Chuck Negron Founding Member Of Three Dog Night Dies At 83

Chuck Negron, founding member of Three Dog Night, died at the age of 83 at his home in Studio City, California, on Feb. 2 after suffering with chronic COPD. He was surrounded by his family.

After decades of estrangement between Negron and fellow Three Dog Night founder Danny Hutton, the two men met last year in to exchange apologies and bury the hatchet.

Negron’s lead vocals appear on classics like “Joy To The World (Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog),” “Easy To Be Hard,” “Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Show Must Go On” and “One (Is The Loneliest Number),” which was the band’s first million seller in 1969. The band topped the charts for six years with four million-selling singles, three No. 1 records, five Top 5 hits and seven Top 40 hits.  

With heavy drug use rampant during the group’s quick ascension to the top, Negron developed a drug addiction that took a toll. The band’s success was stymied by fractions internally and fell apart between 1975-1976.

Negron spent his fortune on drugs and even ended up on Los Angeles’ notorious Skid Row for a time. After many rehabilitation attempts, he finally got clean in 1991 and went on to have a successful solo career, releasing seven albums between 1995 and 2017. He released an acclaimed book, Three Dog Nightmare in 1999, which was an earnest account of his turbulent life from claiming responsibility for his downfalls to his rehabilitation.

He was born, Charles Negron II on June 8, 1942, to Charles Negron, a Puerto Rican nightclub performer, and Elizabeth Rooke. The couple divorced when he was two years old and Negron grew up in the Bronx, playing basketball and singing in doo wop groups from an early age.

A capable player, Negron was recruited by Allan Hancock College and, later, California State University to play basketball. While in Los Angeles, he continued to explore music. In 1967, he joined Danny Hutton and the late Cory Wells to form Three Dog Night. The trio was rooted in R&B, rock and roll and urban doo wop, creating a style of music that was unique and a catalog of music that defined a generation.  

The band was expanded to include guitarist Michael Allsup, and late musicians Jimmy Greenspoon, Joe Schermie and Floyd Sneed. Hutton and Allsup are the last surviving members of the original band and they continue to tour as Three Dog Night.

In his later years, Negron continued to tour heavily, even though he had chronic COPD for three decades. The COVID-19 pandemic sidelined him permanently, as touring became a serious risk to his health. In his final months, he battled heart failure in addition to his COPD.

An example of authenticity and persistence, Negron’s biggest passion was helping those fighting drug addiction.

Through a lifetime of epic highs and lows, Negron’s large and unconventional family was most important to him. He is survived by his wife Ami Albea Negron, his children Shaunti Negron Levick, Berry Oakley, Charles Negron III, Charlotte Negron and Annabelle Negron; his brother Rene (Jody) Negron; sister Denise (Janey) Negron; nine grandchildren, five nieces and two nephews; as well as his children’s mothers, Paula Servetti, Julia Negron, Robin Silna and Kate Vernon. He was predeceased in death by his parents and his twin sister Nancy Negron Dean. Memorial details have not been announced.