Three Dog Night founder Chuck Negron dies, aged 83

3 February 2026, 11:16 | Updated: 3 February 2026, 11:42

Chuck Negron and Three Dog Night. Picture: Alamy/Getty Images

By Mayer Nissim

Chuck Negron was one of the founding singers of Three Dog Night.

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Three Dog Night's Chuck Negron has died at the age of 83.

Alongside Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton, Chuck was one of the three founding vocalists who formed the band in LA in the late 1960s.

Negron died peacefully at his home in Studio City, California surrounded by his family.

He had been battling COPD for several years and heart failure in recent months, a statement revealed.

After joining forces with Wells and Hutton as Redwood, the band soon added musicians Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass guitar), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sneed (drums) and changed their name to Three Dog Night.

Three Dog Night "Joy To The World" on The David Frost Show

The group were famed for their covers and songs by outside songwriters such as Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Paul Williams.

Negron sang lead vocals on a number of the band's hits, including 'Joy To The World (Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog)', 'Easy To Be Hard', 'An Old Fashioned Love Song', 'The Show Must Go On', 'One', 'Pieces of April' and 'Til The World Ends'.

Three Dog Night split in 1976, and while all three founding singers rejoined the group for their reformation in 1981, Negron left the group in 1985.

Three Dog Night in 1969: Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, Danny Hutton. Picture: Alamy

Wells and Hutton continued under the Three Dog Night name, while Negron established himself as a solo star.

After overcoming his drug addiction issues, Negron released a string of albums in the 1990s, including Am I Still in Your Heart?, Joy to the World and Long Road Back.

Wells died in 2015, leaving Hutton as the sole founding singer in the current Three Dog Night touring lineup. While they had not spoken for many years, Negron and Hutton were reported to have reconciled only last year.

Negron is survived by his wife, Ami Albea Negron, six children and nine grandchildren.