When Lenny Kravitz started his career in the music industry he was so poor he had to live in a car that he rented for $5 a day. Now he’s a four-time Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, author and arranger, who’s also acted in films such as Precious and The Hunger Games. Yes, Lenny Albert (Kravitz) is a pretty impressive man. And even better he’s coming to Marbella this month!
But Lenny’s journey to success was not an easy ride. Despite the fact his parents were already film stars, Lenny rejected their help in order to begin his career alone. So after graduating in 1982 Lenny left home and hit the road with next to nothing.
In a chance meeting on arrival in New York City, he fell in love with the 80’s star of The Cosby Show, Lisa Benet. In fact New York was a lucky place for young Lenny, as it was also where he met recording engineer Henry Hirsh, which kickstarted the release of his first album, Let Love Rule in 1989.
In the following years, Lenny and Hirsh, both with a shared passion for mixing jazz, rock and R&B released the track which made his career. Are You Gonna Go My Way released in 1993 earned Kravitz a Brit Award for Best International Male Artist and an MTV Music Award for Best Video. At a time when all music videos were played on MTV and were make or break for the artist, Lenny thrashing on his electric guitar with his unruly dreadlocks, leather trousers and platforms made for unmissable viewing.
Everything seemed to be perfect in Lenny´s world. He had an unstoppable recording career of his own and was even producing records and playing guitar for the likes of Mick Jagger, Madonna, Aerosmith and David Bowie.
However things started to go badly for the star when Lenny´s mum died at age 66 of breast cancer and after 8 years together, Lisa and Lenny sadly got divorced. Lenny blamed the separation on the teachings of his father. “My mother loved my father. My father just liked women,” Lennie explained in an episode of Oprah’s Master Class. “My father was getting ready to leave and move out” Lenny described that he clearly remember his father saying to me, ‘You’ll do it, too.’ It messed me up.
Unfortunately his father’s prediction seemingly became true when the couple divorced after rumours of Kravitz infidelity. Following the break up Lenny released his darkest album; Circus. Some of the songs in this album make it clear just how much Lenny was suffering. For example, in the song Can’t Get You Off My Mind Lenny sings, “I don’t wanna lose you baby, and I don’t wanna be alone. Don’t wanna live my days without you, but for now I’ve got to be without you.”
However despite cheating rumours (with none other than Madonna), Lisa and Lenny have remained friends. Which was made obvious when they attended this year’s Met Gala Ball together, and were photographed linking arms.
But now for the past 8 years Lisa has been dating Jason Momoa (Aquaman). Lenny has made an effort to be friends with Lisa’s new man. Kravitz said his ongoing friendship with Lisa is especially due to their daughter, Zoe Kravitz, who is now a successful American actress, singer and model.
“We had Zoe, which is, I see now, what it was all about. It was really all about bringing this beautiful child to the planet and also sharing the love that [Lisa and I] had,” said Lenny. “When we’re all together now, we’re all together and we’re one big happy family. It’s beautiful and it just shows you what can be done.”
Today you will probably recognise Zoe from films such as X-Men: First Class, Divergent, Insurgent and Mad Max: Fury Road. Performing just seems to be within the Kravitz family’s blood. Lenny’s mother, Roxie Roker, even broke racial barriers with her performance in The Jefferson’s, where her character married a white man, the first interracial couple to be shown on prime time television.
But growing up in a life of fame and fortune does not mean Lenny missed out on those typical gross jobs that most teenagers have to get. In fact, in high school he worked in a fish market, cutting up fish for a living. But yet hung out with celebs like actor Joe Namath, and was shown how to play piano by jazz legend Duke Ellington.
Over all it seems Lenny has kept himself very busy over the years. “Between the music … the photography, the acting, and the design company that I run, it’s pretty much 24/7,” Lenny said at an interview this week in Paris.
But now at the age of 51, he believes it is time to make room for someone special.
“There’s times you say, Man, I’d love to be married again, and I’d love to have a family’ and all of these things. But I’ve sacrificed that for all of these things that I do,” Kravitz admitted at the interview. “I don’t have regrets, because that would mean I’m not trusting in what’s to be. I am waiting to see what happens – I’m a free man.”
Lenny said that now there is love missing in his life. “I can feel that it’s time — you know, those things will continue, because I love them — but I need to make room for a new personal life.”
At the interview this week Lenny also revealed that his next ambition is to direct movies.
“I would do an indie film, do my own film,” he says, adding that he’s working on a script. “I don’t know if many people know I want to do that [directing]. I think it’s something I’m going to do.”
But until then we still have his live music to enjoy, as Lenny is touring this month in Denmark, France, Portugal, Italy and Sweden. But most importantly on the 22nd of July this year the legendary rock star Lenny Kravitz will be performing at the Starlite festival in Marbella Spain! Alongside 21 amazing artist such as, Lionel Richie and Enrique Inglesias.
