The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes are an American rock group from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1989 and active from 1989 to the present. Their sound is rooted in blues rock, hard rock, jam band and southern rock, with ties to roots rock and classic rock. The band is led by brothers Chris Robinson and Rich Robinson.

Formation and early line-up

The Robinson brothers first form the band in Georgia in 1984, before the group takes its later established form in 1989. The debut line-up for Shake Your Money Maker in 1990 includes Chris Robinson on vocals, Rich Robinson on guitar, Johnny Colt on bass, Jeff Cease on guitar and Steve Gorman on drums.

Breakthrough and early albums

The Black Crowes' first single, “Jealous Again,” is a moderate hit, but “Hard to Handle,” a cover of the Otis Redding song, becomes the track that turns the group into a multi-platinum act. It reaches the Top 40 and helps push Shake Your Money Maker into the Top Ten. “She Talks to Angels” later becomes another Top 40 hit, and the album eventually sells more than three million copies.

Their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, arrives in 1992 with guitarist Marc Ford and keyboardist Eddie Harsch added to the group. It reaches number one on the charts. Although it does not produce a Top 40 single, “Remedy” and “Thorn in My Pride” enter the Top 100, and the band builds a reputation as a strong live attraction, selling out theatres across the United States.

Amorica follows in 1994, debuting in the Top Ten. None of its singles chart, although the album goes gold. Three Snakes & One Charm is released in 1996, enters at number 15 and later receives strong reviews, described as their best-reviewed album since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion.

Line-up changes, collaborations and hiatus

Marc Ford is fired from the band in 1997. Two years later, The Black Crowes return with By Your Side. In 2000 they collaborate with Jimmy Page on the double album Live at the Greek, which mixes newly recorded Led Zeppelin covers with additional classic blues material. They also release the compilation A Tribute to a Work in Progress: Greatest Hits 1990-1999. Don Was produces Lions, released in 2001, followed by a summer tour with Oasis.

The band announces a hiatus in 2002. Steve Gorman is fired and Chris Robinson says he intends to pursue a solo career. The group later reunites and tours steadily from March 2005.

Later years and current line-up changes

In 2007 Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars formally joins, replacing Paul Stacey. He appears across the 2008 album Warpaint. By the time of the later reunion, the band includes different combinations of former and new players, and in 2019 Chris and Rich Robinson say they have resolved their differences after years apart. That line-up includes guitarists Isiah Mitchell and Rich Robinson, bassist Tim Lefebvre, keyboardist Joel Robinow and drummer Raj Ojha, and it begins by performing Shake Your Money Maker in full at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City.

Reputation and recognition

The Black Crowes have sold more than 15 million albums. They tour with acts including Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Jimmy Page, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Oasis and Lenny Kravitz. Melody Maker calls them “The Most Rock N Roll Rock N Roll Band In The World,” and they are listed at number 92 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

Members

Members associated with the group include Jeff Cease, Johnny Colt, Steve Gorman, Chris Robinson, Rich Robinson, Marc Ford, Eddie Harsch, Sven Pipien, Audley Freed, Greg Rzab, Andy Hess, Bill Dobrow, Luther Dickinson and Adam MacDougall.