Lenny KravitzandLisa Bonetmay very well be the friendliest exes ever.
“I am what I am because of our experience, because of everything that I was, everything that she was and everything that came together,” says Kravitz.
Lenny Kravitz for PEOPLE.Melodie McDaniel
Melodie McDaniel
The two first met backstage at a New Edition concert in 1985. Sparks flew and the actress became both his partner and muse, helping inspire his acclaimed debut albumLet Love Ruleand even the bohemian look that came with it.
“I had moved in with Lisa, brought my instruments and things, but somehow forgot my comb. I never planned on dreading, but after a few months my hair was matting,” he says of his signature locks. “Lisa was like, ‘Keep it. It looks good.’ ”
Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet in New York City in 1987.Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
“I wasn’t thinking, ‘Oh, this is sexy.’ I was just living and doing,” he says. “I was married to the most beautiful woman on the planet, incredible inside and out, and I wasn’t paying attention to that. I was paying attention to the music."
They welcomed daughterZoëin 1988. “We were quite the family,” he says. “We had our own groove, expression, fashion. It was a beautiful time. The world Zoë’s mom and I were creating, our family, it was about peace, love and spirit.”
Lenny Kravitz, Lisa Bonet and daughter Zoë in New York City in 1989.Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
Those same themes are the inspiration behind the star’s upcoming albumBlue Electric Light.
“Again. Positive energy, God, spirit, light. This album is that,” he says. Even with lead single “TK421”, with itsinternet-breaking music video, Kravitz explains, “the song’s about making something better than it is.”
Lenny Kravitz on the cover of PEOPLE.Melodie McDaniel
Both he and Bonet know a lot about making things better. After the two ended their marriage (he’s said he was struggling emotionally and they’d married young) they worked to make sure their bond stayed strong.
“The love doesn’t leave you, but it has to find a new way to funnel itself into a new life,” he says. “We consciously wanted to do that. It took time, believe me, but she is a part of my life that will never leave my heart, my soul or my spirit. I am what I am because of our experience.”
For more on Lenny Kravitz’s life and loves along with other stories honoring Black History Month, pick up this week’s issue on newsstands everywhere Friday.
source: people.com
