Biography for
Lenny Kravitz More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

26 May 1964, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name

Leonard Albert Kravitz

Height

5' 7" (1.70 m)

Mini Biography

Four time Grammy Award Winner Leonard "Lenny" Albert Kravitz was born on 26 May 1964 in New York, USA, the only child of Bahamian actress Roxie Roker and Hollywood Producer Sy Kravitz. The family moved to California when Lenny was 10.

He started playing the drums and guitar at the age of five, influenced by his parents' love of R&B, jazz, classical, opera and blues. In Los Angeles, his mother encouraged him to join the California Boys Choir and Metropolitan Choir. He attended Beverly Hills High School, where he was a contemporary of Slash from Guns N' Roses, graduating in 1982.

In the late 1980s he returned to New York to pursue his musical career. Here he met and married Lisa Bonet, who played Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" (1984). They had one child together, a daughter Zoe, but would divorce in 1993.

Kravitz signed to Virgin in 1989, releasing his debut album "Let Love Rule" that same year. Just like one of his major early influences, Prince, Kravitz played nearly all the instruments on the album. "Let Love Rule" met mixed critical reviews; his second album, "Mama Said", released two years later, provided him with his major breakthrough. It reached the top 40 of the Billboard album chart, while the single "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" (influenced by his break up with Bonet) reached #2 in the singles charts.

His third album "Are You Gonna Go My Way", released in 1994, earned a BRIT award for best international male artist. Following the release of "5" in 1998 and the single "Fly Away", Kravitz won the first of four Grammys for Best Male Vocal Rock Performance.

He has also co-written and produced material for various artists such as Madonna, Vanessa Paradis, and Steven Tyler as well as performing on tracks for Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Jay-Z.

While probably best known for his musical career, Kravitz has appeared in a number of movies, most notably his screen debut Precious (2009/II) and most recently The Hunger Games (2012), in which he played the role of Cinna, the soft-spoken designer who turns Katniss Everdeen Jennifer Lawrence into a star.

Kravitz will reprise his role as Cinna in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), and he has a supporting role in Precious (2009/II) director Lee Daniels' upcoming film, The Butler (2013).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Lisa Bonet

(16 November 1987 - 12 April 1993) (divorced) 1 child

Trade Mark

Often uses Gibson Flying V guitars

Sunglasses

Trivia

Has a daughter, Zoë Kravitz, with Lisa Bonet.

Son of Roxie Roker and Sy Kravitz.

Musician

Is of Bahamian and Russian-Jewish heritage.

Is a vegetarian.

Engaged to Brazilian model Adriana Lima [May 2002]

Once known for the long dreadlocks he'd had since he was a teenager, Kravitz cut them off prior to the release of his album "Five" in 1998.

An only child.

Named after his uncle, Pfc. Leonard Kravitz, who was killed in action in Korea on 7 March 1951 while suppressing a Chinese attack and saving most of his platoon; he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Lenny has joined the fight to get his uncle the Medal of Honor. Supporters believe the Medal of Honor was denied to Pfc. Kravitz because he was Jewish.

Graduated Beverly Hills High School in 1982.

Attended Beverly Hills High School, the same school as as Angelina Jolie, Michael Klesic, Nicolas Cage, David Schwimmer, Jonathan Silverman, Gina Gershon, Rhonda Fleming, Jackie Cooper, Rob Reiner, Antonio Sabato Jr., Pauly Shore, Elizabeth Daily, Corbin Bernsen, Michael Tolkin, Betty White, Crispin Glover and Albert Brooks.

Used to perform under name Romeo Blue early in his career.

Voted Hollywood's Biggest Heartbreaker by readers of In Touch magazine (2004).

Attended high school with guitarist Slash from Guns N' Roses.

His mother died at five minutes after midnight on December 2, 1995 only a day after his daughter, Zoë Kravitz's birthday. There was some concern that she would die on her birthday and the family did not want to celebrate the death of Zoe's grandmother on the same day as her birthday.

Distant cousin of Al Roker.

Lives on Sunset Island in Miami

Winner of the 1994 Brit Award for International Male.

Does a wide variety of musical styles; hard rock, soft rock, pop, funk, soul, and Motown-flavored R&B.

Ranked #14 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

Ranked #93 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists.

Went to the same high school as "Profiler" (1996) star Jamie Luner.

Loves Brazil and travels there often.

Godmother of his daughter, Zoë Kravitz, is Marisa Tomei.

Lenny and friend Trace Devai formed the teen rock group WAVE.

Personal Quotes

[on the wearing of fur] My great-grandmother was a Cherokee. With the Indians, it wasn't slaughter. I have some vintage fur. I don't buy new stuff.

I want to do interiors, furniture. I want to do architecture, although I'm not an architect. Nor am I a trained interior designer.

I had no idea 'The Hunger Games' was so big. I didn't even know the book. I had been living under my own rock.

Where Are They Now

(August 2008) Attending his Balcan tour which includes August 3rd-Ohrid, MAcedonia; August 4th-Budva, Montenegro.