Lenny Kravitz

Leonard Albert Kravitz was born in 1964, in New York City. His mother Roxie Roker was famous as an actress in 70s, while his father was a producer on the television. On weekdays, Lenny usually was with parents, but on weekends, he was sent to his grandmother. Sitting in the kitchen there, the boy started using pens and bowls as drums at the age of three. At the age of five, Lenny was definite about becoming a musician. He began to play the drums and later tried the guitar. Along the musical influences of his childhood, one can find jazz, blues, R&B, classical music and opera. In 1974, the Kravitz family moved to Los Angeles, where Roxie started shooting in The Jeffersons series. Lenny's mother persuaded him to sing a choir for three years, while Lenny himself got fascinated with rock music. At the age of fifteen, Kravitz ran away as his parents were against his strive to become an artist. He took a scenic name of Romeo Blue and began performing. In spite of the fears of his parents for his future, the youngster finished the school. He made his father give him the money for the first record - actually, that sum was kept for Lenny's college education.

Kravitz's music attracted several major labels at once, but the performer was asked "to change it a little bit" in order to match the standards. Lenny refused severely. In 1985, his parents divorced. It was a strike for Kravitz, his relations to the father gave a serious crack. However, the same year the artist met actress Lisa Bonet. After two years of friendship, they started dating and married. In 1988, the pair gave birth to their daughter. As Lenny was constantly refused at studious, he decided to record the first album independently. Unexpectedly, the already finished debut disk Let Love Rule managed to be such an attraction for the Virgin Records that they agreed to release it in 1989. The mixture of rock and funk, flavored with the stylish tint of 60s, made Lenny famous all over the world. In 1990, the talented singer-songwriter assisted Madonna in the creation and production of her hit Justify My Love. Rumours about a romance between Kravitz and Madonna became deadly for the artist's marriage - Lenny and Lisa parted in 1991, and divorced in 1993. Around the same time, Kravitz took an active part in the creation of the Vanessa Paradis disc - the debut of French diva Vanessa Paradis and released his sophomore attempt Mama Said.

The piercing ballad It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over and the touching dedication to Lenny's mother Mama Said became mega-hits, and the album Are You Gonna Go My Way of 1993 presented the musician with the prestigious prize BRIT. Lenny was on the top with the successful disc Circus in 1995. The bonus track cover for the Guess Who's American Woman became the main decoration of Kravitz's fifth full-length 5. In 2001, the artist sang a hooky duet God Gave Me Everything with Mick Jagger from Rolling Stones and helped Jagger in the work over his solo disc Goddess In The Doorway. Albums Lenny and Baptism, recorded in 00's, were a world success, as did Kravitz's design campaign Kravitz Design. Known for his charity and anti-war activities, Kravitz released the issue Instant Carma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur, featuring an excellent cover for The Beatles' Cold Turkey. This work's aim is to convince everyone in the need of putting an end to the violence in Darfur. In February 2008, Lenny released his magnificent disc It Is Time For A Love Revolution. However, the same year the auditory should anticipate his long-awaited album Funk, the material for which has been written by Kravitz since 1997.