Actor, producer and Grammy-winning musician Lenny Kravitz talks about how his mixed cultural background influenced his signature retro music style and how he challenged the industry with his unconventional image. Lenny’s mother is Roxie Roker, a black actress known for her character Helen Willis on the hit ’70s sitcom “The Jeffersons,” and his father is Sy Kravitz, an NBC News producer of Russian Jewish descent. Lenny opens up about his upbringing and how his father’s infidelity affected him as a young boy. In 1987, Lenny, then 23 years old, eloped with his girlfriend, actress Lisa Bonet, the young star of “The Cosby Show,” whom he met backstage at one of his concerts. While the marriage didn’t work out, Lenny says, his romance with Lisa was a wonderful experience, one that led to the birth of their daughter, Zoe. Lenny opens up about staying close with Lisa, whom he calls his “best friend,” and about learning to be a new kind of family. Lenny also explains why, despite his incredible success as an artist, his favorite place to find peace is a small Airstream trailer parked on the edge of a Bahamian beach. Plus, Lenny imparts the best lesson he’s learned about love.
