A glimpse into greatness!
Lenny Kravitz just released a new memoir honoring the women in his life, Essence reports.
The debut memoir entitled Let Love Rule, a play on his 1989 debut album, focuses on the first 25 years of Kravitz’s life before he found fame. Son of The Jeffersons’ actress, Roxie Roker, and television producer, Sy Kravitz, the rock star had a privileged childhood, filled with lots of music and arts. His time with Duke Ellington, Cicely Tyson, Toni Morrison, and Diahann Carroll are all chronicled in his new memoir, as well as his time with his Bahamian grandfather, on the island he’s called home for the majority of his life.
Photo Courtesy of Henry Holt & Co.
An international rockstar with 11 studio albums and four Grammys under his belt, Kravitz has a lot to share about his early beginnings in Let Love Rule: A Memoir. But the most intriguing part of his story centers around the women in his life, mainly his mother Roxie and ex-wife Lisa Bonet. In his new book, Kravitz describes his mother as “sunshine and love,” a sincerely compassionate and patient woman who always put her family first. In one excerpt, he talks about the alter ego his mother created, “Ruff Ruff,” to ensure that he always felt he could speak to her as a child.
Photo Courtesy of Let Love Rule Company
“My mother would ask if it was time to talk to Ruff Ruff. She would change her voice and body language, and suddenly I would be talking to this magical dog telling him how I felt,” Kravitz recalled.
This unbreakable bond led Kravitz to spill the beans about his father’s infidelity to his mother when he found out. His parents ended up divorcing, and when his father left home, as opposed to an apology about his indiscretion, he told young Lenny, “You’ll do it too.”
“I didn’t realize the severity of what he’d dropped on me. I didn’t understand the way it would creep into my psyche,” Kravitz admitted.
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The 55-year-old musician shared how his love for his mother translated into his marriage to actress Lisa Bonet and their daughter, Zoe. Although the two divorced in 1993, they have maintained a tight family unit between themselves, often posting photos with Zoe, Lisa, and her current husband, actor Jason Momoa. Kravitz credits Bonet with much of his early career success, often referring to her as his muse.
“The poetry of her soul excited the poetry of my soul. She changed my whole artistic attitude…[After I posted the picture of the family], people were intrigued. But to me, this is normal. Lisa and I made sure to maintain the love and family unity. Let love rule. That’s what it’s all about,” said Kravitz.
Let Love Rule: A Memoir is now available in stores and online everywhere!
We can’t wait to learn more about your life, Lenny!
Photo Courtesy of PopSugar UK/@lennykravitz/Instagram