Norah Jones on her 2002 debut album Come Away With Me that won six Grammys and sold 27 million copies: ‘It was a whirlwind!’
- Singer-songwriter Norah Jones released her first album, Come Away With Me, in 2002 and it has since sold more than 27 million copies
- She talks about not being famous – a day after winning six Grammys she was ‘anonymous’ walking the streets of New York – and touring with John Mayer in 2003
Norah Jones vividly recalls the long walk she took in New York on February 24, 2003.
It was the day after her chart-topping debut album, Come Away With Me, earned her six Grammy Awards – including album of the year, record of the year and best new artist – during a telecast that drew nearly 30 million viewers in the US alone.
But what made the then 23-year-old singer-songwriter’s winter walk memorable isn’t what happened, but what didn’t.
“Nobody even recognised me!” recalled Jones, laughing with delight. “I was always very anonymous. I was never ‘famous’.”
Then and now, maintaining a low profile has suited the New York-born, Texas-raised troubadour just fine. Her ability to remain out of the spotlight when not on stage is all the more impressive for several reasons. Jones’ gently captivating debut album has sold more than 27 million copies worldwide, while her overall album sales now exceed 50 million.
Her high-profile musical collaborators have ranged from Willie Nelson, Keith Richards and Wynton Marsalis to Foo Fighters, Wayne Shorter and Tony Bennett.