Thinking Of You: Lenny Kravitz's Tribute to his Mother, Roxie Roker

Did you know that Lenny Kravitz's mother, actress Roxie Roker, was a breast cancer survivor? 

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I fell for the Lenny Kravitz magic when I saw him perform

Many, many years ago, I had the good fortune to receive complimentary tickets to a Lenny Kravitz performance. As my rusty mind recollects it was some type of political fundraiser or something like that. I don't really remember why I was there... I just accepted the tickets because it seemed like a good way to spend an evening. My cousin and I weren't exactly amped before the show because we weren't huge Lenny Kravitz fans.

I know... we were crazy not to completely adore this beautiful man.
Crazy girls. 

Not yet.

We knew who he was. I mean, who didn't know the son of Roxie Roker and the protege' of Teena Marie? Oh... and also Lisa Bonet's first husband?

Yeah, we knew who he was.

And we also thought he was easy enough on the eyes that it wouldn't be a hardship to sit through the show.

But... OH. MY. GAWD! We had NOOOOO idea how absolutely awesome, enthralling, electrical and fabulous he was to watch live.

Yes. I am now a fan for life. This man is entirely ELECTRIC.
I get it. 

You can cool best believe... that I am a fan now!

My fan-dom has been sealed from that night. Just looking at his face, in pictures, on videos, on television shows... brings back all of the electric excitement from that night.

For one thing, I didn't  realize before how much of his music I actually knew. Back then, I was pretty much focused on neo-soul and hip-hop music. Other types of music came through my filters, but that neo-soul groove was my sweet spot for a couple of years. Lenny isn't in that genre.

But... my gawd. This dude is simply amazing. Whew...

Click here to purchase The Jefferson. 

Back to the point of this post. 

While at the concert, he performed a song that has mesmerized me ever since. It is a tribute song to his mother who passed away from breast cancer. This concert was many years before my diagnosis so the breast cancer connection didn't click for me then. However, Roxie was an actress that I admired from my childhood.

Her role on the The Jeffersons really was paradigm-shifting for me. A black woman married to a white man in the 70's and they were wealthy? And she was cool? Unheard of. But Helen Willis (her character) was all of that. She was beautiful and sophisticated and loved by her husband. She was breathtaking to me. Her death surprised me.

And then many years later... I became her pink ribbon sister. Life is funny. The strings that connect us...

This is actually my favorite album of his. 5 rocks my entire soul. 

This song is so entirely beautiful. 

Lenny's song for his mother soothes me on many, many days. My mother and I have a sometimes tense relationship (probably more my fault than anything) but I love her more than air. I am blessed that she's still here, because so many of my peers have lost their parents and the pain and grief seems unbearable (and unending).

The song is beautiful and exquisite. Fitting tribute for a wonderful woman, wonderful mother and inspiring breast cancer survivor. It is a deep adoration from son to mother, child to mother. An expression of love and angst and admiration that tugs at my heart every time.


If you've never heard Thinking Of You, please watch the video below. And if you love it instantly as I did... be sure to click any of these images and purchase it. In fact, just go on and purchase the entire album, 5. You will not be disappointed. It remains one of my favorite albums of all time.

The love... pours out in every note. His voice, the arrangement... all of it is simply exquisite

What about you? Do you have any favorite Lenny Kravitz songs?