Craig David Ross is an American guitarist, best known for his work with singer Lenny Kravitz.[1]
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 a 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 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]
References
^Mehle, Michael (1996) "Lenny Kravitz Creates Music Style by Borrowing", Rocky Mountain News, January 31, 1996. Retrieved November 19, 2013
