A Black Crowes Switcheroo

One of the Black Crowes has left the nest.

The "Hard to Handle" rockers have announced that the band's oldest member, 49-year-old keyboardist Eddie Hawrysch, has exited the band for "personal issues."

"We want to inform our fans that Ed Hawrysch will no longer be performing with the Black Crowes due to personal issues. We are excited to announce Rob Clores as keyboardist and look forward to the fall leg," the band said in a statement.

Clores is a veteran piano man, having played for the likes of Blues Traveler's John Popper, Jesse Malin and Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson's side project.

Hawrysch's tenure dates back to 1991, when he joined the Crowes in the studio for the recording of their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. A native Canadian, who built his rep playing for bluesman James Cotton, remained with the band for the subsequent tour and eventually became a permanent member.

The band's publicist gave no official word what specific "personal issues" led to his departure, but Clores of all people shed some light on the personnel change via his MySpace.com page, claiming Hawrysch was forced to quit the group because of declining health.

"The Black Crowes have always been one of my favorite bands and one of the few I have always wanted to play with, though I never thought I would get the chance," Clores wrote. "But my opportunity comes as the result of Ed's unfortunate circumstance. I have never met Ed, but I have the utmost respect and admiration for him--and I am truly saddened by his health situation. If the band could have its way Ed would still be there.

"Let's send positive vibes his way and in the meantime I will do my best to uphold the keyboard chair in this great band," Clores added. (Publicist, meet the new guy. New guy, publicist.)

Hawrysch did have surgery in 1999 to fix a twisted intestine, but was able to rejoin the band.

The Georgia quintet shot to fame in the early '90s on the strength of such hits as "Twice as Hard," "Jealous Again" and "She Talks to Angels." They reunited last spring after a four-year hiatus and have been on the road almost ever since. The Crowes kick off a fall tour Sept. 7 in Richmond, Virginia, playing pavilions, arenas and smaller theaters, including an Oct. 28 headlining slot at Las Vegas' Vegoose Festival, before wrapping things up on Nov. 12 in Castaic, California.

The tour was supposed to coincide with the release of The Lost Crowes, a highly anticipated double-album of rare gems. But the band has posptoned the album from Tuesday to Sept. 26 thanks to "a recently discovered manufacturing error."

At least the Crowe's latest trek will give frontman Chris Robinson plenty of time to figure out what to do about the turmoil in his personal life.

His wife, Kate Hudson, announced earlier this month that the two were separating after six years of marriage and one child, two-and-a-half-year-old son Ryder. Us Weekly claims the breakup came after Hudson hooked up with her You, Me and Dupree costar Owen Wilson. Wilson has denied the report.

On Tuesday, a week after they were spotted at an L.A. restaurant together, the New York Post quoted an unnamed source saying Hudson and Robinson were attempting to reconcile.

Reps for the couple did not immediately comment on their off-on status.