Early Life
Kravitz was born in 1964 in Manhattan, New York. As the son of a known actress and television producer, he had a blessed childhood. His father was Jewish, while his mother was African American with Bahamian descent.
Kravitz was named after his uncle, and as a three-year-old, he started banging on pans and pots when in the kitchen, pretending to play the drums. When he was five years old, he already knew that he wanted to become a musician.
He first started playing the drums, and soon after started learning how to play the guitar. His parents weren’t foreigners to music, and around them, Lenny was exposed to blues, gospel, opera, jazz, R&B, and classical music. At the same time, his father was a jazz promoter, and he knew people like Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, and so on.
He was able to hang out with these great names as a young kid, and this influenced him a lot. The whole Kravitz family moved to LA, and here, Lenny joined a choir. He stayed there for three years, and during that time, he came in contact with rock music.
He instantly fell in love with this music style and attitude. In 1978, he joined a music program at his school where he learned to play the bass and piano.
Career
After graduating, Lenny moved out of his home and set out to make it in the music business world. Even though his parents were well-connected, Kravitz wanted to do it all on his own. He lived in a rented car and traveled around meeting people from the music industry.
At first, all record labels rejected his music, saying that he didn’t have a clear sound. This made him record his first album on his own. Luckily for him, he and Henry Hirsh shared the same passion for music, and Hirsh had a studio in New Jersey.
For a year and a half, the two worked on his debut album, and recording was mostly done by 1988. The album was released in 1989 titled Let Love Rule. The album reached the number 61 spot on the Billboard charts, and even though it was moderately successful, it didn’t become a hit.
However, when his song Justify My Love was covered by Madonna in 1990, this made Kravitz and his work famous. His sophomore album came out in 1991 titled Mama Said, and the album climbed the top 40 while one of his songs came in at No. 2.
Are You Gonna Go My Way came out in 1993, and the title track earned an MTV Video Music Award. His next album, “Five,” came out in 1998, and it included a lot of digital elements as well. This earned him his first GRAMMY Award. After this, he earned a few more GRAMMYs until the end of the 2000s when he focused more on acting.
Lenny Kravitz Relationships: Who Has He Dated
Lenny Kravitz has always been in the media because of his dating life. There was always something or someone new around, and things were never dull with him. Here are some of the women he has dated throughout his life:
Lisa Bonet (m: 1987 – 1993)
Naomi Campbell (1998)
Devon Aoki (2001)
Adriana Lima (2001 – 2003)
Nicole Kidman (2003 – 2004)
Marisa Tomei (2004)
Michelle Rodriguez (2005)
Whitney Cummings (2016)
Barbara Fialho (2018)
In the News
Lenny Kravitz is a true rocker, and he’s always up to something crazy. Kravitz shocked the public in 2019 when he flashed fans at a live show in Sweden, and a lot of celebrities have commented on the incident.
For him, it seemed like just another day at the office, and many speculated that he did it on purpose to keep the media talking about him.
Even though Kravitz is getting older, he still remains one of the few rock icons that stay true to the spirit of this music. To find out recent news about Kravitz, his shows, and films, make sure to check out The Shade Room.
