The Black Crowes will apparently shake their money makers no more. Founding guitarist Rich Robinson has just announced that a fiscally minded ultimatum delivered by his brother, frontman Chris Robinson, has forced him to leave the project, thus bringing an end to the Southern rock band.
"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," the six-stringer said in a statement.
According to Rich, he's backed out of the group because vocalist Chris has made demands that he and other members turn over their shares of the band. Rich has refused to do this.
"I love my brother and respect his talent," Rich explained, "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 percent of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to."
Chris Robinson hasn't responded to his brothers claims.
The news comes a few months after Gorman had noted disfunction within the flock, saying that the "the likelihood of us doing anything again is as low as it's ever been."
Despite the announcement that the Crowes' career has come to a close, Rich feels good about all that they accomplished.
"I hold my time with the Black Crowes with the utmost respect and sincerest appreciation," the guitarist added. "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 honour of being a musician."
The Black Crowes were formed out of the ashes of Mr. Crowe's Garden in 1989. The Marietta, GA-based act's career kicked off with a bang when Def American released their 1990 debut Shake Your Money Maker. That record featured hits like "Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels," and a rowdy, Bud-slammin' cover of Otis Redding classic "Hard to Handle." Sophomore set The Southern Harmony and Music Companion was another early favourite, yielding another signature single, "Remedy."
The band would ultimately issue nine studio LPs over 20 years, the last being 2010's acoustic career overview, Croweology; 2009's Before the Frost...Until the Freeze was the last Black Crowes album of original material. They had also issued a handful of concert LPs.
The band had previously gone on hiatus in 2002 before getting back together in 2005. A second hiatus began in 2010, but the Crowes would fly again in 2013 for a series of tour dates. Their last show was December 14 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
"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," the six-stringer said in a statement.
According to Rich, he's backed out of the group because vocalist Chris has made demands that he and other members turn over their shares of the band. Rich has refused to do this.
"I love my brother and respect his talent," Rich explained, "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 percent of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to."
Chris Robinson hasn't responded to his brothers claims.
The news comes a few months after Gorman had noted disfunction within the flock, saying that the "the likelihood of us doing anything again is as low as it's ever been."
Despite the announcement that the Crowes' career has come to a close, Rich feels good about all that they accomplished.
"I hold my time with the Black Crowes with the utmost respect and sincerest appreciation," the guitarist added. "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 honour of being a musician."
The Black Crowes were formed out of the ashes of Mr. Crowe's Garden in 1989. The Marietta, GA-based act's career kicked off with a bang when Def American released their 1990 debut Shake Your Money Maker. That record featured hits like "Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels," and a rowdy, Bud-slammin' cover of Otis Redding classic "Hard to Handle." Sophomore set The Southern Harmony and Music Companion was another early favourite, yielding another signature single, "Remedy."
The band would ultimately issue nine studio LPs over 20 years, the last being 2010's acoustic career overview, Croweology; 2009's Before the Frost...Until the Freeze was the last Black Crowes album of original material. They had also issued a handful of concert LPs.
The band had previously gone on hiatus in 2002 before getting back together in 2005. A second hiatus began in 2010, but the Crowes would fly again in 2013 for a series of tour dates. Their last show was December 14 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.
