Craig Ross

Last updated
Craig Ross
Lenny Kravitz - Craig Ross - Rock in Rio Madrid 2012 - 03.jpg
Ross performing in 2012
Background information
Birth nameCraig David Ross
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Rock
Occupation(s)
  • Guitarist
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
Years active1986–present
Labels
Formerly ofThe Broken Homes
Spouse(s)
(m. 2014)
Website craigross.net

Craig David Ross is an American guitarist, best known for his work with singer Lenny Kravitz. [1]

Contents

Early life

Craig Ross was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He borrowed a guitar from a neighbor's garage at age eight. [2] He began playing the music of the Beatles and Chuck Berry, his early influences. [2]

Career

By the age of 16, Ross began playing guitar at Los Angeles clubs, and formed the band the Broken Homes c. 1980s; he performed under the stage name Kreg Ross. The band opened for prominent musical acts including Stevie Ray Vaughan, INXS, Jerry Lee Lewis, Guns N' Roses and Jane's Addiction. The Broken Homes signed with MCA Records to release three albums during the 1980s, on which they worked with producers such as Andy Johns. This seminal period gave Ross his start in professional musical work. He describes his musical influences include Freddie King, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page.

A "chance meeting" in an Los Angeles pool hall with Lenny Kravitz (facilitated by Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's) led to a long-tenured musical partnership. [2] After touring with Kravitz for 1991's "Mama Said", Craig joined Lenny in the studio, co-writing and playing guitars on his track "Are You Gonna Go My Way", an anthem that helped elevate Kravitz's career. The collaboration continued with stand-out solos on tracks such as "Believe" and "Is There Any love in Your Heart". Ross has since written and performed instruments on each of Kravitz's albums, as well as for other artists including Sheryl Crow, Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, and Nikka Costa, among others. [3]

Ross co-wrote the songs "Spinning Around Over You", "Are You Gonna Go My Way", "Is There Any Love in Your Heart", "Where Are We Runnin'?", "Stillness of Heart", and "Lady" with Kravitz, as well as various songs on Kravitz's 2008 album It Is Time for a Love Revolution . He also toured with Kravitz, most notably at the Glastonbury Festival in 1999. [4] Ross and Kravitz performed at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Led Zeppelin, covering their 1969 song "Whole Lotta Love".

Ross played on The Black Crowes 2001 album, Lions on the track "Greasy Grass River", as well as on the band's former guitarist Marc Ford's first solo album, It's About Time in 2003.

Personal life

Ross has two daughters named Mia and Devon with his first wife Anna. Since 2014, he has been married to Spanish actress Goya Toledo. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lenny Kravitz</span> American musician and actor (born 1964)

Leonard Albert Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor.

<i>Mama Said</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

Mama Said is the second studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in April 1991 by Virgin Records. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash co-wrote and played on the song "Always on the Run". He also played on the song "Fields of Joy". The song "All I Ever Wanted" was co-written by Sean Lennon.

<i>By Your Side</i> (The Black Crowes album) 1999 studio album by The Black Crowes

By Your Side is the fifth studio album by American rock band The Black Crowes. It was released in early 1999 on Columbia Records, following the band's move from American Recordings, after second guitarist Marc Ford and bassist Johnny Colt had left the band in 1997. Audley Freed and Sven Pipien were hired as the new guitarist and bassist, respectively, although Rich Robinson played all the guitar parts on the album. By Your Side was recorded in New York City during the second quarter of 1998 and produced by Kevin Shirley. It comprised songs written in the studio, revised songs from pre-production and re-recorded songs from the abandoned 1997 album Band.

<i>Lenny</i> (album) 2001 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

Lenny is the sixth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in October 2001 through Virgin Records. It reached number 12 on the Billboard 200 and number 55 on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Circus</i> (Lenny Kravitz album) 1995 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

Circus is the fourth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released in 1995 by Virgin Records. It reached number 10 on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the UK Albums Chart, becoming Kravitz's first top 10 album in the US and second in the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Ford</span> American guitarist

Marc Ford is an American blues-rock guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is a former guitarist of the rock and roll band The Black Crowes, the former lead guitarist of The Magpie Salute and the leader of his own bands: Burning Tree, Marc Ford & The Neptune Blues Club, Marc Ford & The Sinners, Fuzz Machine, and Jefferson Steelflex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sami Yaffa</span> Finnish musician

