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Longtime Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman says his former bandmates Chris and Rich Robinson left him no choice but to sue over an unknown amount of royalties he is due.
Gorman was a member of the Black Crowes from 1989 - 2015; he is the only member other than the Robinson brothers to remain in the band through its first three go-arounds.
His claims against The Black Crowes include unpaid royalties and breach of contract, according to Rolling Stone.
"Defendants have failed to perform their obligations in full accordance with the Partnership Agreement by, among other things, failing to pay Plaintiff amounts owed under the Partnership Agreement, denying Plaintiff access to inspect the Partnership's books and records and improperly deducting unauthorized expenses from the royalty payments Plaintiff has received to date," part of the filing reads.
Gorman's relationship with the Robinson brothers began to deteriorate for the last time in late-2014. The Black Crowes were planning what would have been the Shake Your Money Maker 30th anniversary tour, when Chris announced that he would not do the tour if the three cofounders continued equally splitting revenue.
Chris proposed a new split where he get 75 percent of the money, Rich get 25 percent and Gorman be fired. (Gorman documents the negotiation in his memoir.)
Gorman, who was excluded from the band's 2019 reunion lineup, explained in a statement that his frustration over royalties and lack of access to the band's books goes back several years.
"For more than five years, my attorneys and I have made repeated requests to review the Partnership's books to confirm the accuracy of royalty payments and my share, but Chris and Rich have consistently ignored my rights under the partnership agreement," he said.
"I regret that it has come to this, as I remain incredibly proud of the music we created as a band, but their conduct has left me with no choice but to ask a court to order them to give me this information, which I'm entitled to under out partnership agreement and the law."
The notoriously volatile Robinson brothers completed their long-awaited Black Crowes reunion tour last summer. Before the tour began, the brothers confirmed that they had written music for a new album; they admitted, however, that they would need to prove to themselves that they could tour in peace before committing to release any new music.
The band, which now features longtime former bassist Sven Pipien alongside the Robinsons, is set to get back on the road in May.