{{Short description|American singer-songwriter (1942–2026)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | image = Chuck Negron 2017 (cropped to square).jpg | alt = Chuck Negron on stage | caption = Negron performing live in 2017 | birth_name = Charles Negron | birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|6|8}} | birth_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2026|2|2|1942|6|8}} | death_place = Studio City, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | genre = {{hlist|Pop rock<ref>{{cite book|editor-first= Holly |editor-last= George-Warren |editor-first2= Patricia |editor-last2= Romanowski |title= The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll |url= https://archive.org/details/rollingstoneency00holl |url-access= registration |year= 2001 |edition= 3rd |publisher= Fireside |isbn= 0-7432-9201-4 |page= [https://archive.org/details/rollingstoneency00holl/page/990 990]}}</ref>|soft rock<ref>{{cite book|editor-first= Frank |editor-last= Hoffmann |year= 2005 |title=Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound |volume= 2 |publisher= Routledge |chapter= Soft Rock And Related Styles |pages= 1011–12 |isbn= 0-415-93835-X}}</ref>|<br/>blue-eyed soul<ref>{{cite book|title= Three Dog Nightmare: The Continuing Chuck Negron Story |first= Chuck |last= Negron |year= 2008 |publisher= Literary Architects |isbn= 978-1-933669-13-7 |page= 68}}</ref>}} | occupation = Singer-songwriter | years_active = 1960–2020 | label = {{hlist|Dunhill|Viceroy| Golden Arrow Productions|Hip-O|Sin-Drome|Negron}} | past_member_of = Three Dog Night | website = {{URL|chucknegron.com}} }}
'''Charles Negron II''' (June 8, 1942 – February 2, 2026)<ref name=":1" /> was an American singer-songwriter. He was best known as a founding member and lead vocalist of the rock band Three Dog Night.
== Early life == Chuck Negron was born in Manhattan, New York City, on June 8, 1942, to Charles Negron, a Puerto Rican nightclub singer, and Elizabeth Rooke.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rockcellarmagazine.com/chuck-negron-interview-three-dog-night-opioids/ | title=The Opioid Crisis, Clean Living and Three Dog Night: Chuck Negron Q&A – Rock Cellar Magazine | date=August 3, 2018 }}</ref> When Negron was five years old, his parents divorced. Negron and his twin sister, Nancy, were raised by their mother, who placed them in a daycare facility while she supported her young children. Though Negron referred to this facility as an orphanage, it was a mansion in the Bronx that contained a swimming pool, gymnasium, arts and crafts, and more. The facility did house some long-term residents, though this did not include Negron and his sister.
He grew up in the Bronx, where he sang in local doo-wop groups and played basketball both in schoolyard pickup games and at William Howard Taft High School. He was recruited to play basketball at Allan Hancock College, a small community college in Santa Maria, California and played later at California State University, Los Angeles.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=Chuck Negron biodata|website=Ask.com|access-date=June 29, 2017|url=http://www.ask.com/music/artist/Negron/109129|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710180924/http://www.ask.com/music/artist/Negron/109129|archive-date=July 10, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Career == thumb|Negron performing in 2008 In 1967, singer Danny Hutton invited Negron to join him and Cory Wells to found the band Three Dog Night. The group became one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s, selling approximately 60 million records and earning gold records for singles that featured Negron as lead vocalist, including "One", "Easy to Be Hard", "Joy to the World", "An Old Fashioned Love Song", "Pieces of April", "The Show Must Go On", and "Til the World Ends".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_21323720/dark-one-dog-night-chuck-negron|work=The Mercury News|date=August 15, 2012|title=The dark, one-dog night of Chuck Negron|author=Freeman, Paul}}</ref>
Negron developed a serious heroin addiction, which began in the early 1970s. In July 1975, the British music magazine ''NME'' reported that Negron had been arrested for cocaine possession in Kentucky.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years">{{cite book|first=John|last=Tobler|year=1992|title=NME Rock 'N' Roll Years|edition=1st|publisher=Reed International Books Ltd.|location=London, UK|page=278|id=CN 5585}}</ref> Three Dog Night disbanded in 1976.
