Mr Kool: The Journey of Lenny Kravitz from New York to Global Rock Icon
Lenny Kravitz was born and raised in New York, where music surrounded him from an early age. He decided to become a musician at the age of five—a decision likely influenced by his father, a jazz promoter who knew the biggest stars in the industry. For his fifth birthday, Kravitz had the unforgettable experience of having Duke Ellington personally play Happy Birthday for him.
At the age of 10, Kravitz moved to Los Angeles, where his musical landscape shifted. No longer surrounded by jazz icons, he discovered rock legends like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was the perfect environment for a young musician to develop, and at Beverly Hills High School, Kravitz rubbed shoulders with classmates like Maria McKee and Slash.
Despite this star-studded environment, Kravitz had to carve out his own path. In 1985, he began working on his debut album, which was eventually released in 1989 as Let Love Rule. Though reviews were mixed—critics noting his overwhelming array of influences—Kravitz managed to secure tours with Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie, likely impressed by his ability to play nearly every instrument on the album.
After his debut, Kravitz wrote and produced Justify My Love for Madonna and contributed heavily to Vanessa Paradis’ self-titled debut album. In 1991, he released Mama Said, which included the hit singles It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over and Always On The Run—the latter featuring his old classmate Slash.
By this time, Kravitz was collaborating with some of his heroes, including Al Green, David Bowie, Aerosmith, Curtis Mayfield, and Bill Withers. With such an impressive network, the next logical step for Kravitz was to release his signature track, Are You Gonna Go My Way. The title track from his 1993 album propelled him to superstardom.
He followed this success with Fly Away (1998) and his cover of American Woman (1999), which made a major impact on the rock scene. In just a decade, Lenny Kravitz had established himself as one of the most well-known rock solo artists, selling over 40 million albums.
Lenny Kravitz Tunes | Related Pages
Are You Gonna Go My Way | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Are You Gonna Go My Way by Lenny Kravitz using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
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But what I really want to know is… Are you gonna go my way?…
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