Lenny Kravitz performed LIVE in Citi Concert Series on TODAY Show
Rockefeller Center, N.Y., (Sept. 12 2024) — Lenny Kravitz performed LIVE in New York City as part of the Citi Concert Series on TODAY.
The “Fly Away” rocker is the son of Roxie Roker, an actress best known for portraying Helen Willis on Norman Lear’s classic sitcom The Jeffersons, and NBC producer Sy Kravitz. Growing up in New York before moving to Los Angeles for his mother’s work on The Jeffersons, his parents fostered Lenny’s love of music, taking him to concerts from the Jackson 5 to Duke Ellington.
Kravitz, 60, won best rock at this year’s ceremony for his song “Human,” and dedicated the honor to his mother Roxie Roker, who died of cancer in 1995 at age 66.
“Wow. This is incredible. I am so grateful. Thirty-one years ago, my mother was with me at an award show, was at the VMAs, so I dedicate this to her,” he said in a preshow interview on MTV. “I thank God for this journey, this incredible journey. I thank Jesus for life.”
The rocker, who wrote in his 2020 memoir Let Love Rule that he “was a mama’s boy,” brought Roker as his date to the 1993 MTV Video Awards. She was best known for playing Helen Willis on the classic sitcom The Jeffersons.
Kravitz who is set to perform later in the night went on to thank his manager, publicist and more, including director Joseph Kahn, who helmed the “Human” video.
Last week, Kravitz recounted sharing that 1993 moment with his mom on social media. “Having my beautiful mother by my side at my first #VMAs 31 years ago is a moment I will always cherish,” Kravitz wrote alongside footage from those VMAs. “I’m looking forward to taking the stage all these years later where she will be in my heart.”
“We’ve been on tour. We started this summer in Europe, so this show is together,” he said in the preshow interview, Wednesday. “We’re there to amplify love. We’re there to exchange energy with the audience. It’s very free. And it’s all about the energy and the exchange of love. And all the hits!”
Kravitz released his most recent album, Blue Electric Light, in May, and said at the VMAs that his artistry is like that of a painter.
“I play whatever I have to play. I Play all the instruments on most of the songs, then Craig Ross also plays guitar on a few songs,” he said. “That’s the way I’ve always done it. I feel like I paint; I’m a painter. I paint with sound … I had great examples like Stevie Wonder and Prince, so that’s the school that I come from.”
