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Chuck Negron, a founding member of the iconic rock band Three Dog Night, has passed away at the age of 83.
According to his representative, Negron died peacefully at his home in Studio City, California, on Monday, surrounded by his loved ones, as reported by Variety.
In recent months, Negron had been contending with heart failure, and for nearly 30 years, he had lived with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Negron, alongside singers Cory Wells and Danny Hutton, established Three Dog Night in 1967. Initially, the band went by the name Redwood before adopting their well-known moniker.
The group gained fame for chart-topping hits like “Joy to the World,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” and “Black and White.” They achieved 11 top 10 hits on the Billboard 100 chart and 21 songs in the top 40.
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.