Lenny Kravitz Walk of Fame Ceremony
Lenny Kravitz was recently honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony filled with heartfelt speeches, star-studded guests, and a culmination of his illustrious career in the music industry. The event, hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, took place in front of the iconic Capitol Records building, surrounded by musical geniuses and fans.
The ceremony kicked off with a lively introduction by sports and entertainment host Sibl Skoles, followed by speeches from Lenny’s daughter, Zoe Kravitz, and close friend, Denzel Washington, both of whom shared personal stories and praised Lenny’s talent and character.
Lenny, in his own speech, expressed his gratitude towards Los Angeles, where he moved as a teenager and found his passion for music and creativity. He acknowledged the people who have supported him throughout his career and dedicated the honor to them.
The event culminated in the unveiling of Lenny Kravitz’s star on the Walk of Fame, a moment of celebration and recognition for a musician who has left a lasting impact on the music industry. Congratulations, Lenny Kravitz, on this well-deserved honor!
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[Applause] my name is Steve nisson I’m the president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has hosted and administered these Walk of Fame Ceremonies for over 60 years right now we’re just a few steps away from one of the most famous intersections in the
World Hollywood and Vine and we’re right in front of one of the most iconic um places in music history Capal Records building surrounded by musical Geniuses and we’re about to add one more [Applause] today so to kick off this ceremony honoring Lenny crevit I’d like to introduce you to sports and entertainment personal
Sibl skols who will be our MC for today take it away [Applause] sibl just the beginning okay oh hi how’s it going everybody okay so he said sports and entertainment host just before we get started cuz Lenny I know we we need to hear some more crowd cheering just for
All of us to wake up right now right Hollywood on the count of three entertain me I want to hear you get loud 1 2 3 and now we can start all right good morning everyone I’m glad our our vocal pipes are ready for today um as he said my name is Si
Skoles I’m your MC today and I’m excited to be here to welcome Lenny Kravitz to the Hollywood Walk of Fame before we start we’ like to give a big shout out to our fans watching right here around the world on our live stream presented by our media partner that is variety The Hollywood yes feel free to clap get interactive it’s fine the Hollywood Walk of Fame recognizes achievement in the categories
Of Motion Pictures radio live theater live performance Sports entertainment recording and television today in the category of recording we honor Lenny Kravitz with star number 2,774 on the Hollywood Walk of [Applause] Fame now before we invite Lenny here to the stage let me tell you a little about our
Honore regarded as one of the preeminent rock musicians of our time Lenny Kitz has transcended genre style race and and class over the course of a three decade plus musical career reving in the sole Rock and Funk influences of the 60s and 70s the writer producer and multi-instrumentalist has won four Grammy
Awards Lenny was recently honored with the music icon award at the 2024 People’s Choice Awards and was also nominated as a 2024 rock and roll Hall of Fame induct teee he was recently recognized by the cfda with their Fashion Icon award obviously for his role as not only
One of Rock’s most esteemed musicians but also a major flat fashion influence did we see what he rocked today in 2023 Lenny debuted the anthemic road to Freedom a song he wrote performed and produced specifically for the much buzzed about Netflix film Rustin in conjunction with the release
Of the song Lenny secured a Golden Globe nomination for best original song and emotion picture a critic’s choice award nomination for best song and the Guild of Music supervisors award nomination for best song written and or recorded for a film for the soul stirring anthem in addition to his 11 albums which have
Sold 40 million worldwide his creative firm kravis Design Inc touts an impressive portfolio of noteworthy Ventures Lenny is the author of flash a book that showcases unique Rock photography his recent Memoir let love rule Al also landed him on the New York Times Best Sellers List the multi-dimensional
Artist has also segwayed into film appearing appearing as where are my cenans at in the box office hits the Hunger Games The Hunger Games Catching Fire and in the critically acclaimed films precious and the butler Lenny is set to release his highly anticipated news studio album blue electric light on May
24th truly a consistent light Lenny also works diligently to spread good International Al through his let love rule Foundation let love rule Foundation has a long-standing partnership with glowood Foundation to bring free dental care clinics and education to the underserved in the [Applause] Bahamas they have also dedicated support
