Lenny Kravitz

At 59 years old, Lenny Kravitz has this physical status:

Leonard Albert Kravitz (born May 26, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, singer, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist.

His "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, blues, soul, R&B, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop, folk, and ballads. In a row from 1999 to 2002, he received the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, as well as the fastest individual wins in a single category for the first time in a male.

He has been nominated for and received many prestigious trophies, including American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, Brit Awards, and Blockbuster Entertainment Awards.

He has also been ranked number 93 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

Kravitz was made an Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres on December 1, 2011.

In the Hunger Games film series, he appeared as Cinna.

Early life

Leonard Albert Kravitz was born in New York City, the youngest child of NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz (1924–2005) and actress Roxie Roker (1929–1995). His mother was born in a Christian family of African-American and Bahamian descent. Kravitz's father was of Russian Jewish descent. Kravitz is Al Roker's second cousin as their grandfathers were brothers, according to his mother. He was named after his uncle, Leonard M. Kravitz, a private first class who was killed in combat in the Korean War at the age of 20, was killed in combat, but his platoon was able to escape due to a Chinese attack.

Kravitz did not grow up in a religious environment during his childhood. He began attending church and later became a non-denominational Christian after having a spiritual experience when he was 13. Kravitz and his parents, who are attending P.S., grew up spending weekdays on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Bessie's grandmother's house in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of six children and spending weekends at his grandmother Bessie's house.

Kravitz began out banging pots and pans in the kitchen, playing them as drums from the age of three. At the age of five, he decided to be a guitarist. He began playing the drums and soon began playing guitar. He grew up listening to the music his parents loved: R&B, jazz, classical, opera, gospel, gospel, and blues. "My parents were extremely supportive of the fact that I loved music early on, and they took me to a number of shows," he said. He saw The Jacksons perform at Madison Square Garden at age 7, and he became one of his favorite performers. On his fifth birthday, Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Short, Miles Davis, and other jazz legends were allies; Ellington was also a jazz promoter; and later, Ellington performed "Happy Birthday" for him.

Kravitz and his parents were moving to Los Angeles in 1974 when his mother landed her role on The Jeffersons at the age of 10. He sang with the Metropolitan Opera at his mother's request and joined the California Boys Choir for three years, where he sung a classical repertoire and appeared in a classical version. At the Hollywood Bowl, he appeared in Mahler's Third Symphony. Kravitz was introduced to rock music in Los Angeles, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Jimi Hendrix, Jed Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Black Sabbath, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Kiss, Pink Floyd, and the Who, and the Who said he was "attracted to the cool look, the girls, the rock 'n' He was also introduced to marijuana during his junior high school years; he has said he was a "pothead" during his youth. Fela Kuti, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Pharoah Sanders, and Miles Davis were among his musical influences at the time. In the form of John Lennon and Bob Marley, later influences were introduced. Kravitz attended Beverly Hills High School, where he worked with Maria McKee, Nicolas Cage, and Slash. He taught himself piano and bass, met with Zoro, who would later become his long-time collaborator. In 1985, his parents divorced, which had a huge effect on him.

Kravitz is the honorary nephew of Diahann Carroll, whom he referred to Aunt D, and actor Cicely Tyson was his godmother.

Personal life

Kravitz met Cosby Show actress Lisa Bonet backstage at a New Edition performance in California in 1985. Before starting a relationship, they were close friends for two years. Kravitz returned to New York City, where the Cosby Show was on display, and Bonet took over. On November 16, 1987, their 20th birthday, they eloped to be married in a Las Vegas wedding. Kravitz, who was still known as Romeo Blue at the time, has found himself in tabloid headlines. Zo Isabella Kravitz, who became an actor, singer, and model, was born on December 1, 1988, and he and Bonet had a daughter, Zo Isabella Kravitz. In 1991, Kravitz and Bonet were divorced. In 1993, the two families divorced amicably.

Vanessa Paradis, a French singer and actress, appeared on Kravitz from 1991 to 1996. He first met Brazilian model Adriana Lima in 2001 and they lived together before becoming engaged in 2002. In April 2003, the engagement was called off. In Kravitz's 2002 album "Yesterday Is Gone (My Dear Kay)," Lima was included in a music video. He then dated and was engaged to Australian actress Nicole Kidman from 2003 to 2004.

