Despite rumors they're breaking up for good, the Southern rock band, led by battling brothers Chris and Rich Robinson, released a statement Wednesday saying the group is "taking a hiatus."
"For the time being, Chris Robinson is pursuing a solo career. [Drummer] Steve Gorman has left the band for personal reasons. Stay tuned for news about Rich Robinson," the statement reads.
Reps brushed off a report in the New York Post's Page Six claiming Chris Robinson broke up the band and then announced his solo career via fax. The Post also painted a different picture about the group's recent problems, claiming Chris's new bride, Almost Famous star Kate Hudson, was getting in the way of the band's close-knit rock 'n' roll lifestyle.
An anonymous source stopped short of saying Hudson had pulled a Yoko Ono, but added that "ever since Chris married Kate the whole band dynamic has changed. He's just not around the guys the way he used to be."
Funny, that whole marriage thing. Robinson and Hudson, the 22-year-old daughter of Goldie Hawn, have been married for a year now, after tying the knot New Year's Eve 2001 in Aspen, Colorado, with family looking on.
As for Robinson's other marriage, the Black Crowes formed in Atlanta in the 1980s, and hit the big time in 1990 with their major-label debut, Shake Your Money Maker. The album sold more than 5 million copies, thanks to Stones-riffing hits like "Jealous Again," "She Talks to Angels" and a raucous cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle."
More recently, the band's track record had been spotty. While 1999's By Your Side was hailed as a back-to-basics rock "comeback" for frontman Chris and guitarist Rich, they still generated only tepid interest in their last album, 2001's Lions. The disc also was their first effort for V2 Records, after spending most of their career on Rick Rubin's American label.
On the concert scene, the Crowes remained a top draw. In 2000, the group hit the road with Led Zeppelin guitar god Jimmy Page and released a live album of Zeppelin covers.
The word "hiatus" never bodes well for a band, but anyone assuming it's permanent might want to bone up on their sibling rock 'n' roll history. It's not always easy to break up a band fronted by brothers--even if they are constantly quarreling.
Take, for example, two of rock's most infamous sparring siblings, Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis. The unibrowed Brits announced a similar break in 1996, claiming the band would stop touring for the "forseeable future." The "foreseeable future" promptly ended, and the boys joined the Black Crowes in 2000 for its "Brotherly Love" tour.