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Kravitz was married from 1988 to
ty. ("Music," he said simply, "is life.")
1992. (Like her ex-husband, Bonet is
He has a reputation for being terse
the child of one white, Jewish parent
and aloof with the media, but during
and one black, Christian parent.)
two recent interviews, Kravitz, who
Born Leonard Albert Kravitz in New
performs Saturday, May 22, at Pine
York, 34-year-old Lenny Kravitz grew
Knob, spoke at length about a wide
up in Manhattan until he was 10,
variety of topics.
when his family moved to Los Angeles.
They ranged from his low regard for
It was during his youth in the Big
most current musical trends and his
Apple that he was first exposed to
lifelong love of jazz to his decision last
music, thanks to his parents' close
year to cut off his long dreadlocks ("I
friendships with numerous jazz stars,
wanted a new energy"). He also dis-
including Miles Davis, with whom he
cussed growing up as an only child in a
celebrated several joint birthday parties.
family with a black mother (the now-
"Duke Ellington and his saxophon-
deceased actress Roxie Roker, best
ist, Paul Gonsalves, played 'Happy
known for her role on TV's "The
Birthday' to me for
Jeffersons") and white father
my 5th or 6th birth-
Opposite
page:
(TV producer Sy Kravitz).
day at the Rainbow
"My dad is Jewish and
Lenny Kravitz: " I grew up
Room. I knew 'Take
my mom was Christian, and having a very good sense of
the "A" Train' and a
it was open to me," Kravitz family, which — as I became
couple
of his tunes,
said. "I wasn't forced to do
a teen and saw my _friends'
and I thought he was
anything, and I embrace
home lives — I realized
a nice man with
both sides of my family. I
was not the norm."
white
hair and a goa-
didn't go a lot to synagogue
Inset: Kravitz, before he cut
tee.
But
I didn't
growing up, and I only went
off his famed dreadlocks.
Duke
know
it
was
to Hebrew school a few
Ellington until I grew
times, although I wanted to.
older, and then I was like, 'Oh (exple-
"It was a little traumatic at that
tive)!"' Kravitz said with a laugh.
young age — 7, 8, 9, 10 years old —
"My parents took me around a lot
because there weren't any other brown
to hear music. I saw Duke, Sarah
people in the synagogue with Afros. I
[Vaughan], Count [Basie], Kenny
didn't care at all, but I was kind of a
Burrell,
Miles [Davis], Red Norvo,
novelty and was stared at. A black kid
Cleo Laine, Bobby Short, Lionel
never walked into the temple, really. So
Hampton. From the age of 6 to 9,
it was different for them, and a little
these were the kind of acts I used to
too much attention for me. But I went
go see. At the same time, I'd go to the
to all my holiday functions with my
Apollo Theater with my mom and see
family, and that was fun.
the Jackson 5 when they were young.
Even over a long-distance phone
"So I saw a lot of [stuff at a very
line, Kravitz's affection for his parents
young
age, and that's probably why I'm
is immediately clear. He credits them
doing what I'm doing today, besides the
with instilling in him a spiritual belief
fact I had it in me. These experiences
system and family values not usually
made my life so much richer. I'm not a
espoused by rock stars.
jazz musician, per se, but I have jazz in
"Music is spiritual, and it's a gift, and
me, and I think jazz and understand
I thank God for my gift and my life,"
jazz. The fact I've experienced lots of dif-
he said. "And life itself is a blessing, so it
ferent styles of music has helped me and
comes out naturally [by] singing about
been
a major asset, and the fact [that] I
God and singing about love. These are
can
play
and understand a lot of styles."
the kind of values I grew up with.
He laughed again.
"I grew up having a very good sense
"Miles Davis was a guy to me
of family, which — as I became a teen
before he was Miles Davis. We ended
and saw my friends' home lives — I
up playing together after my song 'Let
realized was not the norm. Not every-
Love Rule' came out [in 1989]."
one had a close family life and got
Four of Kravitz's touring band mem-
along with their parents and grandpar-
bers
are accomplished jazz musicians,
ents. Whereas in my family, we all
most notably drummer Cindy
hung out together, and still do.
Blackman, who has recorded several
"I have an 89-year-old grandfather,
solo albums. He introduced her to rock
and I still see him. Not because I have
and funk from the 1960s and '70s
to visit him every third Sunday or
when she joined his band, in much the
something, but because we're home-
same way he has exposed many of his
boys and like to hang.
young fans to those same styles.
Kravitz also is close to his own
"I think it ends up happening that
daughter, 10-year-old Zoe. Her moth-
people
see me as some kind of mis-.
er is actress Lisa Bonet, to whom
John Tanasychtik Detroit Free Press
January 8th, 1999
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Detroit Jewish News
87