I heard this on more than one newscast yesterday, broadcasters calling the late Chuck Negron "the lead singer of 70's pop band Three Dog Night." To say so reveals that the speaker did not understand the concept of that band, and it was unique.
Three Dog Night had three singers who took turns singing the lead parts and alternating in background harmonies. The name of the group came from the habit of Australian outbackers to call a cold night a "one dog night," a really cold night a "two dog night," and an all-out brass monkey freezer a "three dog night." You take three great singers, any of whom could have sung solo lead in any band, and add a drummer, a keyboard man, a guitarist and a bass guitarist, and you've got something really fine, and a long string of hits...
Chuck (center above) sang lead on "Joy to the World," "One," "An Old Fashioned Love Song," "Easy to Be Hard," and "The Show Must Go On".
Danny Hutton (left) took the lead on "Black and White," "The Loner," "Your Song," "The Family of Man."
Cory Wells (right) was featured on "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," "Eli's Coming," "Shambala," "Never Been to Spain," "Sure as I'm Sittin' Here".
Chuck Negron died in California on Monday, leaving Danny Hutton as the One Dog left. It's pretty good to live to 84 when 36 trips to rehab as a young man couldn't get him off the dope, but that 37th try did the trick, and he lived drug-free since 1991.
What a voice! What a life!
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