mitchell was also quite outspoken about the racial segregation occurring in Los Angeles in the 70s, and criticized the LAPD for their treatment of the black population. She employed several black musicians at a time when that was considered a statement, and constantly distanced herself from her privileged upbringing and general whiteness at every turn. So why did she think it was a good idea to appear on the cover of her 1977 album Don Juan's Reckless Daughter wearing blackface? According to legend, the pancake makeup and "funky attire" were the trappings of a character she'd invented, a black pimp whom she called Art Nouveau. Needless to say, most folks were unimpressed. It didn't help that Nouveau was unveiled first at a Halloween party in LA, which suggested this was just a big joke. A big, weird, racist, completely miscalculated joke.