Making it in the music business is a difficult accomplishment.
Making it as a solo artist after a career with a successful
band is even harder, but that's what Chris Robinson
set out to do. After the Black Crowes went on hiatus
in 2001, following the release of their CD, "Lions,"
frontman Chris Robinson branched out on his own, and
by 2002, he had released "New Earth Mud,"
a more pop-tinged offering than the Black Crowes' fans
had heard, though still featuring some of the Southern
rock sound for which the band was known.
That sound was a natural extension of Chris Robinson's
upbringing. He was born in 1966 in Atlanta and exposed
to a variety of musical genres, and Led Zeppelin was
one of his earliest influencs. In the mid-1980s, Chris
Robinson and his brother, Rich, formed a band called
Mr. Crowe's Garden, but their college rock sound didn't
have much of an impact on the music scene, especially
because the band's lineup, aside from the Robinson brothers,
changed several times. Still, Chris Robinson himself
managed to catch the attention of some American Records
representatives, thanks in large part to his soulful
singing voice, and the band was signed in 1989. Soon
after, the band was renamed the Black Crowes.
The band began refining its sound with the help of
producer George Drakoulias, and its major-label debut,
"Shake Your Money Maker," was put out in 1990.
It became quite a success and produced several hit singles,
including "Hard to Handle." The band toured
almost constantly, drawing ever larger crowds, but burnout
and internal troubles led to the 2001 hiatus.
The following year marked the beginning of Chris Robinson's
collaboration with Paul Stacey, a guitarist and producer
who aided in the production of "New Earth Mud."
Later, Chris Robinson got back on the road, playing
venues such as B.B. King's bar and grill in Manhattan,
performing both tracks from his solo debut and numbers
from an upcoming release. If reviews are any indication,
Chris Robinson concert tickets could soon be in as great
a demand as were those of his former band.
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