STEVE GORMAN Has No Interest In Taking Part In THE BLACK CROWES' 2020 Tour, Says Reunion Is 'Not About Music'

Drummer Steve Gorman has confirmed to Ultimate Classic Rock that he hasn't been approached to take part in THE BLACK CROWES' rumored 2020 reunion tour. "It won't happen," he said about whether he expects to be contacted to participate. "Trust me. [Laughs] This reunion, I've heard from many sources for several months that this is happening. This ain't got nothin' to do with trying to re-find a musical connection. This is a very different motivation and impetus, so the last thing that the brothers Robinson are going to do is involve someone who is going to take a chunk of the pie away from them."

Gorman went on to say that Chris and Rich Robinson "have every right" to go out on the road with new musicians and call it THE BLACK CROWES. "When I quit the band in 2001, I relinquished my right to the name," he explained. "I never thought I'd be back to begin with. And I never was cut back in on that side of things as far as a third of the partnership in terms of who owns the name THE BLACK CROWES. And that's fine."

He continued: "The truth is, when Chris blew the band up in 2014, the last thing I wanted was to be involved in a continuing string of e-mails from lawyers and accountants trying to get everybody to agree on something. It's been much nicer to know that this is all in the rear view. And again, they wouldn't ever think of approaching me, but it's going to be a pretty tough thing to make sense of, six years after Chris said, 'I need all of the money or I'm never doing this again' and then suddenly saying, 'Okay, I'm ready to do it again.' I mean, it just speaks for what's going on. They painted themselves into a corner and they need to go out as THE BLACK CROWES, and I don't think, frankly, they give two flying fucks who is in the band onstage with them. They're going to go do what they have to do. And I don't begrudge anybody who can make a living playing music in their 50s on principle. It's, like, good for you. But the way this will be spun, and the way that everything has been spun for years, [it is] a pretty dubious suggestion that this is anything about a reunion or an anniversary."

Pressed about whether there is any scenario under which he would be willing to return to THE BLACK CROWES for a hypothetical reunion tour, Gorman said: "Not that I can imagine, and I have a really active imagination. So I would say no. And the truth is this, I have absolutely no interest in being in a room with either one of those guys, much less onstage with them for a year and a half. I have worked my ass off to make sure that I was never in a position where I thought I might have to do this. So, I mean, there's that. I don't need it. The reality is, if they did call me and if they did call Johnny [Colt] and if they did call Marc Ford or if they called Sven [Pipien], what are the chances that band is ever as good as it once was? I would say nil. So there's pragmatic considerations, and I don't need that. And then on top of it, once you really do get down to the music of it, if this were about music, those phone calls would have been made. It's not about music. It is what it is."

THE BLACK CROWES have been inactive since they played their final show in December 2013.

Last year, Chris put together a band called AS THE CROW FLIES to perform primarily BLACK CROWES songs. Joining the singer in the initial version of the group were fellow former CROWES members Adam MacDougall, Andy Hess and Audley Freed, plus Marcus King and Tony Leone.

Rich Robinson is currently involved with THE MAGPIE SALUTE in which he is joined by Marc Ford from THE BLACK CROWES, bassist Sven Pipien (also from the CROWES) along with lead singer John Hogg (HOOKAH BROWN, MOKE),drummer Joe Magistro and guitarist Nico Bereciartua.

Gorman's book, "Hard To Handle: The Life And Death Of The Black Crowes - A Memoir", was released last month.