Rich Robinson Announces The Black Crowes Have Broken Up

[WhazUp]

With an official statement from founding member, guitarist Rich Robinson, influential roots- rock band The Black Crowes have broken up. Founded in 1989 in Marietta, Georgia, the band quickly became known for their hit songs "She Talks To Angels," “Remedy” and their cover of “Hard to Handle.” Their last performance was in San Francisco at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in December 14, 2013.

Co-founding member (and Rich’s brother ) Chris Robinson currently fronts his solo band The Chris Robinson Brotherhood which is slated to play this weekend at the Sunshine Music and Blues Festival in Florida.

The full text of the press release is below.

AFTER 24 YEARS RICH ROBINSON SAYS THE BLACK CROWES ARE NO MORE

The Black Crowes, the highly influential, critically and commercially successful band has disbanded, per an announcement today from founding member Rich Robinson. Robinson, the group’s guitarist and songwriter, founded the band with his brother Chris in their hometown of Marietta, GA. Their first album, Shake Your Money Maker, yielded multiple hit singles and has been RIAA certified as a multiplatinum (over 5 million) seller. Their follow up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is, likewise, multiplatinum and rose to #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 Album Chart. The group’s catalog also includes additional RIAA- certified releases, including the critically acclaimed Amorica, By Your Side and a live collaboration with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page.

Rich Robinson released a statement concerning the band’s conclusion in which he states, "It is with great disappointment and regret that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of The Black Crowes over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up."

His statement continues, "I hold my time with the Black Crowes with the utmost respect and sincerest appreciation. It is a huge swath of my life's body of work. I couldn't be more proud of what we accomplished and deeply moved by the relationships people created and maintained with my music. That alone is the greatest honor of being a musician. I love my brother and respect his talent but his present demand that I must give up my equal share of the band and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100% of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to."

Robinson concludes, "There are so many people who have helped and supported us along the way. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of our fans, our friends behind the scenes, and to everyone who was a part of The Black Crowes.”

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/123765/Rich-Robinson-Announces-The-Black-Crowes-Have-Broken-Up

Damn this sucks, they are a kickass band. I wish I could have seen them live at some point

[bran]

always was a fan of them sucks to see them go, steve gorman has had a radio show on fox sports radio for a little while that i quite enjoy.

[estrangedtwat]

They had a good run. I think more bands should have the balls to call it a day when they feel like they're just plain out of steam. Or in this case, arguing about money. 24 years is a looooong time. There's really no need for a lot of bands to still be out there, like our pal Axl for one since he can't even sing anymore.

I saw the Crowes twice...once in 95 and once in 2000. The 1995 concert remains the highest I have ever been in my lfie.

[username]

Very sad to hear! I think they've always been an amazing band. Very underrated too. I love their psychadelic/blues/rock/groove mix. Seem them live a few times as well, which was always great fun. Especially in Paradiso and the Heineken Music Hall. Those were absolutely stellar gigs.

And this isn't calling it a day. That would be a band as a unit deciding to stop. These are just...arguments. That's always a bit sad. I do think that their most recent albums (Warpaint and Before The Frost Until The Freeze were great in quality. No reason to end it there!

Can't imagine a full-blown hippie like Chris doing business like this really.

Edited January 16, 2015 by username

[GivenToFly]

It's not the first time and last time around it didn't last very long. I've got full confidence they will get back together in a few years.

I saw them in 2011 and I had tickets to see them twice in 2013 but I couldn't make it and I'm still bummed about that.

[dalsh327]

Their dad passed a few months ago so that didn't help keep the spirits of the band up. Maybe it was Chris' way of breaking the band up, or he wants to do an Axl and put together a new Black Crowes lineup, even though the Robinsons already have their own bands going.

[moreblack]

For me they've been over up since Marc Ford left for the second time after the 06 tour. The last BC album I'll have ever bought will always be Lions.

[RussTCB]

I've seen the Crowes over 20 times in concert and this news crushes me. I'd love to be wrong, but I don't think this is anything like the last couple of times they took a hiatus. I think this might be the real deal, which sucks.

