Chris Robinson (singer)
The swaggering, soulful voice of The Black Crowes, he reignited rock's bluesy, ragged heart in the face of 1990s grunge with timeless anthems.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American musician·Birthday: December 20·Generation X
Biography
Chris Robinson didn't just sing rock and roll; he embodied its loose-limbed, hedonistic spirit. With his younger brother Rich, he formed The Black Crowes in Atlanta, a band that felt like a glorious anachronism when they erupted in 1990. At a time when flannel and angst ruled, Robinson strutted onto the scene with a Mick Jagger-esque pout, a head of wild curls, and a high, pleading tenor that channeled Otis Redding. Their debut, 'Shake Your Money Maker,' was a defiantly classicist smash, built on swaggering riffs and Robinson's unapologetic lyrics about hard living and easy virtue. He became the band's charismatic, often controversial frontman, a purist who clashed with corporate sponsors and trends alike. Through breakups, side projects like the psychedelic Chris Robinson Brotherhood, and reunions, his voice remained a uniquely potent instrument, a direct wire to rock's blues-soaked, soulful core.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Chris was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chris Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Chris's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led The Black Crowes to multi-platinum success with their debut album 'Shake Your Money Maker,' which sold over five million copies.
- Co-wrote and performed the hit singles "Hard to Handle," "She Talks to Angels," and "Remedy."
- Founded and fronted the jam-oriented Chris Robinson Brotherhood, releasing six studio albums between 2012 and 2019.
- Inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2006 as a member of The Black Crowes.
Did You Know?
He is a dedicated collector of vintage vinyl records, with a particular focus on psychedelic and folk music.
Robinson was married to actress Kate Hudson from 2000 to 2007.
He is an outspoken advocate for environmental causes and organic farming.
The Black Crowes were famously dropped from a 1991 tour with ZZ Top for criticizing sponsor Miller Beer from the stage.
“We're not a nostalgia act. We're a right-now act.”
