Sy Kravitz’s life was marked by his service in the military and his successful career in television production. He enlisted in the military during a time when young American men felt it was their duty to fight for their country, and rose to the rank of Sergeant. However, the experiences of war haunted him for the rest of his life. His younger brother died in the line of duty, and Kravitz blamed himself for convincing him to enlist.
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Despite these challenges, Kravitz found success in his career as a television producer at NBC. He was married to the late actress Roxie Roker for 23 years, and they had one son together, Lenny Kravitz. Lenny became a successful rock singer-songwriter, record producer, instrumentalist, and actor, rising to fame with the release of his debut album Let Love Rule in 1989.
Table of Contents
Profile summary
| Full name | Seymour Kravitz |
| Nickname | Sy Kravitz |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | December 10, 1924 |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Place of birth | Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Date of death | October 29, 2005 |
| Age (at time of death) | 80 years |
| Place of death | New York City, USA |
| Alma mater | Beverly Hills High School, University |
| Educational qualification | Bachelor of Arts degree |
| Profession | Military officer, TV producer |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Mother | Jean Kaufman |
| Father | Joseph Kravtiz |
| Brother | Leonardo Martin Kravitz |
| Ex-wives | Erika and Roxie Roker |
| Daughter | Laurie Kravitz |
| Sons | Tedi Kravitz, Leonard Albert Kravitz |
| Height in feet | 5 feet 7 inches |
| Height in centimetres | 170 cm |
| Weight in pounds | 136 lb (approx.) |
| Weight in kilograms | 62 kg (approx.) |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Net worth | $6 million (approx.) |
Sy Kravitz’s biography
Sy Kravitz, originally named Seymour Kravitz, was born on December 10, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Ukrainian-Jewish family. His parents, Joseph Kravitz and Jean Kaufman, had different careers, with Joseph working at a telecommunications company and Jean dedicating herself to raising Sy and his younger brother, Leonard Kravitz.
Although it is not known which school Sy attended, he was involved in the drama club and played football and soccer. After graduating from high school, he went to college and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1946.
Sy and his brother were very close, and they both decided to serve in the military. Sadly, Leonard died in the Korean War, leaving Sy devastated for having encouraged him to enlist. Leonard was born on August 8, 1930, and passed away on March 7, 1951, in Yangpyeong County, South Korea.
In 2005, Sy Kravitz passed away at the age of 80, but if he had been alive in 2022, he would have been 97 years old. Despite the tragedy of losing his younger brother, Leonard was posthumously honored with the Distinguished Service Cross and the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2014.
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Sy Kravitz Career
After completing his education, Sy Kravitz joined the military to serve his country. He began his service as a Green Beret and rose through the ranks to become a Sergeant. Sy served in both the Korean and Second World Wars, and during the Vietnam War, he worked as a news reporter.
Later in life, Sy’s career as a television producer and filmmaker began to take shape. He joined The NBC News Channel, where he was responsible for developing and overseeing the video aspects of news broadcasts.
Despite spending most of his adult life in the entertainment industry, Sy has only one film credit for the documentary Sid Bernstein Presents, which was released in 2010. However, his family continued his legacy in the entertainment industry, with his wife being an actress and his son a famous musician.
What did Sy Kravitz do for a living?
Sy Kravitz was an American television news producer, a jazz promoter, and a veteran of the Korean War. He is perhaps best known as the father of musician and actor Lenny Kravitz. Sy Kravitz worked as a producer for NBC News and served as the producer of the television show “The Mike Douglas Show” in the 1960s.
He was also a jazz promoter and worked with some of the most well-known musicians of the era, including Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Lionel Hampton. Sy Kravitz passed away in 2005.
Sy Kravitz’s wife and children
Despite his disciplined military background, Sy Kravitz’s personal life was marked by turmoil. He longed for a happy family life, but faced challenges in his marriages. His first marriage was to Erika in 1948, and they had two daughters, Laurie and Tedi Kravitz. However, the relationship ended in divorce in 1955, with Erika gaining full custody of their children.
After remaining single for seven years, Sy married actress Roxie Roker in 1962. They had a son, Leonard (Lenny) Albert Kravitz, in 1964, named after Sy’s late brother. While their marriage was more stable than his first, it also had its share of difficulties. As Lenny grew older, his relationship with his father became strained, with Sy being overly strict, and Lenny feeling afraid of him.
Their relationship hit a low point when Lenny left home at 16 after an argument with his father. They were estranged for several years, but later reconciled and became close again. Sy and Roxie’s marriage lasted longer than his first, spanning 23 years. However, it ended in a similar fashion, with allegations of infidelity leading to their divorce in 1985.
Sy Kravitz’s net worth
At the time of his death, Sy Kravitz had amassed a net worth of approximately $1 million, primarily through his career as a television producer. In contrast, his ex-wife Roxie Roker was significantly wealthier, with a net worth of around $6 million.
However, the most financially successful member of the family is Sy’s son, Lenny Kravitz, whose net worth is estimated to be a staggering $90 million.
Who was Sy Kravitz married to?
Sy Kravitz’s first marriage was to a woman named Erika. They were married in 1948, had two children named Laurie and Tedi, but eventually divorced in 1955. Following their separation, Erika was granted custody of their children.
Kravitz later married actress Roxie Roker in 1963. They had a son named Leonard Albert Kravitz, who was born in Manhattan, New York, USA on May 6, 1964. Roxie Roker was best known for her role as Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons, which was one of the first American TV shows to feature an interracial couple on regular prime-time television. However, Kravitz and Roker divorced in 1985 after approximately 23 years of marriage.
Tragically, Roxie Roker passed away in 1995 due to mammary gland cancer.
What was Sy Kravitz and Lenny Kravitz’s relationship?
After a heated argument with his father, Lenny Kravitz left home at age 16 but later reconciled with Seymour before his passing. Lenny’s Paris home features a gold-framed photograph taken by his father of the Jackson 5 onstage at Madison Square Garden in 1971.
In his memoir Let Love Rule, released in October 2020, Lenny shared insights about his parents and their relationship. He described his mother Roxie Roker as warm, kind, fair, and loving, while his father Seymour was loving, sensitive, and hardcore. Lenny admitted to being afraid of his father growing up due to his strict discipline and minimal communication.
Lenny’s father’s brother, Leonardo, died in the Korean War, and Seymour’s family blamed Lenny for his death, which changed Seymour. Lenny discovered his father’s infidelity when he overheard his phone conversation with his mistress in his 20s. His mother later revealed that his father had been unfaithful throughout their marriage but stayed because of her Bahamian upbringing’s prohibition on divorce.
After finding evidence of his father’s infidelity, Lenny and his family confronted Seymour, who admitted to cheating. The revelation damaged the father-son relationship. Lenny married Lisa Bonet in 1987, and they had a daughter named Zoë Isabella Kravitz before divorcing in 1993 amid infidelity rumors.
Lenny cared for Seymour on his deathbed and described his father’s last month as the best of their lives, where they made peace and buried their past grievances.
How did Sy Kravitz die?
Sy Kravitz, father of Lenny Kravitz, passed away from leukemia on October 29, 2005, in New York City. He was 80 years old at the time of his death. Two days after his father’s passing, Lenny paid tribute to him during a concert in Connecticut.
