Former Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson is sharing his thoughts on the chances of a reunion of the band he formed with his brother, singer Chris Robinson, in a new interview with West Babylon, New York's WBAB radio.
"Being in a band that seems a lot more functional now, I wouldn't really ever wanna wish to play in the Crowes again," Rich told WBAB while promoting the August 10 release of “High Water I”, the debut album by his new outfit The Magpie Salute. "It's too toxic.
"I don't have a brother anymore," he continued. "I don't speak to him. We don't speak. I haven't spoken to him in four years. And I think that that is what it is. So I would never wanna go down that road again.”
The guitarist went on to reaffirm comments he made while announcing the end of The Black Crowes in January of 2015 after 24 years, which included his brother’s attempt to have him and drummer Steve Gorman give up their shares in the group.
"It is a shame that it became about money, which it did,” explains the rocker. “Regardless of how Chris wanted to spin it, or whatever it was, or he can go on 'Howard Stern' and say that I'm in a cover band, or whatever he does and says, and then puts together a cover band with musicians that never played on Black Crowes records to tour, like he did last year, or this year.
“Ultimately, he wanted everyone's money. He felt that he was more important and bigger and better than everyone else, and that's delusional and not the case, and I just felt like it wasn't very righteous to live that way. And so the band split up.”
“And now, with getting a few years away from it, I'm pretty happy it did,” adds Rich, "because I wouldn't have been in this situation that I feel like I can really add to something that is never gonna go down that road. We're vigilant [in The Magpie Salute] about not letting it go down that road."
Formed in 1989 in Marietta, Georgia by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson while still in high school, and originally named Mr. Crowe’s Garden after a children's book, The Black Crowes recorded eight studio albums and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
The Magpie Salute recently launched a series of summer US shows; with dates booked into early fall, the band will mix headline appearances with an opening slot on the Gov’t Mule US tour.
See also:
The Black Crowes offshoot The Magpie Salute preview debut album
Former Black Crowes keyboardist Eddie Harsch dead at 59
Black Crowes: Rich Robinson streams Which Way Your Wind Blows
Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson to release new album Flux
Search The Black Crowes at hennemusic
