01 February 2021
Newsdesk
Lenny Kravitz has shared a moving tribute to his late godmother Cicely Tyson, saluting the acting icon as a "Black queen".
The multi-Emmy winner passed away on Thursday, aged 96, and on Friday, Lenny posted an emotional tribute to the woman who became a key mother figure in his life following the 1995 death of his mum, actress Roxie Roker.
Alongside a series of photos of Lenny and Cicely embracing over the years, as well as one of the Sounder star's newly-released memoir, Just As I Am, the musician wrote: "With inimitable style and grace, my dear Godmother Miss Cicely Tyson made her grand exit to the heavens."
Calling Tyson a "true pioneer", Kravitz said the actress was a "Black queen who showed us how beautiful black is".
He continued: "The love between us was and is tremendous. As long as I have had consciousness, I've known Godmother. She and my mother were kindred spirits. Sisters. And after my mother passed, Godmother's role in my life was amplified."
Musing that the pair would stay in touch despite their busy careers, he shared: "(Tyson) came to my shows, came over for holidays, met me for dinners, stayed with me in Paris when I first moved there, and never let me too far out of her sight. Our phone calls went on sometimes for hours."
Their last conversation took place just days before Tyson's death, Kravitz recalled. "She had just sent me her book that has been sitting on my nightstand where it will remain. She did it all, wrote the book, and then God called her. I can hear Godmother saying 'ok, now y'all can read about it, I'm going home (sic)'."
He concluded: "Rest peacefully, Godmother. You did it all exquisitely."
