YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN TO GET THE "The best Pizza in Metro Detroit" 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. 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