At least they shared the ride while they could.

[spliff]

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/123766/Audio-Steve-Gorman-Talks-Black-Crowes-Breakup

Gorman started his show by saying "(Rich Robinson's) statement is true. I'm really sorry to say. That's all she wrote for The Black Crowes...officially." He went on to explain he's known the statement was coming for a long time, but it still stung. "When you know somebody's sick for a long time you accept it, but then you see the coffin and then it's right there and there's a whole new set of feelings." The drummer was in an appreciative mood, "Thanks to everybody because The Black Crowes had a tremendous run and far more than the knuckleheads that we were in 1987, when we started the band, should've ever have hoped to expected. It's been a tremendous experience and an absolute honor and a privilege. So, for anyone who was a part of that on any level, I want to start the show by saying thank you from the very bottom of my heart."

Steve's cousin Jeffrey Gorman, the show's co-host, asked the drummer about the part of Rich's statement regarding his ownership stake in the band. "There was no chance in a million years that would be agreed to," The drummer said. Steve then broke the news that The Black Crowes did intend to tour this year, "We had every intention of going out this year, because this is 25 years since the first record came out...an anniversary tour that would've been pretty much everywhere. Yeah, that was in the books. We hadn't signed off with all the promoters, but those plans were being formulated and they were agreed to."

The drummer then addressed Chris Robinson's recent quote that The Crowes had become tedious by thanking fans in many different ways and added, "From the bottom of my heart, I would say I never found any of this experience to be tedious. I'm appreciative and I'm full of gratitude. It was fantastic." Steve did take a few shots at Chris with the quips, "He was a great rock and roll singer at one time and he wants to do something different...obviously" and "You (co-host Jeffrey Gorman) threw Axl Rose out there, I'd say just simply add a private education and a boatload of artistic pretense and there's our boy."

"It's emotional for me," Gorman stated as a producer played audio of "She Talks To Angels." Steve added, "The Black Crowes are done. Things happen." To end the show, Steve spun the studio version of "Jealous Again" which was many fans first taste of The Black Crowes way back in 1990.

Edited January 16, 2015 by spliff

[classicrawker]

Love the Crowes and have seen them at least a half dozen times. Sounds like another case of LSD (lead singer's disease) but the brothers are always fighting so it would not surprise me if they reunited in the not too distant future.

Interview with Chris Robinson

http://smashinginterviews.com/interviews/musicians/chris-robinson-interview-the-black-crowes-to-be-honest-became-a-very-tedious-scenario

[J Dog]

What a great, pure, straight up rock n roll band. Glad I caught them on that last tour, they always put on great shows.

Shake Your Money Maker, Southern Harmony, Amorica, some really good music right there.

[The Real McCoy]

Saw the Crowes live many times and was honored to be at the reunion show in '05.

That said, Chris is obviously a lost cause at this point. He's too busy pretending to be Jerry Garcia. I'm not a fan of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. At all.

Time to get out of Topanga Canyon and back to Earth, Chris.

[RussTCB]

I don't like CRB either. The last two Rich solo records have been fantastic though.

[dalsh327]

It's a shame they could have done a 25th tour and this had to happen. The greatest thing about this is now Chris will ALWAYS get reunion questions for the rest of his life.

I think the tone of Gorman about Chris seems to be "he'll never change", but I mean, they had a hell of a run, adding to that seeing Jimmy Page delivering night after night, and getting him to talk about the real shit that went on in Led Zeppelin?

[gunsfanoldie]

Sucks for them, but it seems as Rich explains, he's at a loss. Oh well. They were a good band, even though I only know a few of their big hits. They've been at it awhile.

Bottom line is they are young enough that even if this is a permanent breakup, they'll most likely get back together at some point. Maybe one show, maybe a tour, but I have a hard time believing youngish guys like this will never play together again. Same way I think Oasis will at some point reunite. Just too inevitable with bands these days.

But yeah, sad they are done. I look forward to the reunion sometime in the next 15 years.

[GivenToFly]

I haven't been listening to them very much lately but for a very long time they were one of my top 5 favorite musical acts.