Owing much to southern rockers such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers as well as rock gods Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, The Black Crowes have created their own style of southern hard rock that many argue is the best since the aforementioned bands. While this is debatable, they certainly led to some revival of southern rock, and have had a definitive impact on the music industry.
Formed in 1984 By Chris and Rich Robinson, and when they released their first album Shake Your Money Maker in 1990, Steve Gorman, Jeff Crease, and Johnny Colt had also joined. When the big single from this album, Hard To Handle (a cover of the Otis Redding song) was released the album went multi-platinum, and to this point has sold of 3 million copies of the record. Keyboardist Eddie Hersch was later added as a permanent member after playing session and tour work with them.
As stated above, the band is a big supporter of NORML and usually plays at the Great American Smoke-out (the marijuana-related one, not cigarettes).
Band Members (Not all at the same time):
1 = left band before Lions
2 = joined band before Lions
Discography through 2001:
On a personal note, I have never seen them live as a full band, but in 1996 I did see some members on stage. I went to see G. Love and Special Sauce at Irving Plaza in New York City, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, who had been opening for the Crowes, was opening for G. Love that night. The Black Crowes must have been waiting, because at the end of the main set, Chris, Rich, and Eddie came out and joined G. Love in a dirty blues rendition of the Beatles' Help!. Very awesome.