Chris Robinson

Christopher Mark Robinson (born to an Atlanta musician on December 20, 1966 in Atlanta, Georgia), now better known as Chris Robinson. Along with his brother Rich, he was exposed to a variety of musical genres throughout his youth, eventually discovering a love for most kinds of rock. Absorbing tremendous amounts of everything from Big Star to Led Zeppelin, he eventually teamed with Rich to start a band in the early 80's. Going under the name Mr. Crowe's Garden, the group started in 1984 and performed a jangly kind of college rock that wasn't getting them noticed. A terribly unstable lineup haunted the group for several years, but when representatives from American Records spotted the group performing in a club, they were enamored with Robinson's onstage presence and soulful voice. Signing the band in 1989, a hilarious debate over a name change (label owner Rick Rubin wanted to re-christen the group "the Kobb Kounty Krows") eventually led to the simplified Black Crowes moniker.