Three Dog Night’s Chuck Negron dies at age 83 after health struggles
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Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night, whose lead vocals powered one of the best rock bands of the late 1960s and early ’70s to a string of hits including “Joy to the World,” “One” and “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” died Monday. He was 83 years old.
He died of complications from heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his home in the Studio City neighborhood of Los Angeles, according to publicist Zach Farnum.
Negron also sang lead on the songs “Easy To Be Hard” and “The Show Must Go On”. The band’s other hits include “Black and White,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” “Never Been to Spain” and “Shambala.”
In December 1972, the band hosted and performed at the inaugural edition of Dick Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
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Former Three Dog Night frontman Chuck Negron sings to the crowd at a Christmas Eve party at the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles on December 24, 1997. (AP Photo/John Hayes, File)
By 1975, album sales had declined and the band had its last hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Til the World Ends”. Internal strife tore the group apart and it disbanded the following year.
In 1981, the group reunited, but Negron was dismissed in late 1985 due to recurring drug problems.
In 1967, Negron joined Danny Hutton and Cory Wells to form Three Dog Night, a vocal trio based on R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and urban doo wop. They achieved success two years later with their first million-selling single, “One”, written by Harry Nilsson.
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Three Dog Night band members Danny Hutton (left), Chuck Negron (center) and Cory Wells (right). (Jim McCrary/Redferns)
Negron indulged in heavy drug use during the band’s meteoric rise to the top of the charts. He spent his fortune on drugs and even spent some time on Skid Row in Los Angeles.
After numerous stints in rehab, he became sober in 1991 and went on to have a successful solo career, releasing seven albums between 1995 and 2017. His book “Three Dog Nightmare”, published in 1999, detailed his ups and downs.
After decades of estrangement between him and Hutton, the two men reconciled last year. Hutton and Michael Allsup are the only surviving members.
He was born Charles Negron II on June 8, 1942. She grew up singing in doo wop groups in the Bronx from an early age. His parents divorced when he was 2 years old. He was recruited by California State University to play basketball, which brought him to Los Angeles, where he began working in the music industry.
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Musician Chuck Negron, founding member of the band Three Dog Night, performs on stage during the 10th anniversary of his Happy Together Tour at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on July 18, 2019 in Thousand Oaks, California. (Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
In later years, Negron navigated chronic COPD for three decades. The COVID-19 pandemic sidelined him permanently.
Negron is survived by his wife, Ami Albea Negron, and five children, including Berry Oakley Jr., the son of Allman Brothers Band bassist Berry Oakley, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1972. Negron was married for a time to Oakley’s baby mama, Julia Negron, and helped raise baby Berry Jr.
