Norah Jones Played John Lennon’s Piano For George Harrison | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

it is funny when you get this is just a. tangent but when you get to hold an. iconic instrument yeah if you've had. that experience I'm sure you have where. it's it's uh you know a famous guitar. that you get to hold on no if I actually. have but my friends we did a song with. Willie and. um before he got to the studio his his. tech asked a friend of mine to tune it. or to hold it and play it while they. while they did the sound and if my. friend was pretty excited to play. trigger I would imagine yeah that would.

be pretty freaky I think uh I've seen. just over the years well through Danny. Harrison I was in England and went by. his house which was his dad's house. obviously and he he uh let me he showed. me and he's acting like it oh you know. do you want to hold the 1963 Gretch Duo. Jet that my dad played in the cavern oh. wow and I was thinking I shouldn't touch. it it's like I will defile it and then. you realize it's a guitar yeah and it.

needs to be played it wants to be played. it wants to be well actually the guitar. did see me and say no not here. [Laughter]. that's so funny actually you're. reminding me I have played a very famous. piano and I got to go to Friar Park and. met George Harrison and Danny was there. and Olivia when I first reconnected with. my dad actually I was kidding I was 18. years old we finally reconnected and we.

got very close over the years after that. so it was a a great thing and I remember. I landed in London to go visit them for. the first time in a long time and. they're like we're going to George's. house for dinner so just take a nap. clean up I was like okay whatever I. didn't know we were going to George. Harrison's house oh my God who is this. George anyway I was kind of oblivious. you know I was just jet lagged and young. and we get there and he he was so sweet.

yeah and he was so happy to see me and. my dad reconnect as well and um and he. idolized your dad he did clearly it was. your dad changed his life yeah I mean it. was it was kind of a crazy night and I. was half half jet-lagged through the. whole thing but he um he asked me to. play for him because my dad told him. that I was this piano player and I was. like okay because I just was like you. know I knew who he was at that point of. course you played for George Harrison so. I wow I sat down at this piano which now.

I know I didn't at the time but I think. it was one of John Lennon's pianos yes. and I've seen it because it when I was. there I think they moved it to it this. was in a different it's not in the house. when I saw it it's there's this other. place where they shot all the interviews. for the Anthology and it's got this hand. painting on it it's got painting like a. rainbow and these sort of psychedelic. stuff yeah I didn't know this at the. time and I was kind of just oblivious to. the whole meaning of the moment but I. sat down and I played an old Hoagy.

Carmichael song called The Nearness of. You and he was so sweet and it was just. a very funny moment that I just now. remembered and he like I'm sure he loved. it yeah I mean he was kind about it I. don't know. if he hated it he pretended he loved it. you are Norah Jones. I was 18. and I know but if I had come. in at 18 and played a song on the piano. for for George Harrison it would have. gone very differently well I sang it too.

so that that was kind of a funny yeah. yeah exactly luckily I didn't know the. instrument was so historic yeah it's. good not to know those I think so it's. better to just be oblivious yeah. um I'm kind of intrigued that when you. first started out before you had all. your success you were a lounge singer. and. for just a little bit you were a lounge. singer and I'm thinking. um you know let's say things hadn't.

blown up for you do you do you think you. could have like made your peace with. being a lounge singer for a long time or. is that a tough gig I mean it's. something you know really know right you. can't go back I I wouldn't yeah I kind. of was a lounge singer but it was really. more like a restaurant than a lounge so. you're playing for people while they're. eating yeah and and usually they. wouldn't clap and nobody heard but the. gig was actually to just play piano but. since I sang I asked if I could bring a. little little amp and and sing like. every five songs or something and it was.

actually the best practice I ever had. this is in college in Dallas and um I I. basically learned how to sing and play. at the same time because it's kind of a. coordination thing sure yeah so it was. it was great practice and every once in. a while the whole restaurant like one. person would just start clapping and. then slowly the whole restaurant would. start clapping. but then usually they weren't they. weren't clapping at all I. um oh man I will tell you that first of. all the the thing I hate the most in. comedy is when you have to.

perform for people who are eating yeah. that's horrible and it doesn't matter. what stage you get to there's there are. benefits yeah where you they say okay go. on up and you have your jokes and you. have your riffs that you want to do and. you get up on stage and you hear the. distinct sound of of of silverware. hitting it you know clanking together. and then and then and people chewing and. I remember being at the uh there's a big. ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria and I. had to do benefits there a million times.

when I was in New York and being up. there and the crowd doesn't even know. just a voice of God goes ladies and. gentlemen O'Brien and and people are. just getting there like plates are being. put down and served and people are. saying no no I said red not white yeah. and I walked upstage and there wasn't. even any sense that I was on stage yeah. and I go well anyway and I start to get. into my thing and a man was sitting. right in the front row oh just signed. and his back was to me and he was. cutting into his meat and he put it in.

his mouth and he's chewing and then he. whipped his head around to look at who's. this annoying person at the podium. behind me and I just saw a chewing. unhappy face looking up at me that's not. great and I thought this this is I. don't want to perform for people eating. you can have like a no eating clause. I'll do it but not when they're eating. when they're eating directly before. dinner or after the plates have been. cleared but I will tell you this Nora I.

am a person who if I'm anywhere if I'm. in a bar or restaurant and someone's. playing when they finish the song I. applaud yeah I don't care and sometimes. it's awkward because I get. self-conscious because if you're the if. I start applauding and no one else does. I think I'm making the situation worse. yeah especially if no one else does yeah. it's kind of weird and also you're. drawing attention to yourself well I. love that part oh okay I didn't know if. you like that.

I go out I actually want to go out in a. t-shirt if it says I am burning O'Brien. and then parentheses it explains who. that is you start clapping in the middle. of the song yeah yeah. [Laughter]. on me. I just want to get a cockaroo while. we're here.

[Applause]. thank you. I. just want to get a cockroach that's what. she said yeah exactly I've been getting. that all my life.