Lenny Kravitz is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor known for combining rock, funk, soul and psychedelic influences.
Leonard Albert Kravitz was born on 26 May 1964 in New York City. His mother was actress Roxie Roker and his father, Sy Kravitz, worked as a television producer.
Kravitz grew up surrounded by music and entertainment and began experimenting with musical instruments and recording from a young age.
Kravitz released his debut album, Let Love Rule, in 1989. Rather than following contemporary pop trends, he drew heavily on sounds from earlier rock, soul and funk traditions.
He followed the album with releases including Mama Said, Are You Gonna Go My Way and 5.
His song Fly Away became one of his signature hits, while other well-known songs include Are You Gonna Go My Way, Again and American Woman.
Kravitz won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four consecutive times between 1999 and 2002. The Recording Academy lists him with four Grammy wins from nine nominations.
Kravitz has also built a successful acting career. His film roles include Precious and the Hunger Games franchise, in which he played stylist Cinna.
His career has therefore crossed music, film, fashion and production, while his distinctive retro-influenced musical style has remained central to his identity as an artist.