Kravitz describes himself as a Christian by choice, but "I'm also a Jew." It's all the same to me." "I'm half Jewish, I'm half black, I'm half black, I'm in-between" during another interview. He also states that "spiritual growth has been a key topic in [his] growth," citing his upbringing by parents of various faiths. Such spirituality appears in several of his songs, including the lyrics on his album Baptism, as well as a tattoo on his back that reads "My Heart Belongs to Jesus Christ." He said in 2011 that his 2005 religious pledge to remain celibate until remarriage was unchanged. However, in a 2014 interview with Men's Health, he reconsidered his previous position.

Kravitz's Miami Beach home sold for $16.5 million in 2017. He owns a house in Paris, a Brazilian farm house, and a trailer with the Bahamas' surrounding land.

He follows veganism on a mostly raw vegan diet, and he raises his own food in Brazil and the Bahamas. Kravitz was named one of the Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities of 2022 by PETA, as well as singer/songwriter Anitta.

He is a member of Artists Against Racism, a Canadian charity that has worked on a radio PSA.

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Career

Kravitz decided to record an album on his own after record labels continued to tell him that his music was not "black enough" or "white enough." When recording a demo at his Hoboken, New Jersey recording studio in 1985, Kravitz had met recording engineer, keyboardist, and bassist Henry Hirsch. Both the two girls expressed an interest in using real instruments and vintage recording equipment, as well as a love of R&B, jazz, and rock. Kravitz would continue to collaborate with Hirsch on the majority of his albums. Kravitz started working on his debut album with Hirsch over the next year and a half, with Kravitz's father paying for the studio time. Kravitz met saxophonist Karl Denson and was invited to perform on the song "Let Love Rule." Kravitz was so impressed with his playing that Denson appeared on a portion of the album. Denson first performed with Kravitz for five years, beginning in the late 1980s.

Kravitz met Stephen Elvis Smith, who had been the music director on Lisa Bonet's The Cosby Show spin-off A Different World, in October 1988, after finishing most of the recording. Smith appeared on Kravitz's mother on the hit sitcom The Jeffersons. Smith was advised by Kravitz to handle his work and assist him in securing a lucrative contract. Five labels (Warner Bros, Elektra, Geffen, Capitol, and Virgin) were fighting in a bidding war for Kravitz in less than a month of buying. In January 1989, a deal was struck with Virgin Records and signed by Virgin A&R executive Nancy Jeffries. The label was "excited" about the music he was making, as well as his connection with wife Bonet and their new daughter, Zoe. Kravitz reclaimed the Lenny Kravitz moniker on Smith's request. "It's brought me right back to myself," Kravitz said of his time as Romeo Blue. And when I finally did admit to myself, it came out of me."

In 1989, Kravitz's debut album Let Love Rule was released, a mash-up of rock and funk with a 1960s vibe. Some believed Kravitz was a gifted new artist, but others believed he was overwhelmed by his musical influences. The album was a modest success in the United States, but it became a hit outside of the United States, particularly in Europe. "Let Love Rule" was Lisa Bonet's first music video for the title track. Stephen Smith signed Kravitz, the talent booking company that soon were fielding calls for Kravitz, first on a club tour, and then in first slots for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie. Kravitz, who has played virtually all of the instruments on the album, had to find a touring band to promote the Let Love Rule release. Virgin also published a 20th anniversary edition of Let Love Rule in May 2009. In support of the re-release, Kravitz led a LLR(20) tour of Europe and the United States.

At the John Lennon Memorial Concert in May 1990, he performed "Cold Turkey" on his own. Kravitz co-wrote with Ingrid Chavez in 1990 and produced the song "Justify My Love" for Madonna. The song, which appeared on her greatest hits album The Immaculate Collection and sparked controversy due to its explicit video, went to number one for two weeks in a row. In 1991, Kravitz appeared in "Give a Chance" as a member of the Gulf War.

Kravitz divorced Lisa Bonet in 1991, the first rumors of an affair between him and Madonna. Kravitz has denied any infidelity. In 1993, Kravitz and Bonet were divorced. Vanessa Paradis, a French singer and actress, was born in 1971. Kravitz released the self-titled album Vanessa Paradis (1991). He played most of the instruments and co-wrote the majority of the songs on the album.

In 1991, Kravitz's second album, Mama Said, became his first album to reach the Top 40. Bonet and dedicated to her were among the album's tracks, revealing his inability after their breakup. "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over" was a single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the Top 100. Slash on guitar featured on his second single "Always on the Run," a salute to his mother. "Stand by My Woman" and "What Goes Around Comes Around" are followed by "What Goes Around Comes Around" is followed by "What Goes Around Comes Around." "All I Ever Wanted" was written and performed on piano by Sean Lennon.

