Rock
Chris Robinson admits he 'blew up' Black Crowes over bitterness and burnout
Chris Robinson says anger, disillusionment and “cruel” decision‑making fuelled The Black Crowes’ 2015 split, as he reflects on the fallout and his repaired relationship with brother Rich.
Chris Robinson has spoken candidly about the decisions that led to The Black Crowes’ 2015 split, admitting he acted out of anger and heartbreak as tensions inside the band reached breaking point.
The Hard to Handle hitmakers released five albums before going on hiatus in 1999. They reunited for a number of gigs three years later and then released a new album, Warpaint in 2008.
After the release of two more LPs, they went on hiatus again in 2010, before touring in 2013, two years before Rich declared they had split for good.
Appearing on Jay Mohr’s Mohr Stories podcast, the singer said he’d become deeply frustrated with the environment around the group - who formed in 1984 - and felt the only thing he could still control was how he responded.
He told the comedian: “I was angry and I felt that I was in a situation that, you know, the only thing I could control is…
“At the time, the manager goes, ‘Well, what would you want to keep doing this?’ And I knew this would be the nail in the head. I knew I could also set it down. I said, ‘Oh, I want more money then. If this is a cash cow, then I want my side of beef.’”
Rich Robinson claimed his brother wanted him to give up his equal share of the group and that drummer Steve Gorman “relinquish 100 per cent of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee.”
Chris now says his frustrations stemmed from feeling the band had drifted away from its creative purpose.
He explained that he no longer recognised the group’s priorities.
Chris said: “I was like, ‘I’m not here for that. And I’m not done as an artist, as a person. I’m not done. This isn’t over.'
“I’m also completely aware and prepared for that to sound selfish, self‑indulgent.”
The musician admitted that part of his behaviour was intentionally harsh.
He went on: “I did it to be cruel in a way, too, ‘cause my heart was broken, and I wasn’t gonna allow my spirit to be broken [by] the business and the attitude and culture that the band had cultivated at that time within.”
Chris added that the only thing he felt he could still protect was the band’s artistic output.
He explained: “The only thing I’m really responsible for or can have control over is our presentation. What’s going on with the music, what’s going on on the stage. Everything else in life, we’re all subject to the same chaos and whims of the gods at any minute.”
The brothers' fighting came close to overshadowing their music over the years but they insist those days are over.
In a 2019 interview with Rolling Stone, Rich said: "No one is here to be a d***. We love this music. We're musicians. We're brothers. We love each other. We love this opportunity ... Changing the context with Chris and I and all new people is a much healthier place for us."
The band are still touring and released their 10th studio album, A Pound of Feathers, in March.
