Perhaps piano-playing prodigy Norah Jones was always destined for greatness: From an early age, it was clear that she had inherited the musical talent of her famous father, Indian sitar legend and esteemed Beatles associate Ravi Shankar. But no one, especially Jones herself, could have predicted that her destiny would arrive so quickly, or spectacularly. Within the course of one short year, the exotic jazz chanteuse with the smoky voice and eyes skyrocketed from complete unknown to critics' darling to unlikely mainstream megastar--with this upward trajectory culminating in an astounding eight-trophy sweep at the 45th annual Grammy Awards. Winning every category in which she was nominated--including Best New Artist and Album, Record, and Song Of The Year--this gifted, torch-singing newcomer even trounced odds-on favorite Bruce Springsteen, in the process doing for jazz in 2003 what the O Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack's Grammy win did for bluegrass and country in 2002.

Come Away With Me was not an overnight sensation, but it garnered immense critical acclaim when it was released in February 2002, and many months later, "Don't Know Why" began receiving radio and VH1 airplay, which increased Jones's buzz. This buzz then grew into a deafening roar when it was announced in January 2003 that Jones had been nominated for an astonishing eight Grammys; a week later, almost a full year after Come Away With Me's initial street date, the album hit number one on the Billboard Top 200.

Although Jones's landslide victory at the 2003 Grammys has established her as both a bona fide superstar and respected artist, it remains to be seen if this is already the peak of her career--which was the case for past Best New Artist winners/young Grammy favorites like Paula Cole and Christopher Cross--or if this is just the beginning. However, with her timeless, far-from-trendy style, it seems likely that Norah Jones will be making beautiful music for a good long time.