After many attempts at rehabilitation, Negron overcame his addiction in September 1991 and embarked on a solo career that continued until the COVID-19 pandemic,<ref name = Harris>{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Beth |date=2026-02-03 |title=Three Dog Night's Chuck Negron, voice behind 'Joy to the World,' dies at 83 |url=https://apnews.com/article/chuck-negron-dies-three-dog-night-0e2ace5b44a3bbaf8d533830e11b872f |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}</ref> recording the albums: * ''Am I Still in Your Heart?'' (1995)<ref name="Negron, Chuck 1995">{{cite book|author=Negron, Chuck|publisher=Viceroy|date=1995|title=Am I Still In Your Heart?|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/am-i-still-in-your-heart-mw0000178913}}</ref> * ''Joy to the World'' (1996), a Christmas CD<ref name="Negron, Chuck 1996">{{cite book|publisher=Viceroy|author=Negron, Chuck|date=1996|title=Joy to the World}}</ref> * ''Long Road Back'' (1999)<ref name="Negron, Chuck 1999">{{cite book|publisher=Hip-O|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-long-road-back-mw0000241137|title=Long Road Back|date=1999|author=Negron, Chuck}}</ref> * ''Chuck Negron – Live in Concert'' (2001), a double CD set<ref name="Negron, Chuck 2001">{{cite book|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/chuck-negron-live-in-concert-mw0000016251|title=Chuck Negron – Live In Concert|date=2001|author=Negron, Chuck|publisher=Sin-Drome Records}}</ref> recorded at Southern Methodist University (Dallas) and released by Sin-Drome Records, with sidemen Richard Campbell on bass guitar; Danny Mishkit on guitar, keyboards and saxophone; Frank Reina on drums; and Terence Elliott on lead guitar * ''Live and in Concert'' (2005)<ref name="Negron, Chuck">{{cite book|title=Live and In Concert|author=Negron, Chuck|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-and-in-concert-dvd-mw0001008559|publisher=Delta Distribution}}</ref> * ''The Chuck Negron Story'' (2005)<ref name="allmusic.com">{{cite book|title=The Chuck Negron Story|author=Negron, Chuck|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-chuck-negron-story-mw0001420065|publisher=Delta Distribution}}</ref> * ''Negron Generations'' (2017)<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.chucknegron.com/shop/|title=OFFICIAL SITE for Chuck Negron – Formerly of Three Dog Night – Shop|website=chucknegron.com|access-date=2026-02-01}}</ref>
He wrote his autobiography, ''Three Dog Nightmare'' (1999), in which he described his life as a high school athlete and a member of a successful rock band. He wrote about his descent into drug abuse and attributes his recovery from heroin addiction to his turning to God in desperation after dropping out from more than thirty drug treatment facilities. A revised edition with several new chapters was released in 2008 and an updated version was released in 2018.<ref>{{cite book |last=Negron |first=Chuck |title=Three Dog Nightmare: The Chuck Negron Story |last2=Blatchford |first2=Chris |date=June 1999 |publisher=Renaissance Books |isbn=1-58063-040-5 |edition=Hardcover, First |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>
== Personal life and death == In 2006, Negron was featured in an episode of the A&E documentary television series ''Intervention'' about his son, Chuckie, and grandson, Noah.<ref>{{cite web|title=Intervention Episode Guide|url=http://www.aetv.com/intervention/episode-guide/season-2|publisher=A&E Television Networks, LLC|access-date=November 24, 2012}}</ref>
Negron was married four times. He married Paula Louise Ann Goetten in 1970 and they divorced in 1973. Together they had a daughter, Shaunti Negron-Levick. In 1976, he married Julia Densmore, ex-wife of The Doors drummer John Densmore.