Sy Kravitz was the father of Lenny Kravitz, the famous American rock singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer, and actor. He died in 2005 at the age of 80 after losing the battle against leukemia. At the time of his death almost two decades ago, he had an estimated net worth of just over $6 million.
Sy’s son Lenny is renowned for his musical accomplishments, including his 1989 debut album, Let Love Rule, which drew positive plaudits. Sy himself was no slouch in the world of entertainment and will always be remembered as a former United States military officer who ended his life as a TV producer at the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Here is everything we know about him.
Summary of Sy Kravitz’s Biography
- Full name: Seymour Kravitz
- Nickname: Sy
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: December 10, 1924
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Date of death: October 29, 2005
- Place of death: New York, United States
- Sy Kravitz’s Age (at the time of death): 80 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Judaism
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Sy Kravitz’s Ex-Wives: Erica (m. 1948, d. 1955), Roxie Roker (m. 1963, d. 1985)
- Sy Kravitz’s Children: 3 – Laurie Kravitz (daughter), Tedi Kravitz (daughter), Leonard “Lenny” Albert Kravitz (son)
- Sy Kravitz’s Parents: Jean Kaufman (mother), Joseph Kravitz (father)
- Siblings: Leonardo Martin Kravitz (brother, deceased)
- Sy Kravitz’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 7 inches
- Sy Kravitz’s Height in Centimeters: 170 cm
- Sy Kravitz’s Weight: 62 kg (136 lb)
- Eye color: Brown
- Hair color: Brown
- Education: Beverly Hills High School University
- Profession: Former Military officer, TV producer
- Sy Kravitz’s Net worth: Est. $6 million
- Famous for: Being a TV producer and the father of American rock singer Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz’s Father, Sy Kravitz, was Born on December 10, 1924
Sy Kravitz was born Seymour Kravitz on December 10, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, United States, to Joseph Kravitz and his wife Jean Kaufman. He was an American citizen by birth and belonged to the white Caucasian ethnic group.
Sy’s dad was a telecommunications company executive, while his mother was a homemaker. The late TV producer was a Jew whose parents raised him and his younger brother Leonard Martin Kravitz in New York. Leonard, by the way, is also deceased. He was born on August 8, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, United States, and died on March 7, 1951, at the age of 21, in Yangpyeong County, South Korea, during the Korean War.
Not much is known about Sy’s formal educational background except for the fact that he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in an unknown course of study from Beverly Hills High School University in 1946.
He was a US Military Officer Turned TV Producer
Sy Kravitz began his professional career as a United States military officer before eventually transitioning into the entertainment industry, where he worked as a television producer with various TV companies, including NBC, until his death.
His military career reportedly commenced almost immediately after his university education, but the fact that he fought in the second world war, which ended in 1945, suggests that he may have joined the military earlier than reported.
We can confirm that he joined as a Green Beret before eventually rising to the rank of sergeant. He got a feel of the media industry when he worked as a news reporter during the Vietnam War.
After leaving the military, Sy focused all his energies on TV production. The highlight of his time in the media industry came during his time with the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), where he was hired to oversee video production and development.
At the time of his death in 2005, Sy was one of the top media executives in the country, a reputation he cultivated and earned during his time at NBC. His role there helped him rise to fame as one of the most respected TV producers, which ultimately led to him being featured in the Sid Bernstein Presents documentary in 2010.
Sy’s net worth, at the time of his death, was estimated at a whopping $6 million. Sure, he was paid for his time in the military, but few can argue against the fact that he earned most of his income as a media executive.
Sy Kravitz was Married Twice in His Lifetime
Sy Kravitz was married twice in his lifetime, first to a woman named Erica and later to Roxie Roker. Not much is known about his first wife, with all signs indicating that she lived a low-profile life, but his second wife, Roxie, was a high-profile American actress.
Sy Kravitz was Married to Erica For About 7 Years
Much of Erica’s media existence is tied to the fact that she was married to the late TV producer for about seven years, from 1948 to 1955. The details of the early years of their time together, including when, how, and where they met, remain unknown, but as a married couple, they had two daughters named Laurie and Leni Kravitz.
The primary reason for their divorce was never officially revealed, but sources close to the former couple claim that they went their separate ways because the late TV producer was unfaithful. Erica sued and was granted custody of the kids, but Sy was allowed supervised visits and ordered to pay child support.
His Marriage To Lenny’s Mother Lasted Over Two Decades
More than eight years after the collapse of his first marriage, Sy Kravitz started dating and later married the late Bahamian-American actress Roxie Roker in 1963. Born in Miami, Florida, on August 28, 1929, Sy’s second wife, Roxie, is best known for her role as Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons.
Her career in the American film and TV industry is further defined by prominent roles in productions like Fantasy Island, Making of A Male Model, and A Different World, among others. The wedding, which was a low-key ceremony, confirmed the former couple’s status as one of the first interracial couples of that era.