Sami Yaffa is a Finnish bass guitarist best known for his work in New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Pelle Miljoona Oy, Michael Monroe's bands, and Hanoi Rocks. He is currently the bassist for the Michael Monroe band and is also concentrating on his solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Are You Gonna Go My Way (song)</span> 1993 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is a song by American musician Lenny Kravitz, released in February 1993 by Virgin Records as the first single from his third studio album, Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993). The song was written by Kravitz and Craig Ross, while Kravitz produced it. It peaked at number one in Australia and number four on the UK Singles Chart, as well as number one on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Its music video was directed by Mark Romanek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Are We Runnin'?</span> 2004 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Where Are We Runnin'?" is a song performed by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on April 5, 2004, as the lead single from his seventh studio album, Baptism (2004). Kravitz wrote the song with his long-time collaborator Craig Ross and produced it himself. Following its release, the song reached number 69 in the United States, number 13 in Italy, and number four in Spain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trombone Shorty</span> American musician (born 1986)

Troy Andrews, also known by the stage name Trombone Shorty, is a musician, most notably a trombone player, from New Orleans, Louisiana. His music fuses rock, pop, jazz, funk, and hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Always on the Run (Lenny Kravitz song)</span> 1991 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Always on the Run" is a song by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released as the first single from his second album, Mama Said (1991), in March 1991. It features a contribution by Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. Slash had written the music for the song with the original intention of releasing it on a Guns N' Roses studio album, but since former drummer Steven Adler had difficulty playing the song, he saved it for this eventual collaboration with Kravitz. On June 6, 1992, during Guns N' Roses's Use Your Illusion Tour stop in Paris, Kravitz joined the band onstage and played guitar and sang vocals for this track.

<i>It Is Time for a Love Revolution</i> 2008 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

It Is Time for a Love Revolution is the eighth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on February 5, 2008. The album produced four singles released in 2007 and 2008. This is Kravitz's final album for Virgin Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fields of Joy</span> 1991 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Fields of Joy" is an original song by The New York Rock Ensemble released in 1971. Lenny Kravitz released a remake on July 16, 1991, as the third single from his second studio album Mama Said.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Is There Any Love in Your Heart</span> 1993 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Is There Any Love in Your Heart" is a song by American musician Lenny Kravitz and released on November 22, 1993 by Virgin Records, as the fourth single from his third studio album, Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993). Following its release, the song reached the top 50 in Australia and New Zealand and peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. The song was later included on the Japanese edition of Kravitz' 2000 compilation album, Greatest Hits. The music video was directed by Mark Romanek and features Canadian model Ève Salvail playing a vampire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Reynolds (musician)</span> Musical artist

Rob Reynolds is an English singer-songwriter and a recording artist. He plays acoustic and electric guitar, lap steel, dobro steel, harmonica, bass and keyboards.

<i>Black and White America</i> 2011 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

Black and White America is the ninth studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz, released on August 30, 2011. The album also produced six singles released in 2011 and 2012.

<i>Are You Gonna Go My Way</i> 1993 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

Are You Gonna Go My Way is the third studio album by American singer Lenny Kravitz, released on March 9, 1993, by Virgin Records. It was recorded at Waterfront Studios, Hoboken, New Jersey, by Henry Hirsch. It became Kravitz's first top 20 album on the United States Billboard 200, and his first number one album in both Australia and the United Kingdom, achieving worldwide success that helped to establish his popularity as a performer.

<i>Raise Vibration</i> 2018 studio album by Lenny Kravitz

Raise Vibration is the eleventh studio album by American rock musician Lenny Kravitz. It was released on Roxie Records via BMG Rights Management on September 7, 2018 and produced seven singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Believe (Lenny Kravitz song)</span> 1993 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Believe" is a song by American musician Lenny Kravitz, released by Virgin Records on May 10, 1993, as the second single from his third album, Are You Gonna Go My Way (1993). It is a rock ballad with string orchestration, and was co-written, arranged and produced by Kravitz, with Henry Hirsch also contributing to the orchestration and composition. Its lyrics concern one being able to achieve freedom and "eternal grace" if they believe in themselves and put their faith in God.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex (Lenny Kravitz song)</span> 2014 single by Lenny Kravitz

"Sex" is a song written and recorded by American singer Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross. The song was released on August 6, 2014 as the second single from the Kravitz's tenth studio album Strut.

References

  1. Mehle, Michael (1996) "Lenny Kravitz Creates Music Style by Borrowing", Rocky Mountain News , January 31, 1996. Retrieved November 19, 2013
  2. 1 2 3 Grimes, Courtney (November 29, 2004). "Lenny's Leading Man: An interview with Craig Ross". gibson.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  3. "Heather Anne Lomax Releases Video for Single 'Mama's Sleepin" off 'The Doman Tracks'". Usrockermusic.com. November 29, 2023.
  4. "Live Reviews: The Glastonbury Festival June 25–27, 1999" [usurped] . Chart Attack, Richard Beland, June 25–27, 1999.
  5. "La boda de Goya Toledo, una sorpresa ya anunciada". Hola.
  6. "Goya Toledo confiesa en la alfombra roja que se ha casado". El Confidencial