Kravitz wrote "Line Up" for Aerosmith in 1993 and appeared on Mick Jagger's solo album "Use Me" on a bill Withers soul album "Use Me" in Bill Withers' "Use Me" on a Bill Withers soul album "Use Me" in 1994 and performed on David Bowie's "British Buddhist "Conditions" on a back cover. Kravitz appeared with idols Al Green and Curtis Mayfield during the 2000s. Are You Gonna Go My Way was released in 1993, debuting at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and Kravitz was named Best International Male Artist in 1994. The title track received a MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video for Mark Romanek's video in which Kravitz slung his dreadlocks and wore high-heeled platform boots. He performed the song with Led Zeppelin on bass at the MTV Video Music Awards. Several singles from the album will follow, including "Believe," "Is There Any Love In Your Heart," and "Heaven Help/Spinning Around Over You." Craig Ross, the first to feature guitarist Craig Ross, who has also appeared on all his subsequent albums, was featured on this album. One song, "Eleutheria," was inspired by the island Eleuthera in The Bahamas, where Kravitz built a house and recording studio. He also released Spinning Around Over You, a collection of four live tracks from his Universal Love Tour in 1993. Doug Nichol directed Alive from Planet Earth in 1994, a satire documentary about his 1994 travels.

Kravitz performed "Main Squeeze" with Teena Marie from her Passion Play CD in 1994. When she tragically died on December 26, 2010, Kravitz made a video to honor Teena Marie. For the KISS cover album Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved, he produced a funk-rock version of the song "Deuce." Stevie Wonder on harmonica and background vocals appeared on the album. This song was one of three radio singles from the album, and it was also the album's lead-off track. Roxie Roker, Kravitz's mother, died in California on December 2, 1995, at the age of 66. Kravitz launched the album Circus in 1995, which debuted at number ten on the Billboard chart as a result of his previous success. However, the album contained only two hit singles, "Rock and Roll Is Dead" and "Can't Get You Off My Mind."

Kravitz took advantage of digital technologies such as Pro Tools and samplers for the first time in 2005. Engineer/producer Terry Manning was hired by Kravitz in both his own New York City carriage house and Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas, recording duties. Due to the hit single "Fly Away" being prominent in both carmaker and airline commercials, 5 brought his music to a larger audience. 5 will debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number six, with "Fly Away" peaking at number 12 on both the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts, as well as top the charts in Iceland and the United Kingdom. At the 1999 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. He would win his first of his four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. "If You Can't Say No" was remixed by dance producer Brian Transeau, and "I Belong to You" were among the album's hits. Kravitz can be seen without his signature dreadlocks in this video on "I Belong to You". On her solo album Street Faerie, he produced and performed with Cree Summer in 1999.

His copy of "American Woman" earned him another Grammy at the Grammy Awards in 2000 and brought The Guess Who's Song to a new audience. The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack, originally appeared on Kravitz' version of the song, which was released in 1999 as a bonus track. Kravitz appeared on two songs for Michael Jackson's Invincible album in 2001; a sneak peek of "Another Day" was leaked, and a complete version of the album Michael was released on Michael in 2010.

In 2000, Kravitz released a Greatest Hits album. It was his most commercially successful album of the decade, peaking at #2 on the Billboard 200 and selling nearly 11 million copies around the world, eventually making it one of the country's most profitable albums of the decade. In the Grammy Awards of 2001, he received his third Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal in his third straight appearance, placing him at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. In this period, Kravitz co-wrote the song "God Gave Me Everything" with Mick Jagger, appearing on Jagger's 2001 solo album Goddess in the Doorway and in the film Being Mick. Kravitz participated in a benefit auction for the Red Hot Organization in conjunction with Amazon.com to raise public AIDS awareness in 2001, running from February 28 to April 11, 2001. Rare RHO memorabilia and Rolling Stone photographer Mark Seliger were on display at the festival.

