Norah Jones was raised in Grapevine, Texas under the tutelage of sitar master Ravi Shankar and attended Colleyville Middle School before transferring to Dallas’ Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where she sang in their choir.
Norah has since earned multiple Grammy Awards, reinventing piano-forward jazz for a modern audience. She has created roots-leaning side projects and collaborated with modern rock musicians such as Danger Mouse. Additionally, she launched her own podcast: Norah is Playing Along!
Her Music
Norah Jones burst onto the music scene at age 23 with her breakthrough debut album, Come Away With Me. This groundbreaking blend of jazz, folk, country and pop was an immediate success, setting Norah up for future works that would lead her to win multiple Grammy Awards.
Her collaborations with artists like Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and Herbie Hancock attest to her high regard among music professionals and audiences alike. Through this process she gained access to diverse musical styles and perspectives that broadened her artistic palette while honing her unique sound.
Jones has created introspective songs with powerful, soulful vocals that touch listeners on an emotional level. Take time to discover her catalogue of work, witness how it has grown over time as it explores themes like love, loss and self-discovery with greater depth and intensity.
Her Life
Jones has become one of the most successful singer-songwriters of her generation through her soothing jazz vocals and captivating musical styles, making her an unparalleled talent in her field. Jones’ personal experiences, such as marriage and motherhood, have also had an effect on her music as they provided inspiration for lyrics written about those events.
After graduating high school, Norah attended the University of North Texas to study jazz piano and join its Jazz Singers choir. While at UNT she met future collaborator Jesse Harris when giving him a ride to one of their concerts.
Norah Jones rose to stardom with her debut album Come Away With Me and won eight Grammy Awards. Feels Like Home followed and sold over one million copies before giving way to three albums that each showcased a different aspect of Jones’ talent; finally in 2009 came The Fall, an emotional expression of heartbreak and loss that remains her most personal album thus far.
Her Songs
Norah Jones is the daughter of sitar legend Ravi Shankar and music runs deep through her veins. But her 2002 debut, Come Away With Me, became her breakthrough album and launched her into stardom. It combined jazz, folk rock and Great American Songbook music into something both familiar and new; while Norah’s silky voice–flecked with smokey yearning notes–was the perfect glue binding it all together.
Feels Like Home (2004) was her debut attempt at writing and singing all her own material; while it failed to chart as highly, it did earn her a Grammy Award as Best New Artist.
Norah returned to jazz-influenced pop on Day Breaks (2016) after exploring her musical palette through albums such as moody electric instrumentation on The Fall (2009) and duet work with Ryan Adams; these records also featured collaborations with artists like Jeff Tweedy and Thomas Bartlett as well as performing at MusiCares Person of the Year gala tributes for Bob Dylan.
Her Awards
Norah Jones has amassed numerous accolades and awards throughout her career as a highly versatile musician who has collaborated with legendary artists, yet continues to thrill her fans worldwide. Her music often creates a soothing ambience and has become part of people’s relaxing and chill-out playlists; additionally she incorporates different languages into her songs which showcase her cultural diversity as well as musical versatility.
Jones first gained international attention with her 2002 debut album Come Away With Me, earning multiple Grammy Awards. This mellow acoustic record quickly won over audiences worldwide – selling over 20 million copies! Her seductive vocals and jazz-influenced compositions won over listeners all around the globe.
She has performed at numerous music festivals and events, such as Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, while making appearances in television shows and films.