Let Love Rule - Lenny Kravitz Page 0,51
Dad and saying, “No, it’s Wave or nothing.” But I knew damn well that approach would get me nowhere. The only way to access my college fund was to work on my own material. In the end, that wasn’t a bad option, even if it did mean the end of Wave.
* * *
It’s ironic that Dad, who opposed me in so many ways, was the first to push me into becoming a solo artist. And that got me thinking in new directions.
I thought a lot about David Bowie. Musical genius aside, he was another fashion icon who spoke to my sense of style. I was intrigued by his contrasting eyes, one brown, the other blue. Bowie was the reason I decided to get color-changing contacts. I thought sky-blue eyes would look cool. Little did I know that the decision, completely cosmetic, would have huge spiritual implications.
SPIRITUAL VISION
In search of blue contact lenses, I was led to an ophthalmologist in Glendale who’d done work for Universal Studios. He’d actually created the special effect contact lenses used by the title character in The Incredible Hulk. His name was Dr. Joseph Scimonetti. It was a long ride to his office in the north San Fernando Valley, but the trip was worth it. Dr. Scimonetti, I’d learned, hand-painted the contacts himself. And I could choose any shade of blue.
These were the days before soft lenses. Back then, contacts were thick; they felt like bottle caps in my eyes. But Dr. Scimonetti had a gentle vibe; he was kind and patient, and he helped me adjust.
During these visits to his office, the subject of God came up. I don’t remember how, but Dr. Scimonetti sensed I was a believer. When I said I was, he mentioned a Bible study group he had formed. Was I interested? I was.
I joined the group and soon became part of the Scimonetti family. They were among the warmest and most nourishing people I’d ever met. The Bible lessons themselves took place in Dr. Scimonetti’s office every Wednesday. When I could keep up the payments on my rented Pinto, I drove over. When I relied on public transportation, I took a two-hour bus ride into the Valley. One way or another, I made it. That’s how much I loved Dr. Scimonetti’s teachings. I also loved how diverse the group was—from hip, young kids to older, conservative ladies. The ophthalmologist broke down the Bible with ease. And his focus was always on love.
There are preachers who preach just to hear themselves preach, preachers in love with the sound of their own voice, preachers who can’t resist showing off their knowledge, preachers who like arguing down other preachers. Dr. Scimonetti was none of those. He was a preacher in the truest sense: he passionately preached the gospel, but without a hint of pretense. What’s more, he never asked for anything, not a nickel. He brought Jesus to life—which, for me, is the highest form of preaching.
I’d gone to see Dr. Scimonetti out of vanity—I had to have those blue eyes I envisioned for the new character I was creating in my mind. Once I got used to the feel, I liked the look but, ironically, that look led to a renewal of my spiritual life.
Dr. Scimonetti became another father figure. I talked about him so much that out of curiosity Mom asked me to invite him to dinner at Cloverdale. He and Mom hit it off. He didn’t press his spiritual beliefs on her, and she didn’t press her Science of the Mind beliefs on him.
My dad, on the other hand, started challenging Dr. Scimonetti. The Bible was filled with nonsensical stories, Dad said. Moses didn’t part the Red Sea. Jesus didn’t walk on water.
Dr. Scimonetti didn’t protest; he never lost his composure. He simply told Dad that we were all entitled to our own interpretations. There was nothing wrong with doubt. After all, without doubt, there was no real faith.
ROMEO AND MITZI
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
While my faith in God was reinforced, my artistic image was changing. If I was going solo, I wanted to reinvent myself, even to the point of finding a new name. Lennie Kravitz wasn’t doing it for me. Lennie Kravitz sounded more like an accountant than a rock musician. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz had been a popular movie, with Richard Dreyfuss playing a Jewish nerd. I might have been a lot of things, but I was not a nerd. I needed something fresh.
With girls suddenly interested