Chris Robinson Says Black Crowes ‘Just Very Excited’ About Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination
Black Crowes‘ frontman Chris Robinson acknowledges, with a laugh, that “I’ve been cynical in the past about institutions” in general — and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame specifically.
But he’s unreservedly pleased about the band’s first Rock Hall nomination.
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“We’re just very excited,” Robinson, who formed the group with younger brother Rich Robinson, drummer Steve Gorman, bassist Johnny Colt and guitarist Jeff Cease in 1989 in the Robinson’s native Atlanta, tells Billboard. “I don’t think we ever really would have thought about it, so for it to be in front of us, it’s incredible. We’re thrilled.
“All sarcasm aside, it’s amazing to be thought of. It’s amazing to be included. We love music, and we understand the real magical, alchemic process in it, and that we’ve managed to still be here this many years later and still be making records and in a lot of ways having a level of recognition and success that we haven’t felt before.
“Just to be mentioned (alongside) some of the names of the greatest artists, it’s fantastic,” he says of the band’s first nomination alongside Bad Company, Mariah Carey, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Oasis, Outkast, Phish, Soundgarden and the White Stripes.
Robinson is well aware of his May 2017 remarks to SiriusXM’s Howard Stern, when he said he would not attend a Black Crowes’ induction and that “the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to me is like going to the mall or something.”
“As if an interview with Howard Stern’s a deposition,” Robinson says with another laugh. “I think like anything with age… To say what I’m saying today is sincere. This isn’t one of those situations where I’ll grudgingly, ‘Oh, if we get in, I’ll go…’ If it happens for us, then I’ll be there with bells on my feet.”
The Black Crowes flew out of the box strong, of course, starting with two multi-platinum albums — 1990’s Shake Your Money Maker and 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion — and a rash of 16 Mainstream Rock chart hits that includes “Jealous Again,” a rendition Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle,” “She Talks to Angels,” “Remedy” and “Thorn in My Pride.” The group has released nine studio albums, selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. Its latest, 2024’s Happiness Bastards, was nominated for a Grammy Award for best rock album, losing out to the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds. “If you’re gonna lose a Grammy, lose it to Mick (Jagger) and Keith (Richards). We were just happy to be included,” Robinson says.
The Crowes have gone through three distinct eras during the band’s career — 1984-2002 and 2005-2015, with the Robinsons regrouping in 2019. More than two dozen musicians have played in the group during that time; in addition to the original lineup, guitarist Marc Ford and the late keyboardist Eddie Harsch are part of the nomination. There has been rancor over the years; Gorman published a revealing memoir, Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of the Black Crowes, in 2019 and subsequently sued the Robinsons for unpaid royalties, in a case that was settled during 2022. Chris Robinson says any amends prior to a Rock Hall induction is a matter for “down the road,” while the current state of the band remains strong.
“I think where our career has led us since Rich and I got back together… I think it just adds to how deeply we’re interested in our career and our band,” he explains.
The Black Crowes are planning a “light” year of performing, Robinson says, and the brothers have already started to write new songs. “We probably have another 20 new songs already, sketches,” he says. “I think Happiness Bastards was kind of the ignition, a very positive step. It was like, ‘Wow, that was fun’ and ‘Wow, now we have some new ideas. I think getting in the studio this spring is something that we feel we want to do. It’s very exciting.”
Robinson, a Los Angeles resident for more than two decades, is also still glowing about the FireAid benefit concert on Jan. 30 at the Kia Forum, where the Black Crowes performed “Remedy” and backed John and Shane Fogerty on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” before the Robinsons teamed with Slash for a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California.”
“It was a super, super special event,” Robinson recalls. “Los Angeles gets this rap for being so shallow and vapid and stuff… but it just goes to show the real heart and soul of a place like Los Angeles. That’s what happens when you’re in a show business industry town. That’s where this town is pointed towards. So it was just spectacular.
“And to do it with Slash, who’s a friend but he’s synonymous with the Los Angeles music scene… I thought it was a really nice moment. And Jimmy (Page) saw it and he thought it was great. So, win-in.”
The Class of 2025 will be revealed in late April. That announcement typically details which artists are inducted as performers, which names are entering the Rock Hall in the musical influence or musical excellence categories and who the year’s Ahmet Ertegun award recipient will be. The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall.
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