Chuck Negron, founding member and lead vocalist of late 1960s US band Three Dog Night, has died. He was 83.
The singer passed away at his Studio City, California home after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart failure, according to a statement from his representative.
Negron joined Danny Hutton and the late Cory Wells to form vocal trio Three Dog Night, one of the most successful bands of the late ’60s and early ’70s. The group produced more than 20 Top 40 Billboard hits throughout this period.
Negron’s lead vocals appear on classics such as the two-time Grammy-nominated Joy To The World (Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog), Easy To Be Hard, Old Fashioned Love Song, The Show Must Go On, and more.
The band expanded to include guitarist Michael Allsup, and late musicians Jimmy Greenspoon, Joe Schermie and Floyd Sneed.
Hutton and Allsup are the last living members of the original band, and continue to tour as Three Dog Night.
Negron’s descent into drug addiction and his eventual recovery were the springboard for a solo career launched in 1991. He released seven albums between 1995 and 2017 and became a passionate advocate for those with substance abuse issues.
He also published a co-written autobiography, Three Dog Nightmare, in 1999, which recounted his musical career and journey to sobriety.
After decades of estrangement between him and Hutton, the two former bandmates met last year to exchange apologies and bury the hatchet.
Negron is survived by his wife, Ami Albea Negron, six children and nine grandchildren.
