The Black Crowes have broken up. Founding member and guitarist Rich Robinson announced the band’s break-up in a press release earlier today. “It is with great disappointment and regret that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of The Black Crowes over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up,” he wrote. Robinson cites a money disagreement with his brother and fellow member, Chris Robinson, over compensation for their long-time drummer Steve Gorman. Since the band started in 1989, they’ve had two multi-platinum albums with 1990’s Shake Your Money Maker and 1992’s The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion. The band has also been through a number of hiatuses and lineup changes. The last full-length album they released was 2009’s Before The Frost … Until The Freeze, followed by 2010’s acoustic-only compilation album Croweology. Read Robinson’s full statement below.

It is with great disappointment and regret that after having the privilege of writing and performing the music of The Black Crowes over the last 24 years, I find myself in the position of saying that the band has broken up.

I hold my time with the Black Crowes with the utmost respect and sincerest appreciation. It is a huge swath of my life’s body of work. I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished and deeply moved by the relationships people created and maintained with my music. That alone is the greatest honor of being a musician. I love my brother and respect his talent but 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% of his share, reducing him to a salaried employee, is not something I could agree to.

There are so many people who have helped and supported us along the way. I want to give a heartfelt thank you to all of our fans, our friends behind the scenes, and to everyone who was a part of The Black Crowes.

(via Jambase)