Norah Jones
With a voice that felt like a secret, she quietly revolutionized popular music by bringing jazz intimacy to a global pop audience.
Born 1979 (age 47)·American singer-songwriter and musician·Birthday: March 30·Generation X
Biography
Norah Jones didn't just arrive in 2002; she seeped into the atmosphere. Her debut album, 'Come Away with Me,' was a gentle earthquake, selling tens of millions and sweeping the Grammys not through bombast, but through understated elegance. The daughter of sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, Jones forged her own path, blending the smoky phrasing of jazz with the earthy simplicity of country and folk. Her success proved there was a massive audience for music that prioritized mood and melody over volume. In the years since, she has followed her own muse, collaborating with artists from Willie Nelson to Danger Mouse, and exploring side projects like the country band The Little Willies, all while maintaining a core sound that is unmistakably and soothingly her own.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Norah was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Norah Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Norah's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her debut album 'Come Away with Me' sold over 27 million copies worldwide and won eight Grammy Awards in 2003.
- Billboard magazine named her the top jazz artist of the 2000s decade.
- Has sold over 50 million records globally, making her one of the best-selling artists of the 21st century.
- Won a Grammy for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist all in the same night.
Did You Know?
She is the daughter of legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, but was raised by her mother in Texas.
She attended the University of North Texas for two years, majoring in jazz piano, before moving to New York.
She formed the country cover band The Little Willies as a casual side project with friends.
Her song 'Don't Know Why' was written by her friend and frequent collaborator Jesse Harris.
“I don't know how to write a hit song. I just know how to write the songs that I write.”
