Lenny Kravitz Biography

Leonard Albert “Lenny” Kravitz is a Bahamian-American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. His music incorporates numerous influences: blues, soul, funk, jazz, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, pop, folk. Apart from singing, he also plays various instruments. He won the 4 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance between 1999 – 2002. In 2011, Kravitz was honoured with the Officer rank of the “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”. He is currently working on his eleventh album, due for 2017.

Debut and Inspirations

Lenny Kravitz has always longed for a rockstar lifestyle and, even since his teen year, he had a rich baggage of musical inspirations. He picked up R&B, jazz, blues after his parents and then began listening to rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. Therefore, his eclectic style proved to be an advantage from the very beginning. However, Lenny did not always receive support from the record companies. Therefore, he released his debut album,  Let Love Rule, independently. It was a fine effort, mostly due to the success of the title single, but it received mixed reviews.

Breakthrough and Success

Shortly after, Kravitz demonstrated that he was “the full package” after he gained major recognition for co-writing Madonna’s hit song Justify My Love. Furthermore, he produced Vanessa Paradis‘s self-titled album. In 1991 he released his second album, Mama Said, to critical acclaim. The album reached top 40 in the US and spawned the single It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over, which peaked at number 2 on the Hot 100 chart. Moreover, he collaborated with Steven Tyler, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and other consecrated stars. In 1993, his popularity expanded with the release of Are You Gonna Go My Way, which reached number 12 on the Billboard 200. Additionally, the album brought Kravitz several awards. In 1998, the artist produced one of his most well-known singles, Fly Away, from the album 5.  The single peaked at number 28 in the US and topped the UK charts. The album also spawned the massive hit song I Belong to You. 

Photo source: Discogs