In October 2001, Kravitz's sixth album Lenny debuted. The album was shot in Miami. After the Miami Police Department arrested and cuffed him while walking to the gym with his trainer because police said he matched the description of a bank robber, Kravitz wrote the song "Bank Robber Man." Kravitz had no identifier at the time, and the police on the scene did not agree that he was indeed Lenny Kravitz. The bank teller who had been robbed was then called to the scene and explained that Kravitz was not the bank robbery. Officers in Miami were sent by police in Kravitz's home to apologize for the detention. When asked if he thought the incident was a case of racial profiling, Kravitz said he was not sure, although some of the songs suggest otherwise. "Dig In," the album's first single, debuted in Argentina and Italy and Portugal, and it reached the top ten in Argentina and Portugal. The video for "Dig In" was supposed to be shot at the Empire State Building on September 12, 2001, but the World Trade Center's location was relocated due to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The video was later shot off the coast of Miami. In 2002, he received his fourth Grammy Award. The album's "Stillness of Heart," "Believe in Me," and "If I Could Fall In Love" were two of the album's singles.

Ex Chief Photographer Mark Seliger's photo book "Rolling Stone" featured Kravitz. Seliger captured Kravitz on tour, with family, with family, and in posed portraits that were published in November 2001. On his 2002 The Gift & the Curse, Jay-Z invited Kravitz to appear on the track "Guns and Roses." On the Bad Boys II Soundtrack's track "Show Me Your Soul," Kravitz will also appear alongside P. Diddy, Pharrell, and Loon. In the episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" of The Simpsons, Kravitz appeared alongside other rock stars in September 2002. Kravitz introduced the track "We Want Peace" as a download-only track during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, alongside the legendary Iraqi singer Kazem Al Saher at Rock the Vote in early 2003. According to the worldwide internet download charts and MP3.com download chart, the track has risen to the top of the world internet download charts and MP3.com download chart. On the album Power of Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Kravitz appeared on Unity, the official album of the 2004 Athens Olympics, and did a tribute to him.

In May 2004, Kravitz's seventh album Baptism was released. "Where Are We Runnin'?" was the first single. The single "California" did not do well, but "Storm," starring Jay-Z, made the charts, and "California" failed to be a hit on commercials. "Calling All Angels" was a hit in several countries and Brazil, but it was "Lady" that made the album's surprise hit, earning the US Top 30 and boosting Baptism to gold status. He appeared on N.E.R.D.'s album Fly or Die in 2004. Kravitz toured around the world with the tour Electric Church, which culminated at the Brixton Academy in London in July 2005. On their fall 2005 tour, Kravitz opened Aerosmith, who are long-time Kravitz fans. On October 30, the tour began at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. On the night before the tour began, Kravitz's father, TV show producer Seymour "Sy" Kravitz, died. Kravitz broke the news to the adoring audience, saying that it wasn't sad but rather a moment to celebrate because he is now in Heaven. Kravitz later dedicated Let Love Rule to his father. The tour was so popular that it was postponed until February 25, 2006, and then ended in Anaheim, California.

Kravitz contributed "Breathe" to absoluttracks in January 2006, a program run by Absolut Vodka. This song was re-mixed by ten musical designers and released via the internet. During numerous shows, Kravitz appeared in the audience of Madonna's Confessions Tour (2006). At the last of four Paris shows, he joined Madonna on stage to play guitar on the album "I Love New York." Kravitz Design, a design company based in Kravitz, claims that if he had not been a singer, he would have been a designer. Kravitz Design, a firm that specializes in interior and furniture design, has created residential spaces as well as a chandelier for Swarovski's crystal company "Casino Royale."

On July 7, 2007, Kravitz appeared at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth in Rio de Janeiro, making him one of three leading international rock stars to perform two major free concerts at the world-famous Copacabana Beach, as well as Macy Gray and The Rolling Stones. On March 21, 2005, Kravitz had already appeared at a concert of his own, drawing 300,000 people. The Live Earth concert, which featured eight other performers, including Pharrell and Macy Gray, attracted 400,000 on the beach. On the charity CD "Independence International Campaign to Save Darfur," Kravitz produced a version of "Cold Turkey" by John Lennon in 2007. Kravitz also spent time on recording his latest album, It's Time for a Love Revolution, which was released in February 5, 2008. The Fats Domino tribute album Goin' Home was released on September 25, 2007. Together with Rebirth Brass Band, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, and Maceo Parker, Kravitz appeared on "Whole Lotta Lovin'.

On November 25, 2007, Kravitz appeared at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, where the Saskatchewan Roughriders defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19. Marc Webb's original video for "I'll Be Waiting" was shot in Central Park in New York City, but the project was later shelved and a new version, directed by Kravitz and Philip Andelman, was shot in Kravitz's New York City recording studio. On VH1's Top 20 Countdown at number 3, the video premiered. Kravitz began a nine-city mini-tour to promote his latest album It's Time for a Love Revolution on January 17, 2008. The tour began in Santa Monica, California, and ended in New York City on February 1.

