Norah Jones: A Quiet Rebellion

The Spark: Norah Jones didn’t chase music—it found her. Daughter of Ravi Shankar, she grew up dodging fame’s glare, but the piano called her anyway. It was rebellion against expectations—her mom’s practicality, her dad’s legacy—that pushed her to gigs in NYC jazz clubs.

The Story: Born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar in ‘79, she split time between Texas and New York. By 19, she was a lounge singer, her smoky voice cutting through cigarette haze. Come Away With Me (2002) blindsided everyone—22 million copies sold, a jazz-pop supernova. I’ve shot her at intimate venues, eyes closed, lost in the keys. She’s since danced across genres—country with The Little Willies, indie with Puss n Boots—never boxed in.

Bands: Solo, plus The Little Willies, Puss n Boots.

Bandmates (The Little Willies): Lee Alexander (bass), Richard Julian (vocals), Dan Rieser (drums), Jim Campilongo (guitar).

Relationships: Her long romance with bassist Lee Alexander ended in 2011; she’s private now, married with kids, no gossip fuel.

Screen Time: My Blueberry Nights (2007) with Jude Law, plus Ted Lasso cameos.

Awards: Nine Grammys (five for Come Away…), Billboard Century Award (2002)—Hall of Fame whispers linger.

Biggest Songs:

• “Come Away With Me” – Jesse Harris.
• “Don’t Know Why” – Jesse Harris.
• “Sunrise” – Norah Jones, Lee Alexander.
• “Feelin’ the Same Way” – Norah Jones, Lee Alexander.

Controversy: None—she’s too cool-headed, though her Shankar lineage stirs occasional debate.

---

Norah Jones at Farm Aid, 2010

Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979)^[5] is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and, as of 2023, had sold more than 50 million records worldwide.^[6] Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000’s decade. She has won nine Grammy Awards and was ranked 60th on Billboard magazine’s artists of the 2000s decade chart.^[7]

In 2002, Jones launched her solo music career with the release of Come Away with Me, which was a fusion of jazz with country, blues, folk and pop. It was certified diamond, selling over 27 million copies.^[8] The record earned Jones five Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist.^[9] Her subsequent studio albums—Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), and The Fall (2009)—all gained platinum status, selling over a million copies each.^[10] They were also generally well received by critics.^[11] Jones’s fifth studio album, Little Broken Hearts, was released on April 27, 2012; her sixth, Day Breaks, was released on October 7, 2016.^[12] Her seventh studio album, Pick Me Up Off the Floor, was released on June 12, 2020.^[13] Jones made her feature film debut as an actress in My Blueberry Nights, which was released in 2007 and was directed by Wong Kar-Wai.

Jones is the daughter of Indian sitarist and composer Ravi Shankar and concert producer Sue Jones, and is the half-sister of fellow musicians Anoushka Shankar and Shubhendra Shankar.