To providing bahamians suffering from food insecurity during the pandemic as well as rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Dorian in 2019 Lenny’s steadfast activism has also included Partnerships with with UN Human Rights UNICEF music cares and Global citizen okay I know there’s a lot more we can say but please help me welcome
Now to the stage our newest Walk Of Famer Lenny kravit I think that’s you [Applause] [Applause] Lenny [Applause] congratulations see you okay everyone wants to see you you gotta you got to do it so before we hear from you Lenny uh we have two very important people here to say a few words just all about you and our first speaker is someone very
Very special to you she has captivated audiences in a diverse group of acclaimed major Motion Picture films notable independent releases and Blockbuster franchises including the Batman Mad Max as well as the celebrated Emmy award-winning series big little lies in 2024 this year she will make her directorial debut with the original
Motion Picture film blink twice star yes starring Naomi akie alongside Channing Tatum variety has touted her among its 10 actors to watch while forb spotlighted her on their coveted 30 under 30 list she has since gained Global recognition and was recently named one of the most influential people
By time please help me welcome to the stage Zoe kravit [Applause] hello sir so where am I supposed to be where’s he supposed to be right here yeah you want to let me I can look at you this way okay we got this okay we’re fine we’re
Fine okay I might even well right yeah I know I’ll just do this okay hi everyone all right speech time Lenny Kravitz I’ve had the pleasure of knowing you for a long time and I must say being your daughter has been one of the Great Adventures of
My life since you were so young when I was born in many ways we’ve grown up together we’ve been through a lot we’ve seen a lot I’ve seen a lot I’ve seen you change in the most beautiful ways I’ve seen the way you stay stay the same in the most important ways I’ve
Seen the way you show up and take care of the people you love I’ve seen your incredible dedication to your art but mostly I’ve seen through your shirts according to my dad if it doesn’t expose your nipples it’s not a shirt and sure it used to embarrass me
When you pick me up from school as a kid but I got to say at this point I respect it you really do pull it off your relationship with the netted shirt is probably your longest one and it works wow you two make each other better and
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it it’s a beautiful thing now my whole life people have always ask me what’s it like to have such a cool dad and the answer is awesome it’s awesome but not for the reason some might think what’s cool about you is not
What people think is cool about you your radness doesn’t come from your Shades or leather pants or netted shirts it comes from your true love of life everything you do is an expression of that love your music your lyrics your live performances your homes Your Love of food of family of good conversations
Stupid jokes dance parties Late Late Night Kitchen talks you absolutely devour life you eat up every crumb and lick the plate life is your art and that is why your music is so inspiring and important you make people feel alive you remind them of the only thing that matters
Love I know Grandpa Sai and Grandma Roxy are were already so proud of what they got to watch you do and accomplish and I know that they are still watching in awe of the man and artist you have become I know I am congratulations you’re a [Applause] star was beauti [Applause]
Wow all right bye oh wow thank you Zoe okay yeah now what how do you feel right now this is incredible it’s incredible yes okay well be before I introduce the next speaker I know you have a few friends here in the audience who came to support a walk of Famer herself Miss
Mara Gibbs is in the building the one and only Hal [Applause] Williams Mr Wolf Gang Puck is here yes with a star himself Channing Tatum is here oh y’all know Earth Wind and Fire right veran white is here I I know I saw him sneaking in the back Evan Ross is
Here if I sit here and name everyone that’s in the building we’re going to be here all day but I just want to say it’s an honor and a pleasure to be able to stand here next to you and and watch you receive this star and I’m going to stop
Talking because we got another speaker here for you okay our next speaker is an accomplished actor director known for his powerful performances on screen throughout his career he has received multiple Awards including two Oscars three Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award please everyone welcome the multifaceted Denzel Washington to the
