I whanau a Jones ki a Geethali Norah Jones Shankar i te Poutu-te-rangi 30, 1979 i Manhattan, New York, ki te kaiwhakanao konohete Amerika a Sue Jones me te kaiwaiata Inia a Ravi Shankar. I muri i te wehenga o ona maatua kore i te 1986, i noho a Norah me tona whaea, i tipu ake i Grapevine, Texas. I haere ia ki te Colleyville Middle School me te Grapevine High School i mua i te whakawhiti ki Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts i Dallas. I mau tana puoro i tana ahua tuatahi i te whare karakia Methodist i reira i waiata ai ia i nga wa katoa. I te kura tuarua, i waiata ia i roto i te whare karakia jazz, i uru ki te roopu, i purei i te saxophone alto. I te 16 o ona tau, me te whakaaetanga o nga matua e rua, ka hurihia e ia tona ingoa ki a NJ. I tiimata a Norah Jones ki te waiata a Bill Evans me te kaiwhakatangitangi konohete a Billie Holiday i te 1986, i noho tahi me tana whaea, i
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