Chuck Negron, who was one of the founders of the hugely popular classic rock band Three Dog Night, has died at the age of 83.
According to Deadline, Negron died Monday at his home in Studio City, California. He had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and also had been dealing with heart failure in the months before his death.
“I received the news today that my former bandmate from Three Dog Night, Chuck Negron, passed away peacefully at his home,” Danny Hutton, one of the band’s lead vocalists, wrote in a post on social media. “When Chuck left the band 40 years ago, we rarely spoke and lost touch for much of that time.
“Five months ago, his wife Ami called to tell me he was very sick and I decided I should go see him. When I arrived at his house, we hugged, cried, reminisced, and shared many stories. In that moment, we realized how much time had been lost by not being in each other’s lives. It was a beautiful and deeply meaningful reunion.
“Besides being a phenomenal singer, Chuck was a good college basketball player and had a great sense of humor. I will always be grateful for the music we made together.”
Negron sang on some of the band’s biggest hits, such as “Joy To The World (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog),” “One (Is the Loneliest Number),” “Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Show Must Go On” and “Easy To Be Hard,” Variety reports.
The band was founded in 1967 by Negron, Hutton and Cory Wells. The band had 21 Billboard Top 40 hits between 1969 and 1975, including three reaching No. 1.
Negron struggled with drug addiction and that it helped lead to the breakup of the group in 1976. The group later reunited but Negron was let go in 1985 when he relapsed, according to Billboard.
Negron overcame his addictions and began a solo career in 1991, Deadline reports, eventually releasing seven albums. He also became an advocate for people dealing with substance abuse.
Negron is survived by his wife, Ami Albea Negron; five children; and nine grandchildren.
Read the original article on cleveland.com.
