Feb. 11, 2007
The Humility Of Norah Jones
She Says Her Dominance At The Grammys Made Her Feel Bad
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Play CBS Video Video Norah Jones On Norah Jones In Full: Katie Couric interviews Norah Jones, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, about her childhood, her critics and not wanting to be over-exposed so early in her career.
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Video Norah On Her Grammy Success Norah Jones talks to Katie Couric about her phenomenal 2003 Grammy success and how it actually made her feel bad.
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Video Norah And Katie Cue It Up Singer Norah Jones and Katie Couric shoot some pool in downtown New York.
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Norah Jones (CBS)
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Interactive The Grammys Performers, winners, losers, fashion stars and disasters, awards history and more.
In fact, it makes her uncomfortable—as Katie Couric discovered when she talked to Jones about the 2003 Grammy Awards, when many of us first saw the petite woman behind the unforgettable, seductive voice.
That evening seemed like the coronation of Norah Jones, when at age 23, she swept the awards.
It was a remarkable night. Her first album of romantic, dreamy ballads earned award after award, including "Best New Artist," "Record of the Year," and "Album of the Year." In all, she won a total of eight Grammys.
She and the album won in every category she was nominated in.
But Jones tells Couric she felt really bad about her sweep. "I felt like I went to somebody else's birthday party and I ate all their cake. Without anybody else getting a piece. That's how I felt.
A year later, her second album went on to sell 10 million copies, proving her success was no fluke.
Last month, 60 Minutes caught her in New York City, performing songs from her just released third album, "Not Too Late." The songs have the signature Norah Jones sound, but unlike her earlier albums, she wrote all the songs and says they’re more honest, more personal and edgier.
"There's a little playfulness but there's also a lot of darker material on this album," Jones says. "And that comes less from me being a dark person than me sort of observing things going on around me and sort of turning them into songs."
Songs like "My Dear Country," which she wrote about two years ago, the day before the election. It’s a political protest song that takes a jab at President Bush.
Asked if she was nervous she'd face a fallout similar to what the Dixie Chicks experienced, Jones tells Couric, "No. It's more of a personal song for me. It's more of, it's just a song about questioning what's going on and frustration. And I think that a lot of people will, would be able to relate to that feeling, especially from the past few years."
Quiet, slow songs are what first made Norah so successful, but some said they could put you to sleep – dubbing her "Snorah Jones."
"One critic wrote, after your first two albums, 'Jones' success is due to not being all that special. You can go to your local jazz club any night and maybe see somebody just as good. All the songs sound the same. There's nothing remotely experimental about them. The songs are, for the most part, fairly pedestrian,'" Couric tells Jones.
"Uh-huh. That's mean. Why would you say that?" asks Jones. "What I was going for in the first two albums I didn't necessarily achieve. Because I was young and because it was my first time out. And the second album was such a 'quickie' sort of 'Let’s just get it over with!' But the kind of music I make, there's a lot of subtlety in it. And I think it takes a couple of listens to actually really get it. 'Pedestrian' is a mean way of saying simple."
"Or accessible," Couric points out.
"Or, they're very accessible," Jones says. "The songs on my new album aren't as accessible. But I'm more proud of them."
Produced By Ruth Streeter
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Is this Ms. Couric's idea of what a tough reporter is supposed to do? In my 30-some years of watching, I've never seen another 60 Minutes correspondent be just plain mean for the mere sake of being mean. One of the old-timers needs to let Ms. Couric know that you do that to the bad guys, not the good guys.
Wow.
Katy Couric's quip about Nora Jones' song about her feeling about this administration causing her to be "Dixie Chickified" to me was like comparing apples to oranges. ..
Katy Couric's quip about Nora Jones' song about her feeling about this administration causing her to be "Dixie Chickified" to me was like comparing apples to oranges. ..
That was also apparently what was "special" about the Dixie Chicks at the Grammies. Liberals certainly watch out for their flock of sheep.
And isn't that just like the phony liberals and Hollywood.
Norah Jones would be well advised not to become a sock puppet of the liberal left loonies, and stick to creating great music.
Alienating half the American population is certainly not good for sales.
cjwells2
The woman has no journalistic comprehension.
I had a hard time watching the segment because I was so turned off by Ms. Couric's lack of interviewing skills. Ms. Couric even attempted to put words in Ms. Jones's mouth. Sickening. It was less a piece about Norah Jones as it was a Katie Couric interview and Ms. Couric is proving more and more that she does not fit the CBS level of intellectual or journalistic excellence.
I want someone who appreciates and respects the beauty of different kinds of art withouth giving us their opinion.
More Norah and artists please...less Katie. She should stick to Nightly News.
I guess it's fair to say I am an admirer.
The wonder is...what lies in store as she matures?
- by olebd February 9, 2007 1:01 PM EST
- I like cake Norah! You can send me a piece if you have too much. We can sing a duet together!
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