Kravitz was born in New York City in 1964, the son of the black actress Roxie Roker and the white NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz. His father, who was also a jazz promoter, was friends with Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Bobby Short, Miles Davis and other jazz greats.
In 1974, the Kravitz family relocated to Los Angeles when Kravitz's mother landed a role in the popular television series The Jeffersons. Kravitz joined a choir, where he sang classical repertoire, but he was also exposed to such rock greats as Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Cream and The Who.
Growing more determined to make a career in music, Kravitz moved out of his parent's house at the age off 15. He made his first demo in 1982, but record producers told him the music was not "black enough" to fit in with the current musical trends.
Kravitz toured, established relationships with other musicians and started recording himself. His debut album was not released until 1989, by Virgin Records. Let Love Rule was largely inspired by Kravitz's relationship with his new wife, the actress Lisa Bonet, and their daughter.
Though the marriage didn't last, Kravitz's musical career accelerated. His next album, Vanessa Paradis, was partly inspired by the breakup.
Kravitz released Are You Gonna Go My Way in 1983. It climbed to number 12 on the Billboard 200 and Kravitz earned a BRIT Award for best international male artist in 1994. The title track won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video.
With the single Fly Away, off the album 5, released in 1998, Kravitz found a wider audience. The single, used in two high-profile ad campaigns, rose to the top position on a number of charts.
Kravitz released a Greatest Hits album in 2000. It proved to be his most successful album, reaching number 2 on the Billboard 200. The single Again earned him his third consecutive Grammy for the Best Male Rock Vocal at the Grammy Awards of 2001.
In addition to writing and recording his own material, Kravitz has collaborated with many stars. In 1990, Kravitz co-wrote with Ingrid Chavez and produced the song Justify My Love for Madonna. In 1993, Kravitz wrote Line Up for Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and he appeared on Mick Jagger's solo album, Wandering Spirit, with a cover of the Bill Withers' soul classic, Use Me.
Kravitz will tour Europe in the spring to promote his eighth studio album It Is Time for a Love Revolution, released in February 2008.
Source: est.hu
