Chuck Negron, one of the co-founders of the rock band Three Dog Night, has died at the age of 83.
The singer died at his Studio City, Ca, home on Monday and he was surrounded by his family, his rep told Variety.
Negron had been battling heart failure in the months leading up to his death, and suffered with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for around three decades.
He co-founded Three Dog Night in 1967 with the singers Cory Wells, who died in Oct. 2015, and Danny Hutton. The band was originally known as Redwood before the name change.
Three Dog Night was known for hits such as “Joy to the World,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” and “Black and White.” The group secured 11 top 10 hits on the Billboard 100 chart, as well as 21 top 40 hits.
Negron, who was born in the Bronx, went his own way in 1985 following battles with drug abuse and entered a California rehab facility in 1991. He claimed he could spend upwards of $2,000 a day on drugs.
At one point, he was living on Skid Row, according to Deadline.
He released a number of solo records between 1995 and 2007, but his health battles impacted how he could perform.
“I reached a point where the COPD was going to prevent me from performing live, I could have literally died on stage,” Negron told Rock Cellar Magazine in 2018.
Negron used to wear specialized glasses that provided him with oxygen amid his health battle.
“It changed my entire career,” he said.
