Lenny Kravitz
March 2002

A retro-rocker who’s stood the test of time, Lenny Kravitz is in the radio.wazee spotlight this week with "Stillness Of The Heart," the latest release from his seventh studio album, "Lenny" on Virgin Records.

Lenny was born in 1964 with showbiz in his blood: his Jewish father was a top television producer and his Bahamian mother an actress on the popular ‘70s television show "The Jeffersons." As a teenager he attended Beverly Hills High School, where his contemporaries includedSlash (Guns N'Roses) and Maria McKee (Lone Justice). Lenny completed his first demos in 1987, which concluded with an early version of what would become his breakthrough hit in 1989, "Let Love Rule." Despite Virgin America’s initial skepticism over Lenny’s insistence that the finished product should only feature "real" instruments rather than digital and computerized passages, "Let Love Rule" was a smash hit with the public. Lenny then gained greater success when Madonna recorded his song "Justify My Love."

In 1991 Lenny released the heavily ‘60s and early ‘70s rock influenced"Mama Said." The set spawned the U.S. Top 5/U.K. Top 20 hit "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," a kiss-off to his soon-to-be ex-wife, actress Lisa Bonet ("The Cosby Show"). Lenny went on to write an entire album for French chanteuse Vanessa Paradis, and collaborated with artists as diverse as Curtis Mayfield, Aerosmith and Mick Jagger. The hard rocking title track of the follow-up, 1993’s "Are You Gonna Go My Way," was another worldwide success, breaking into the U.K. Top 5. "Circus" featured a stripped-down version of his trademark sound, displaying his talent as a writer of more contemporary sounding material. On mid-1998’s "5," Lenny embraced digital recording and a more relaxed fusion of soul and hip-hop styles. From that album, the single "Fly Away" was a chart hit, as well as an inescapable soundtrack to several major advertising campaigns both in his home of the U.S. and abroad. Shorn of his trademark dreadlocks, Lenny released a "Greatest Hits" collection in 2000, including one new track, "Again," and in 2001 completed and released "Lenny," from which"Stillness Of Heart" is culled.

Aside from commercial success, Lenny has garnered critical praise, as well, taking home four Grammy Awards: 1998, 1999, 2000, and last week's 2001 Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Dig In" (also from "Lenny"). He also took home the 2002 American Music Award for Favorite Male Artist.

Lenny has announced the first two legs what is expected to be a yearlong round-the-world tour. The shows will kick off in Hiroshima, Japan, on April 9th, wrapping up April 18th at Budokan in Tokyo. After that, Lenny heads out for a short European jaunt starting with the Rock Am Ring festival in Nurburgring, Germany, on May 17th, and ending June 12th in Oberhausen, Germany. Lenny’s also among hundreds of jazz and jazz-influenced artists and acts including India Arie, Counting Crows, Blues Traveler, String Cheese Incident and Ratdog slated to appear at the 33rd annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival April 25th-May 5th.