Lenny Kravitz’s Let Love Rule is a heartfelt coming-of-age memoir about daughter Zoë Kravitz, his father’s infidelity and relationship with ex-wife Lisa Bonet – interview
The Fly Away and Are You Gonna Go My Way singer reveals how role models The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Jimi Hendrix, as well as parents The Jeffersons star Roxie Roker and NBC producer Sy Kravitz, shaped his early life
“I figured there were enough books on rock stardom and fame,” Kravitz said. As he was writing, “I realised this was a book about finding my voice. I needed to take the time to go through my experiences as a child: all the love I got, and all the artists I saw growing up in New York City in the 1970s and then moving to Los Angeles. All those people and experiences were notes of the music that I would eventually make.”
Kravitz, 56, also opens up about his early experiences with racism, making peace with his dad and his blended family with Bonet.
I believe we’re all given what we need to become who we need to become
In the book, you describe yourself as “deeply two-sided” – black and white, Jewish and Christian – and recall how a boy in your first-grade class called you out for being biracial. What kind of impact did that have on you?
Growing up, I remember seeing all these different-looking people. My family went to church, we went to temple, we celebrated both [Christmas and Hanukkah], and ate cuisine from both sides. Life was full of colour and different traditions, and it was never discussed. So when I went to first grade and this boy found it odd that my parents did not match, I was a bit taken aback. I didn’t understand where he was coming from. That’s when the deeper conversations began, with my mother explaining to me why this boy called us out.
You had a contentious relationship with your dad throughout his life, but write that he was ultimately a “vital part” of your journey. How long did it take for you to come to that acceptance or reconcile your relationship?