THE BLACK CROWES' CHRIS ROBINSON On His 2015 Demand For Greater Ownership Stake In Band: 'I Was Angry' And 'I Did It To Be Cruel'

During an appearance on the latest episode of Mohr Stories, the podcast hosted by actor, comedian and sports enthusiast Jay Mohr, THE BLACK CROWES frontman Chris Robinson reflected on the band's 2015 breakup, caused by his demand for a greater ownership stake in the band and for wanting to make drummer Steve Gorman, the CROWES' founding drummer, into a salaried employee. Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had to remove myself because I was heartbroken about the whole thing. I was angry, and I felt that I was in a situation that the only thing I could control is... It's the same thing with everyone, like at the time, the primary people in the band were mad… 'Cause at the time, the manager goes, 'Well, what would you want to keep doing this?' And I knew this would be the nail in the head. I knew I could also set it down. I said, 'I want more money then. If this is a cash cow, then I want my side of beef.' It's not like I did it out of some random thing. I did it completely to put a nail in this thing, 'cause I knew. And to be honest, at that time, I was so angry that I felt THE BLACK CROWES had just become this thing for..."

Chris continued: "I think 'Warpaint''s a really good record. I love 'Before The Frost... Until The Freeze'. Very different, but [I'm] really proud of the music on that record and the experience. But we're out there just chasing money so everyone can live a certain lifestyle. And I felt, in all honesty, I was, like, 'I'm not here for that. And I'm not done. As an artist, as a person, I'm not done. This isn't over. I'm not ready for the 'Shake Your Money Maker' tour' that would come 10 years later."

Chris added: "I'm also completely aware and prepared for that to sound selfish, self-indulgent. But I'm not your parents. Yeah, it's a family thing, but my dad would say, 'Man,' some kid, 'Why is this kid in my house eating dinner three nights in a row? I didn't take him to raise,' like a friend of mine or something. That would be my dad saying, 'I didn't take this kid to raise.' And I didn't take them to raise, and I felt it was still kind of on me, as the front guy and as the catalyst, as the leader of the band. I've always been that… I did it to be cruel in a way, too, 'cause my heart was broken. And my spirit. I wasn't gonna allow my spirit to be broken. [My spirit was in danger of being broken by] the business and the attitude and culture that the band had cultivated at that time."

During a THE BLACK CROWES hiatus a decade and a half ago, Chris formed the CHRIS ROBINSON BROTHERHOOD, which lasted for eight years before disbanding.

"When I stopped [with THE BLACK CROWES] and did THE BROTHERHOOD and started that, I went off on an incredible adventure, but that adventure, through its trials and tribulations, led me back to my brother," Chris told "Mohr Stories". "So the way I dealt with issues in 1995 is not the way I would deal with anything today… And all the shit, anything bad that happened or that looks like, 'Oh, well, we got this' or 'you did that,' blah, blah, blah, that's all out the window as well. I completely believe this. There's nothing in me that this is convenient or insincere in any way 'cause I don't wanna deal with it. Everything has to happen for me to be here. All of it has to happen the way it happened. There's no way to go back."

Chris and his brother, THE BLACK CROWES guitarist Rich Robinson, repaired their relationship and reunited in 2019 for a string of more than 150 shows in 20 countries in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough 1990 album "Shake Your Money Maker". They have since released two studio albums, 2024's Grammy Award-nominated "Happiness Bastards" and 2026's "A Pound Of Feathers". "Happiness Bastards" was the CROWES' first new release in 14 years, and the first since the Robinsons reactivated the band.

"A Pound Of Feathers" came out on March 13 via Silver Arrow Records. The 11-song set was recorded over a 10-day period in Nashville with Grammy-winning producer Jay Joyce, and with only Cully Symington, the band's drummer since 2023, joining Rich and Chris in the studio.

When THE BLACK CROWES announced their split in 2015, Rich issued a statement saying that he loved his brother and respected his talent but that "his present demand that I must give up my equal share of the band and that our drummer for 28 years and original partner, Steve Gorman, relinquish 100 percent of his share … is not something I could agree to."