The fact that Sy was a white Jewish man and Roxie was a black Bahamian woman inevitably opened the door to a lot of criticisms and unique challenges that the couple stoutly dealt with and stayed married to each other for over two decades.
Their only son Leonard “Lenny” Albert Kravitz was born on May 26, 1964, in Manhattan, New York, United States. Sources close to the family also verified suggestions that the now-famous Lenny was named after his father’s younger brother, who lost his life during the Korean War.
While Sy’s marriage to the late actress ostensibly lasted longer than his first marriage to Erica, twenty-three years in all, it invariably ended in the same way, with divorce in 1985, which was down in large part to the late TV producer’s infidelity.
Sy, as well as Roxie, reportedly never remarried, but she predeceased her ex-husband by a good decade following her demise on December 2, 1995, in Los Angeles, California, after losing a relatively drawn-out war against breast cancer. She was 66 years old at the time of her death.
Lenny Kravitz‘s Memoir Bares All
The media and the general public may only have suspected that Sy’s second marriage ended because of his philandering ways, but the certainty of those suspicions was only verified by his son in his memoir. The memoir, which was released in October 2020, provided readers with a brief insight into what Sy’s marriage with Roxie was like.
According to Lenny, he was only about twenty years old when he overheard his father on the phone with his mistress. His distress at overhearing such a damning conversation eventually spilled over into him, reporting what he heard to his mother.
She felt horrible at the news and confirmed to Lenny that his father had cheated on her throughout their marriage. From the series of investigations, including photos and copies of plane tickets to Paris, which was compiled by the private investigator Roxie had hired, it was revealed that the mistress was an employee at the former couple’s bank.
The stack of evidence was enough to get Sy to admit that he had been cheating on his wife. Her Bahamian upbringing informed her reluctance to quit the marriage, but she eventually could not take it anymore and ultimately filed for a divorce which was finalized in 1985, ten years before her death.
Sy Kravitz Had an Uneasy Relationship With His Son Lenny
It’s not a secret that for most of his adult life, Sy and his son Lenny did not have the easiest of relationships. A lot of factors contributed to this strained relationship between father and son, but a lot of it was down to the fact that Lenny considered his father to be a hardcore disciplinarian.
This did not sit well with a then-growing Lenny and created an emotional distance that became increasingly difficult to bridge as time went on. The multiple Grammy Award winner also claimed that he noticed at some point that his father appeared to be envious of his flourishing career, which eventually pushed him closer to his mother, whose career was also flourishing.
Sy’s infidelity toward the mother of his only son may have been responsible for pushing Lenny over the edge. The argument that followed the discovery of the late TV producer’s philandering eventually led to an argument that ended with Lenny leaving home. Before he left, his mother asked his dad if he had anything to say to their son, and he simply told him that he (Lenny) would do the same thing when the time came.
Sy Reconciled With His Son Lenny Before He Died
After leaving home, Lenny Kravitz, Sy’s only son, went on to establish himself as one of America’s top music performers, aptly combining several music genres, including rock, soul, R&B, Jazz, and several others. The relationship between father and son, nonetheless, remained strained until the late TV producer became sick to the point of death.
Lenny’s memoir, Let Love Rule provides a clue about how the former US military officer repaired his relationship with his son. The singer recalls that the short time he spent with his old man was the sweetest and most profitable time they spent together as father and son.
Sy Kravitz Died of Leukemia
As previously indicated, Sy Kravitz was sick for quite a while before he died in a New York hospital, and now we can confirm that the late TV producer died from a protracted battle against leukemia. We have yet to ascertain when he was diagnosed with the largely terminal illness, but there is no doubt that it is the sickness that sent him on his way from this world.
He was Eighty Years Old at the Time of His Death
Sy Kravitz was 80 years old when he died on October 29, 2005, which was just about a couple of months before his 81st birthday. Nonetheless, few can argue against the fact that the late TV producer lived a full life, and some might even suggest the kind of life that few people get to live.
He left his impression on his profession as a media executive, but his biggest legacy is arguably his son Lenny who paid tribute to his father two days after his death by performing Let Love Rule live at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
He followed that up six years later with an Instagram post featuring pictures of him and the late TV producer with a caption that stated his wish for more time with his father and about how they are always together.
Sy, like almost every human, had his faults and weaknesses, but most people who came in contact with him always talk about how inspired he always left them. It’s been several years since his death, and the legacy of the great man lives on.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sy Kravitz
What Is Sy Kravitz’s Net Worth?
At the time of his death, Sy Kravitz was worth an estimated $6 million. Most of his income came from his long and storied career as a media executive with NBC.
What Is Sy Kravitz’s Cause of Death?
Sy Kravitz died after losing a long battle against Leukemia.
When Did Sy Kravitz Pass Away?
Sy Kravitz passed away on October 29, 2005, in a New York hospital. He was 80 years old.
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