<ref>{{cite web|title=She survived drug abuse, and now helps others|url=https://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20170711/she-survived-drug-abuse-and-now-helps-others|publisher=Herald Tribune|access-date=July 11, 2017}}</ref> They were married for twelve years and divorced in 1988. Together they had a son, Charles "Chuckie" Negron III, and Julia also has a son, Berry Duane Oakley Jr.,<ref>{{cite web|title=Berry Duane Oakley|url=http://www.berryoakley.net/about/|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> from a previous relationship with bassist Berry Oakley. In 1993, Negron married Robin Silna. They had a daughter, Charlotte Rose,<ref>{{cite web|title=Three Dog Nightmare|url=https://people.com/archive/three-dog-nightmare-vol-45-no-14/|author=Peter Castro|publisher=People Magazine|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref> and divorced in 2001. He married his manager, Ami Albea, on May 9, 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Joy To The World! Chuck Negron Proposes To Long-Time Girlfriend And Manager, Ami Albea |url=https://117group.com/joy-to-the-world-chuck-negron-proposes-to-long-time-girlfriend-and-manager-ami-albea/ |website=117group.com|date=August 6, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Today's the day❤️ Ami Albea and I are getting married💥🎉🌟☀️❤️☮️ |url=https://www.facebook.com/chucknegron/posts/10158205697807645/ |website=facebook.com}}</ref> Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the wedding took place on the balcony of their home, with his two youngest daughters and the minister on the street below.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chuck Negron & Ami Albea's Safer at Home Wedding in Quarantine |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCer53f5TCQ |website=youtube.com| date=May 12, 2020 }}</ref>
Negron had a daughter, Annabelle Negron, with actress Kate Vernon.<ref>{{cite web |last=Farnum |first=Zach |date=June 16, 2017 |title=Chuck Negron Releases New Album Negron Generations June 30, Features Unreleased Three Dog Night Tracks |url=http://117group.com/chuck-negron-negron-generations/ |publisher=117 Entertainment Group.}}</ref>
Actor and comedian Taylor Negron was Negron's cousin.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Looseleaf|first1=Victoria|title=For Negron, It's Totally Cool to Be Unhip|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-27-ca-56250-story.html|access-date=January 11, 2015|work=Los Angeles Times|date=April 27, 2001}}</ref>
Negron died of heart failure and COPD at his home in Studio City, Los Angeles, on February 2, 2026, at the age of 83.<ref name = Harris/>
==Solo discography== * ''Am I Still in Your Heart?'' (1995)<ref name="Negron, Chuck 1995"/> * ''Joy to the World'' (1996), a Christmas CD<ref name="Negron, Chuck 1996"/> * ''Long Road Back'' (1999)<ref name="Negron, Chuck 1999"/> * ''Chuck Negron – Live in Concert'' (2001), a double CD set<ref name="Negron, Chuck 2001"/> * ''Live and in Concert'' (2005)<ref name="Negron, Chuck"/> * ''The Chuck Negron Story'' (2005)<ref name="allmusic.com"/> * ''Negron Generations'' (2017)<ref name=":0"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Sources == * {{Cite book |last=Negron |first=Chuck |author2=Chris Blatchford |year=2000 |title=Three Dog Nightmare: The Chuck Negron Story |url=https://archive.org/details/threedognightmar00negr/mode/2up |url-access=registration |location=Los Angeles |publisher=Renaissance Books |isbn=158063155X |lccn=99-60835 |oclc=1036893559}}
== External links == {{commons category}} * [http://www.chucknegron.com/ Official website] * {{allMusic|artist/chuck-negron-mn0000124663}} * {{discogs artist}} * {{IMDb name|1745367}} * [https://www.songwriter.co.uk/a34.html Chuck Negron at International Songwriters Association]
{{Three Dog Night}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Negron, Chuck}} Category:1942 births Category:2026 deaths Category:20th-century American singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters Category:20th-century American male singers Category:21st-century American male singers Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:American rock singers Category:American rock songwriters Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:Allan Hancock Bulldogs men's basketball players Category:Singers from New York City Category:Three Dog Night members Category:Singer-songwriters from New York (state) Category:Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Category:Respiratory disease deaths in California Category:Deaths from congestive heart failure in California Category:20th-century American memoirists