Chuck Negron, a co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Three Dog Night, has died at age 83.
He passed away peacefully on Monday at his home in Studio City, California, surrounded by family, his representative confirmed to outlets including Variety and Billboard.
Negron had been battling heart failure in his final months and lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for about three decades, contributing to complications that led to his death.
Known for his powerful voice, Negron delivered lead vocals on many of Three Dog Night's biggest hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including "Joy to the World" (with the famous line "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"), "One (Is the Loneliest Number)," "An Old Fashioned Love Song," "Easy to Be Hard," and "The Show Must Go On."
The band, famous for turning cover songs into chart-topping anthems, scored 21 Top 40 hits overall.Born Charles Negron II on June 8, 1942, in New York City, he overcame a challenging early life, including time in an orphanage, and later battled severe heroin addiction that led to his departure from Three Dog Night in 1985. He achieved sobriety in 1991 and shared his story in the autobiography Three Dog Nightmare.
Negron is survived by his wife, Ami Albea Negron, and five children.