Chuck Negron, founding member and lead vocalist of Los Angeles rock band Three Dog Night, died at age 83 at his Studio City home. According to his obituary, he had been battling COPD and heart failure. Born June 8, 1942, in the Bronx, Negron moved to Los Angeles on a basketball scholarship, where he pursued music and in 1967 co-founded Three Dog Night with Danny Hutton and Cory Wells.
The band became one of the most successful acts of the late ’60s and early ’70s, scoring nearly two dozen Top 40 hits. Negron’s powerful lead vocals defined classics such as “Joy to the World,” “One,” “Easy to Be Hard,” and “An Old Fashioned Love Song.” Despite massive success, internal conflict and Negron’s drug addiction led to his departure and years of hardship, including time on Skid Row.
After becoming sober in 1991, Negron launched a solo career, released seven albums, authored the memoir Three Dog Nightmare, and became an advocate for addiction recovery. He continued touring until the pandemic and reconciled with bandmate Danny Hutton last year. Negron is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and extended family.