The Black Crowes have disbanded, per an announcement today from founding member Rich Robinson, the group’s guitarist and songwriter who founded the band with his brother, Chris. Their first album, Shake Your Money Maker, yielded several hit singles and was certified as a multiplatinum (over 5 million) seller.  Their follow up, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion was 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.

“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,” said Rich Robinson. “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 demand that I give up my equal share of the band and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100 percnet of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to.

“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.”