Three Dog Night founding member and iconic lead singer Chuck Negron has died at the age of 83 at his home in Studio City, California, following months of health struggles.
Negron passed away surrounded by family, according to a statement released by his publicist, Zach Farnum. While no formal cause of death was immediately disclosed, an obituary cited by Deadline noted that the vocalist had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease along with heart issues in the months leading up to his death.
“Through his six decades of success, and all the ups-and-downs, his large, unconventional family was most important to him,” the obituary read.
As the unmistakable voice behind some of the most enduring hits of the late 1960s and early 1970s, Negron helped propel Three Dog Night into music history. The band became one of the era’s defining acts, racking up more than a dozen Top 40 Billboard hits and dominating radio with crowd favorites like Joy to the World (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog), One, An Old Fashioned Love Song, Mama Told Me Not to Come, The Show Must Go On, and Shambala.
Negron formed the band in 1967 alongside Danny Hutton and Cory Wells, who later passed away. Over the years, the group also included musicians Jimmy Greenspoon, Joe Schermie, Floyd Sneed, and guitarist Michael Allsup. Hutton and Allsup continue to tour under the Three Dog Night name.
Despite his success, Negron’s journey was marked by personal struggles. He parted ways with the band in 1985 amid ongoing issues with substance abuse, but he later confronted those challenges head-on. In 1991, he entered the California Rehabilitation Institute, an experience he would later describe as life-changing.
“I wanted to cry help, and they took a spiritually and physically broken man, and they changed me with many tools and an unbelievable support group,” Negron said in a 2018 interview.
Following his recovery, Negron remained musically active, releasing a series of solo albums between 1995 and 2017. He also spoke openly about how COPD eventually limited his ability to perform onstage, even as his passion for music remained strong.