Chuck Negron, Founding Member of Three Dog Night, Passes Away At 83

Chuck Negron, born in 1942, was instrumental in the founding of the American rock band Three Dog Night nearly 60 years ago. His musical career, both in the band and out of it, spanned many decades, from the early 1960s right up until 2020. This past Monday, Feb. 2, at the age of 83, he passed away in Studio City, Los Angeles, as a result of both heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Career in Three Dog Night

Negron, who was born in New York City, had been singing for seven years in 1967 when his fellow rock singer Danny Hutton offered him a role in the formation of Three Dog Night. Hutton, Negron, and Cory Wells were the three lead vocalists for this band, which attained great success over the next five years. After their platinum 1968 debut album, simply called Three Dog Night, all seven of their albums released before 1975 earned the gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

In the mid-’70s, Negron began struggling with drug addiction; in 1975, he was arrested in Kentucky for possession of cocaine. (He soon got out on a bond of $10,000). At this time, the band as a whole was beginning to flounder: two of their albums, Coming Down Your Way (1975) and American Pastime (1976), were notably unsuccessful, the victims of inadequate marketing and a trend of disco overshadowing rock. The band disbanded in 1976, but got back together in 1981.

In 1985, Negron was dismissed from the band following a drug relapse; he managed to kick his drug habits for good in 1991, but he would never rejoin Three Dog Night, which is still working to this day. His 1999 autobiography, “Three Dog Nightmare,” was concerned in great part (as its title suggests) with his drug experiences, including failed rehabilitations at over two dozen rehab centers.

Negron’s Solo Career and Later Life

However, Negron’s career was far from over after he parted ways with Three Dog Night. His first solo album, Am I Still in Your Heart, was released in 1995, and he would go on to release six more over the next 22 years. The final two were titled The Chuck Negron Story (2005) and Negron Generations (2017). He retired in 2020.

In 2020, Negron married his manager, Ami Albea. He had three previous marriages and five children by previous wives and partners, including a daughter with actor Kate Vernon (“Malcolm X,” “Battlestar Galactica“) and a son with Julie Densmore, who was previously married to musician John Densmore of the Doors. He had been struggling with congestive heart failure for several months prior to his death.