On February 23, 2003, at the New York ceremony, Nora took home eight of the 11 Grammys handed out.
When most 20-somethings look to the future they dream of success and fulfilment. They may even hope to reach the pinnacle of their chosen profession one day. Norah Jones, however, doesn't need to - she's already achieved the most extravagant ambitions any aspiring musician could have.
On February 23, 2003, at the New York ceremony, Nora took home eight of the 11 Grammys handed out. With her debut album Come Away With Me, the doe-eyed brunette won best song, best newcomer and best album, despite competition from heavyweights like Bruce Springsteen in the latter category.
"This is amazing," she said after the presentation. "I can't believe this, it's incredible." Her sentiments echoed those of record company bosses on first hearing her play two years previously. While Norah says she is amazed by her success, many would argue that this intelligent and composed young woman, with her remarkable combination of talent and beauty, was always destined for glory.
As the daughter of legendary sitar master Ravi Shankar, Norah can presumably also thank her musical pedigree. Her octogenarian father, who has three Grammys of his own, insists he cannot take any plaudits for her success, however. "Norah is my daughter, but she grew up in America... I cannot take any credit for the music that she has excelled in," he says. "Her base is western, jazz and country music." And the renowned musician, whose other daughter Anoushka Shankar was nominated for best world music album, was at pains to emphasise that Norah has made it on her own.
For many years the Indian musician was estranged from his daughter and her mother, New York concert producer Sue Jones. Indeed he had no contact whatsoever with Norah for some ten years, although the two have since made peace. "It was slightly awkward at first," he admits. "It is natural. There was a lot of anger from her mother. It took time for us to come close. And there was the guilt of all those years I had missed out on her."
The proud dad recently saw Norah perform, and his daughter seems cautiously content with their renewed relationship. "We sort of reconnected before all this happened," she said last year. "Truth be told, I wouldn't have wanted him to come see me in a little bar where everyone was talking. I'm over everything, I don't resent him. I just don't want him to be the focus of all my press." The interest in her parentage may be inevitable, however, though no-one can take away the fact that her success is completely of her own making. As Ravi affirms, her talent began to manifest itself at an early age. She joined a church choir at the age of five before winning a series of singing and composing awards at Booker T Washington's School for the Performing Arts in Dallas. The budding chanteuse then moved on to study piano at the University of North Texas, though she would never complete the course.
Theory and study is all very well, but for this jazz-lover satisfaction meant smoky Manhattan clubs, not a leafy southern campus. After two years of college, Norah dropped out and headed for New York where she formed a band with songwriter Jesse Harris and bass player Lee Alexander.
Teaming up with Jesse proved fortuitous, as together the two have developed a musical midas touch. Indeed Norah was not the only winner at the award ceremony in Madison Square Garden, as her band mate also took home a gong in recognition of their collaboration Don't Know Why.
The other crucial ingredient in the soft-spoken star's success has been her own equilibrium and strength of character. "The best thing about her is that she is not a studio concoction," says fellow pianist Vijay Iyer. Indeed despite her sultry beauty, Norah has the reputation of a girl-next-door with a humble outlook.
"When sales of the record passed the one million mark she came to me and asked if we could stop selling it," recalls Blue Note Records boss Bruce Lundvall. "She didn't want people burning out on it and becoming bored. I had to persuade her that there were millions of people out there who wanted to pay to hear music that she had produced totally on her own terms."
And after her sweep at the Grammys her first concern was that fellow nominee Bruce Springsteen might be annoyed. "I can't take the prize from him," said the startled singer. "I mean, he's the Boss!"
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When most 20-somethings look to the future they dream of success and fulfilment. They may even hope to reach the pinnacle of their chosen profession one day. Norah Jones, however, doesn't need to - she's already achieved the most extravagant ambitions any aspiring musician could have. 