Stage thank you my dear every time I uh shake hands like this with Lenny I always have my eyes open cuz once he had a ring on a thumb ring and we went to shake hand he busted my thumb open so I’m always careful he’s more than a
Friend he’s more than a brother we’re twins we just don’t look alike we’ve had a close brothership friendship for well he’d be seven when we met for 30 years is when he was seven I met him God has blessed him with an unbelievable talent but even more so an unbelievable heart he’s a
Giver a lover I wrote some stuff down but I’m just riffing he’s a friend I wrote down the definition of friend I looked it up Webster a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection typically exclusive of sexual relation [Laughter]
Well oh Lord a companion a companion it said a boon companion a as in a boom a bosom friend a brother a man or boy in relation to other Sons or Daughters of his parents he’s a brother of the world he’s just everyone’s brother a male fellow Christian a
Brother an African an afroamerican form of of address and I I let me say that again an africanamerican form of a dress I.E my brother spell b r u t h a a fellow human being one related to another by Common ties we have been tied together for a
Long time we’re close friends we are brothers I love Lenny krabit I love Lenny kravits I love Lenny kravits like I Lov no other brother in my life less is more Leonard Albert [Applause] kravit now I don’t know if you you supposed to speak now or somebody else
Comes up I don’t know what happens now I come down oh okay I’m coming [Applause] down [Applause] come on all right uh I’m back the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce uh as I said before has administered the Walk of Fame for over 60 years but before I do what I
Have to do Denzel I have to say I’ve been doing this for a year and we’ve never had a speaker refer to sexual relations with the [Laughter] Honore that usually happens after the ceremony but we won’t go there all right um this is a real Street
Uh we’re near Hollywood and Von as I said it’s also a walk of Dreams uh immense uh talents bless this street uh we administer the Walk of Fame on behalf of the city of Los Angeles Hollywood is an area that’s represented by uh councilman Ugo Soto Martinez and we’re
Proud on behalf of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to present you with a resolution from the city of La so here we go photo where do we uh here got it yeah let me put it let’s put it between between us yeah there you go all right all right he’s a director good
Here we go you got room there you go okay thank you now I’m going to say one more thing and then you’re than ready all right are you ready ladies and gentlemen on behalf of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce I now declare today Lenny krait day in Hollywood
Thank you thank you thank you thank you I love [Applause] you thank you all so very much for being here thank you to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for bestowing upon me this incredible honor thank you Zoe thank you Denzel having both of you here my daughter and
My brother means the world to me I moved from New York to LA when I was 11 and if Norman leer never brought my mother out here to do The Jeffersons I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now but La was where a naive teenager chose to leave home at 15 and learned
Through determination and the kindness of strangers that the streets and the people of La would be my education to music to creativity and to life I will forever be grateful to this city for that I used to walk these very streets because the action in the grit that I
Was missing in New York was right here in Hollywood as a teenager I spent a lot of time walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard seeing the names of all my Idols I never dreamt about having a star I was usually just looking for a place to crash but I did dream about making
The music I wanted and doing my own thing to see my name Lenny Kravitz permanently engraved on the same streets I used to walk is a surreal Indescribable feeling you know I still visit my teenage home in Baldwin Hills that overlooks the entire city and from there I can can see sunset in
Vaness where I take the bus to watch my mom film The Jeffersons the excitement of watching her tape one of the most popular shows in the country was both an early glimpse into Show Business and an education into the power of Hollywood I can see the Hollywood Bowl
Where I performed my very first concert as a 12-year-old member of the California boys choir my grandma Bessie who was terrified of flying took a plane from New York for the first time in her life just to see me perform and it gave me an exhilarating Taste of how I could
Express myself through music I can see Washington and rimpa where I spent hours every day as a teenager cutting gutting and frying fish at a place called Leroy’s Fish Market everyone from the local Hustlers to Mayor Tom Bradley ate there I stank a fish for a year but the hustle and work
