Joan Anita Barbara Armatrading (born December 9, 1950) is a British singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She achieved fame in the mid 1970s. Armatrading was a pioneer for other female artists and is a three times Grammy Award-nominee. Additional achievements include an MBE, and a BA (Hons) degree in History from the Open University, of which she is a trustee.

form a record review on amazon.com:

I admit that I mostly love the hippie, peaceful, vegetarian and reclusive Joan Armatrading that is evidenced on all her past poignant and emotional releases.

from rocksbackpages.com - interview with Penny Valentine, Melody Maker, 30 September 1978

IN HER KITCHEN Joan Armatrading washes up the plates from a vegetarian meal we have just eaten. "You wouldn't think," she had said earlier with a self-effacing smile, standing in her dungarees, stars-and-stripes braces pulled off to give her more manoeuvrability, "that I was a good cook, would you?".