Norah Comes Away with Grammys

Norah Jones was wrong.

On a night when the jazzy pop singer said she "never, ever thought that the music [she] made would become popular music," Jones' debut, Come Away with Me, proved extremely popular with Grammy voters, a surprise winner for Album of the Year.

The collection brought the 23-year-old Jones four other individual Grammys: Best New Artist (pulling the skateboard out from under Avril Lavigne, who went oh-for-five for the night), Record of the Year (for her tuneful ballad, "Don't Know Why"), Pop Vocal Album and Female Pop Vocal Performance.

"Don't Know Why" also earned songwriter Jesse Harris honors for Song of the Year. Additionally, Come Away with Me was tapped for engineering honors, with its producer, Arif Mardin, named Producer of the Year.

The Night of Norah Jones meant the pundits' predicted Night of Bruce Springsteen never quite happened.

The Big Apple-based 45th Annual Grammy Awards and Springsteen's The Rising were expected to be a perfect match: The September 11-ravaged metropolis honoring the local hero (by way of Jersey) who penned an album about September 11.

But so much for synergy...

Jones' domination meant that Springsteen was shut out of the major categories. Still looking for his first Album of the Year win (despite the presence of the legend-making likes of Born to Run on his résumé), Springsteen could console himself with three Grammys, for Male Rock Vocal Performance, Rock Song and Rock Album. All of those awards were presented in a pre-televised ceremony.

The Dixie Chicks were the night's other big multiple winner. The trio winged their way to three Grammys, including one for Best Country Album for Home.

Eminem, who kept the censors of the CBS telecast at the ready during his live and personally uncensored performance of "Lose Yourself," earned two Grammys, with his The Eminem Show being tapped Best Rap Album.

At least a half-dozen other acts also earned two Grammys a piece, including alternative rockers Coldplay, rapper Nelly, country crooner Faith Hill and blues man B.B. King. King's wins bring his career Grammy haul to 13. Others adding to their trophy case: Johnny Cash, winning his 11th Grammy (Male Country Vocal Performance for "Give My Love a Rose"), and Tony Bennett, winning his 10th (Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Playin' with My Friends: Bennett Sings the Blues).

Overall, eight acts went into Sunday night tied with the most nominations--five each. Only Jones managed a win in every category in which she competed. And only Avril Lavigne managed to lose in every category in which she competed.

Jones' five wins elevated her to elite Grammy company. She now stands with Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys as the most honored female artist on a single Grammy night.

Jones is the daughter of Indian music star Ravi Shankar, the man who turned George Harrison onto the sitar.

Although the TV nation didn't get to hear Springsteen express his thank-yous, they did get to see him rock Madison Square Garden--twice. He first took the stage with his old E Street Band mates for a rendition of his nominated album's title track, then returned with the likes of Elvis Costello and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl to rip through "London Calling," a tribute to the Clash's recently departed Joe Strummer.

Other performance highlights included: A reunited Simon and Garfunkel, who opened the show with a somber (well, more somber than usual) "The Sound of Silence," Coldplay teaming with the New York Philharmonic on a thundering "Politik," Eminem and the Roots dueting on his 8 Mile rap anthem "Lose Yourself" and an unplugged N' Sync, who harmonized on a medley of Bee Gees classics, a tribute to the disco trio's recently departed Maurice Gibb.

The Bee Gees, represented by Maurice Gibb's surviving siblings, Barry and Robin, were among the artists presented (or at least acknowledged) with honorary Grammys on Sunday. That list of legends included "Chances Are" pop singer Johnny Mathis and the late salsa great Tito Puente.

Another posthumous Grammy went to Joe Strummer, honored in the Clash's win for Best Long Form Music Video.

With Norah Jones taking up much of the night's mike time, and Norah Jones being too stunned to say much but niceties, those expecting the Grammys to be a stage for political statements, in this politally charged time, were to be disappointed. Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst, a presenter, was one of the few who spoke to the looming war with Iraq. (For the record, he's against it.)

The three-and-a-half-hour telecast eschewed the host format ostensibly to focus on the people of New York (like, um, presenter Vince Vaughn?), and, of course, CBS stars (King of Queens' Kevin James, 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley, etc.).