Ethic I learned there would still resonates with me four decades later I can see the original Guitar Center on Sunset and Vista where I got my first Les Paul guitar at age 12 I used to live in that store hanging out checking out all the guitars and other equipment I could not afford
I can see the old A&M lot on Sunset in LaBrea where I would record my first demo as a cocky Young musician named Romeo blue Romeo y’all that know no after each session I’d secretly sleep on the couch in the lounge I learned as much as I could about recording and
Eventually dropped the alter ego to perform under my real name Lenny krabit [Applause] I’m eternally grateful for everyone who took the time to be here today but I’m especially honored to see the people that watched me evolve into an artist shann and [Applause] Brock you got me stoned for the first [Laughter]
Time in that little parking lot while we were cutting class and introduced me to Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog forever altering the way I heard and understood music this star is For You Phineas newborn you quickly became a brother to me when we were in the California Boys
Choir The discipline and heart hard work we shared in learning the fundamentals of classical music has forever shaped my musical journey and influenced my artistic expression to this day this star is for [Applause] you trace Devi my high school bandmate in wave the first group I was ever in you
Were right next to me for more than 40 years God our first show at the Beverly Hills High Auditorium wow this star is for you Mara Gibbs you’ve known me since I was 11 years old and you’ve seen me through all the chapters in my life I’m so blessed for the love that
You’ve shown me my mother and the rest of my family you get another star how williams remember when you helped me memorize lines for a play we did at the Apex theater on laa your Brilliance as an actor showed me what it takes to be at the top of
One’s craft this star is for you my brother Jeff a off you signed me to Virgin Records when no one else understood or believed in me this star is for you Steve Smith who knew me as a kid when he worked in the wardrobe department at The Jeffersons and later became my very
First manager this star is for you [Applause] Lisa Bon you were such a major part of me finding myself both as an artist and a human being the star is for [Applause] you all of the people here that kept me company and talk to me through the
Window while I wash dishes at East West Cafe on Fairfax as a teenager who was living in a car at the time those hours you spent with me mean more than you’ll ever know this star is for all of you there’s nothing that keeps me grounded more than seeing the people who
Have taken the journey with me all these decades Craig Ross my longtime guitarist and musical partner Alex Alvarez my instrument technician who’s worked with me for more than 30 years Craig fuan and carlen Donovan my faithful manager and publ who have guided me for so long on this amazing journey rich
Felstein and Jeff haer my my accountant and my lawyer who always have the answers and everyone at CA who has helped keep me on the road for so long for everyone here that has nurtured my dream this isn’t my star this is our star thank you all for this and let love rule
[Applause] uh Lenny thank you very much you really spread a lot of love around and now it’s time for us to give you the love and unveil the star so shall we go [Applause] Down okay on the yeah guys ladies and gentlemen it is time to welcome the newest Hall of Famer to the Hollywood walking Fame Lenny [Applause] KRA together guys together CER please all right looking stand I’m sorry to your right please our right right back to the center than you first you guys Straight
Ahead Down Below guys got got you at yeah look here one right there and then right next to him which one over here hand and on the left side which one raise your hand okay Zo and guys wait I need my nephew come what’s his name guys if we can all
Take a step back away from the stage the stage you’re not in the back shop she want to come over there she just want to come over there with you going over there come on what’s the nephew’s name okay right in M gu Okay great I’m going to do single now okay great I’ll do both do what you feel is right step on the star step on the star yes Mara yes right here [Applause] Mar Mar come on you hang on hang on guys here we go hang on in the
Now to your right sir can I get that P right here Lenny right in the middle right in the middle H Lenny let me down here to your right sir hey look up for a second the camera on top right on top your hand who’s gum
Wrapper what more yeah give us over here we go look at me guys wait for Anna for [Applause] right we have the crews that are doing interviews please yeah right
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Video “Lenny Kravitz Walk of Fame Ceremony” was uploaded on 03/12/2024 to Youtube Channel Variety