Rich Robinson Says Black Crowes Feud ‘Became About Money’
Former Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson said the arguments that caused the band to split were based around brother and singer Chris Robinson’s attitude to money. He added that the siblings hadn’t spoken to each other in four years, and he couldn’t foresee an end to their disagreements.
The band went on hiatus in December 2013, and Rich announced the split 13 months later. Reports suggested a tour had been under discussion, but a conversation about rights ownership blocked those plans. Last year, Chris made his feelings clear when he said, “Let’s get this straight: I don’t like my brother, I don’t get along with him, I don’t want to be in a room with him, and I don’t want to play music with those people in that band.”
In a new interview with WBAB, Rich said “I don't have a brother anymore." "We don't speak," he noted. "I haven't spoken to him in four years. And I think that is what it is. So I would never wanna go down that road again. It is a shame that it became about money, which it did. … 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.”
In recent times, Rich has been working with his new band the Magpie Salute, an experience he described as “a lot more functional” than the “too toxic” Black Crowes. “Now, with getting a few years away from it, I'm pretty happy it did, 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," he said. "We're vigilant about not letting it go down that road."
The Magpie Salute will release their second album, High Water I, on Aug. 10.