Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night dies at 83

"Founded in 1967 by Negron and fellow vocalists Cory Wells and Danny Hutton, Three Dog Night played catchy, polished soft rock - "slick as Wesson oil," Robert Christgau once wrote - with lush three-part harmonies and tons of melodic hooks. The musicians wrote some of their songs but were better known for interpreting tunes by other songwriters, including Harry Nilsson ("One"), Laura Nyro ("Eli's Coming"), Randy Newman ("Mama Told Me Not to Come"), Hoyt Axton ("Joy to the World") and Paul Williams ("An Old Fashioned Love Song"). Negron sang lead on "One" and "Joy to the World," among other tunes."

"Between 1969 and 1975, Three Dog Night put 21 songs inside the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100; three of those went to No. 1: "Mama Told Me Not to Come" - about a sheltered young guy having his mind blown at a Hollywood party - "Joy to the World" and "Black & White," the last written by David I. Arkin and Earl Robinson."

"Tastemakers were split on the group, whose name was said to refer to the practice among Indigenous Australians of sleeping with dogs for warmth. Robert Hilburn, The Times' former pop music critic, called Three Dog Night "a fairly pedestrian hit machine." But a reviewer from the New York Times was warmer, writing in 1975 that the band is "succeeding in recreating the days when rock and roll was fun music, before relevance and heaviness descended on it all.""

Chuck Negron died at his home in Studio City at age 83, reportedly peacefully surrounded by family; the cause was not specified. He had long suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Negron co-founded Three Dog Night in 1967 with Cory Wells and Danny Hutton. The group performed polished soft rock with lush three-part harmonies and strong melodic hooks, often interpreting songs by other songwriters. Notable recordings include "One," "Eli's Coming," "Mama Told Me Not to Come," "Joy to the World," and "An Old Fashioned Love Song." Between 1969 and 1975 the band placed 21 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with three reaching No. 1.

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