Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964, in New York City) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. His music draws on rock, funk, soul, R&B, blues, and psychedelic pop, combining the sound and visual style of the 1960s and 1970s with modern studio production. Kravitz has built his career around creative control, frequently writing, arranging, producing, and playing most of the instruments on his recordings.
The son of television producer Sy Kravitz and actress Roxie Roker, he grew up in New York before moving to Los Angeles during childhood. His parents' record collections introduced him to jazz, gospel, blues, and R&B, while Los Angeles exposed him to rock artists including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix. He began recording under the name Romeo Blue before adopting his own name professionally.
Kravitz emerged in 1989 with his debut album, Let Love Rule. Recorded with a deliberately organic and retro approach, the album moved between hard rock guitar, funk rhythms, soulful vocals, and spiritual themes. It made a stronger initial impression in Europe than in the United States, but established the musical identity that would define his early career. Kravitz also became known for his energetic live performances and distinctive visual presentation.
His second album, Mama Said (1991), expanded his audience through the singles "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" and "Always on the Run". The former became one of his biggest early hits, while the latter featured guitarist Slash. Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993) brought a further breakthrough. Its title track, driven by a forceful guitar riff and an anthemic chorus, became one of Kravitz's signature songs, and its striking music video helped make him a major MTV-era artist. The album became his first UK number one.
After the darker, more reflective Circus (1995), Kravitz reached the commercial high point of his early career with 5 (1998). The album retained his guitar-based sound while incorporating electronic production and programmed rhythms. "Fly Away" became an international hit, and his recording of the Guess Who's "American Woman" introduced his work to a new generation through the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack. Kravitz won four consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance from 1999 through 2002, a record achievement in the category.
The compilation Greatest Hits (2000) summarized his first decade of success, while later albums such as Lenny (2001), Baptism (2004), It Is Time for a Love Revolution (2008), Black and White America (2011), Strut (2014), and Raise Vibration (2018) showed his continuing interest in reshaping his sound without abandoning its classic influences. His twelfth studio album, Blue Electric Light, was released in 2024.
Kravitz has also worked extensively outside his solo recordings. He produced Madonna's "Justify My Love", collaborated with artists including Vanessa Paradis and Michael Jackson, and founded Kravitz Design, a firm specializing in interior and furniture design. As an actor, he appeared in Precious (2009), played Cinna in The Hunger Games (2012) and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), and took roles in films including The Butler and Rustin. His career is distinguished by the consistent fusion of musicianship, production, fashion, visual art, and performance.