Kravitz was admitted to Miami Hospital with severe bronchitis on February 11, 2008. Since mid-January, he had been suffering from a string of chronic respiratory tract infections, and his disease had effected him into bronchitis. Kravitz's illness prompted him to postpone Canadian dates and his trip to Europe in order to promote his album It's Time for a Love Revolution. Due to the same illness, he cancelled the South American portion of his tour on March 19, 2008. The decision had a dramatic effect on live performances in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Quilmes Rock Fest, Argentina, was a hit at the largest rock festival in the country, Kravitz. In Milan, Italy, Kravitz was honoured with the key to the city in a special toast ceremony on July 15, 2008, for his contributions to the United Nations Millennium Campaign to eliminate world poverty.

In Precious, Kravitz made his debut in acting in Precious, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009. During his 53-year Let Love Rule 2009 European tour, Kravitz was advised to cancel several shows due to yet another bout of bronchitis. The singer was told to rest under strict instructions from his doctor so he could recover quickly and return to the stage for the remainder of his tour. On June 5 and Brescia, the exhibitions had been postponed until late July.

Kravitz's next album, tentatively called Funk, was tentatively titled Negrophilia and was set to be released sometime in 2010. This is said to be a project that Kravitz has been working on since 1997. When he was in New Orleans at Allen Toussaint's studio while taking a break from recording in New York City, he made some of the original tracks for Funk. In his GTS studios in the Bahamas, Kravitz appears to be working on "Super Love," one of the album's songs. In his GTS Studios, he appears to be on another track named "Life Ain't Been Better Than It Is Now." Kravitz said that the album name was Negrophilia but that "felt like something else" on his Twitter page, but that "felt like something else." The album was then called Black and White in America. In Europe and the United States, the album was released on August 22, 2011 and on August 30, 2011.

The first single "Come on Get It" was released on February 20, 2011. On June 6, 2011, the second single "Stand" was released. In 2010, Kravitz would be supporting U2 on their second North American leg. For four shows, Kravitz promised to help them. Despite the fact that the performances were postponed until 2011, Kravitz kept commitments for four of the performances.

Kravitz would appear on an episode of the forthcoming season of Entourage in June 2010.

When Kravitz was named Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French cultural minister Frederic Mitterrand in Paris in 2011, he was honoured with one of France's highest cultural awards. Kravitz expressed he was "particularly honored" to receive the award in France because his country long pre-dates his success in the United States, and now has a record-breaking success in the region. Kravitz befriended American artists such as Martin Scorsese, George Clooney, and Bob Dylan. He appeared at the Daytona International Speedway in the Daytona 500, the first race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, on February 26, 2012. In American singer Chris Willis' album "Too Much In Love," released on August 16, 2011, a sample of "Are You Gonna Go My Way" was included.

Lenny Kravitz appeared in Katniss' first two Hunger Games films, Cinna, 2012 and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, released on November 22, 2013.

Lenny Kravitz's tenth studio album Strut on his own Roxie Records, is available on Kobalt Label Services. Kravitz appeared with Katy Perry at the Super Bowl XLIX halftime show in 2015.

Kravitz squatted down during a Stockholm guitar solo, causing his leather pants to rip. Since Kravitz was not wearing underpants, his genitals were briefly revealed to the audience for a short time. He did not face any legal consequences as a result of the incident.

In 2015, Kravitz introduced a furniture collection in collaboration with CB2.

For the first time ever, he became a furniture designer, and CB2 x Kravitz design was sold in CB2 x Kravitz style through retailer CB2. According to reports, the collection was inspired by the 1970s and by Italian designer Gabriella Crespi's work.

He appeared on Better Things on FX Television in 2016, as Mel Trueblood's part. In 2017, he was cast on the Fox Television series Star in his first recurring television role as Roland Crane.

Raise Vibration's world tour, 2018 coincided with the unveiling of his 11th studio album.

Kravitz signed a new worldwide publishing music contract with BMG Rights Management in April 2018. In 2013, BMG acquired Kravitz's music publishing rights as part of Virgin Music Publishing.

Kravitz had already begun working on a sequel to Raise Vibration, as well as a potential soundtrack to a forthcoming film project, according to the same Rolling Stone interview.

Kravitz was named one of the Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities in the United States in July 2022 by PETA.

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