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Chuck Negron died at his home in Studio City, California, surrounded by his family, a representative for the artist said. Although no cause of death was given, a statement said the singer suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for decades and developed heart failure in his final months.
From the Bronx to Hollywood
Born on June 8, 1942 in Manhattan, New York City, Negron sang in doo-wop groups and played basketball while growing up in the Bronx. After high school, he was recruited for basketball at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California, and later at California State University, Los Angeles.
After landing in Los Angeles, Negron began exploring the Hollywood music industry. In 1967 he founded Three Dog Night with Danny Hutton and Cory Wells. With roots in R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop, the group scored their first major hit with “One (Is The Loneliest Number),” written by Harry Nilsson, which reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.
21 top 40 hits in a row
The band would score 21 consecutive Top 40 hits between 1969 and 1975 with songs written by other musicians, including the two-time Grammy-nominated “Joy to the World” (Hoyt Axton), “Eli’s Coming” (Laura Nyro), “Mama Told Me Not to Come” (Randy Newman) and “An Old-Fashioned Love Song” (Paul Williams).
A 1972 Rolling Stone cover story described Three Dog Night as “the discoverers, in the sense that they put them on the pop charts, of Nyro, Nilsson, Newman and even Elton John and Bernie Taupin.” It was noted that every song the group released on an album was “likely to become a hit single through album airplay and radio station response.” When the band began selling out every headline show, the Dogs were grossing more than the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Elvis Presley and even the Rolling Stones.
The crash from heroin addiction
Then, at the peak of the band’s career, the wild success collapsed due to Negron’s struggles with drug abuse and heroin addiction. For a time, the singer lived on Los Angeles’ Skid Row after spending the millions he made on drugs.
The group disbanded in 1976 and reunited in 1982 before breaking up again in 1985 following Negron’s relapse. Hutton and Wells continued under the Three Dog Night banner, and Hutton, the only remaining original member, still tours today.
The way back to life
After 37 rehab stays and 13 years, Negron managed to get clean in 1991. He launched a solo career and released seven albums between 1995 and 2017. He documented the extreme highs and lows of his journey in his 1999 book, Three Dog Nightmare.
In 2015, his bandmate Cory Wells died of blood cancer. After decades of estrangement from Hutton, Negron and Hutton met last year “in a timely attempt to apologize and bury the hatchet,” according to a statement.
In a 1998 interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Negron reflected on what he wanted out of life at this point in his career: “I’ve learned that going out and trying to make 50 No. 1 records or trying to sell another 90 million records doesn’t do me any good. I know what fulfills me: doing the work, being a musician, making a living, providing for my family and having my priorities in order.”
“You have to find inner peace; you have to face the gifts you have, the flaws you have and learn to accept your life,” the singer said. “I’m getting more out of life than I’ve ever had, and that’s exactly why.”
