A Word with Chuck Negron
When former Three Dog Night vocalist Chuck Negron is asked about the band’s career, he doesn’t spend a lot of time talking about the 60 million records they sold or the 12 gold albums and the string of 21 hit singles that came with them. He doesn’t name those hits one by one, songs that defined the early ‘70s rock era like "Joy to the World," “Just An Old Fashioned Love Song,” “One” and “Mama Told Me Not To Come.” What Chuck likes to talk about is getting onstage and performing. As excited now as he was the first time Three Dog Night took the stage, Negron spoke to us recently about how the band’s drive, tireless rehearsals and love of music helped them usher in the era of arena rock and how he’s looking forward to bringing that very same spirit aboard the ‘70s Rock & Romance Cruise.
“When I started out,” Chuck recalls, “it was the beginning of rock and roll, so as a teenager I fell in love with this new music. And I, along with my generation, just embraced it.” Up until the moment he discovered rock and roll, Chuck had been singing in a doo-wop group called The Rondells in his Bronx neighborhood. “We actually became very popular and made a couple of records and played The Apollo Theater.” But as soon as he heard this electrifying new sound, the ambitious young singer began to plot out a path to become a part of it.
A top basketball player who had long attracted the attention of college scouts, Chuck parlayed his talent and unremitting work ethic into a scholarship at a California university that would bring him to Hollywood’s front door (as well as his father’s, who was living there at the time). “I was offered a few scholarships,” he says, “but I really wanted a scholarship to a school in California to be a part of the music business. And it all worked out. In my first year there, I made a record. In my second year, I made another record. And then Columbia Records noticed and I got a deal and made some records for them and that’s how I met these guys.” Not just any guys, but Danny Hutton and Cory Wells. The trio formed the nucleus of Three Dog Night and spent the next five years rehearsing every day. “There’s something about high level athletics – you really need to be ready and you gotta be good. So that prepared me. By the time Three Dog Night did our first show we had rehearsed every day for five years and it really turned out well. That’s all I knew,” he explains modestly.
All those years spent in rehearsal studios paid off in a way that the group wasn’t expecting as they quickly became one of the most popular touring bands of the era, known throughout the world for their powerful live concerts. “The big stars at the time were like Frank Sinatra, who played the big Las Vegas venues. But when we played Vegas for the first time, there weren’t enough seats in the places that normally held concerts. So we played an outdoor venue, which was completely different at the time. By the time we got to touring in stadiums, Dr. Pepper sponsored us and we did three different TV shows. We helped to completely transform the way people looked at rock and roll.”
But true to their work ethic, instead of basking in the accolades or marveling at the influence they were yielding, the band simply played on. “At the time, we were so busy working that I never felt the power we were acquiring,” Chuck says. He even tells a funny story about the first time he realized that they had hit the big time. “I came home from a show and my wife picked me up from the airport and all of a sudden I ask, ‘where you going?’ and she answers, ‘I bought a house.’” As they drove onto a street with stately homes, Negron quipped, “I hope it isn’t in this neighborhood.” They pull up in front of what is now actress Charlize Theron’s home, and after walking in, Negron tip-toed through the rooms, fearing he’d scratch the floors. “I asked her, ‘can we afford this?’ So that was when I kind of knew it. I knew that we were doing something right.” It took Chuck a while to get used to the success, even after he stopped tip-toeing through his dream home. “I had a ’62 Volkswagen at the time, and I got up one morning and my wife says, ‘you know you gotta get another car.’ I was wearing cut offs and a tank top and headed over to the Mercedes dealership in Hollywood,” he describes. “They were all staring at me and no one would help me, just ignored me until this young guy came over. I was so embarrassed and angry.” He quickly picked out not one, but two cars and left. Chuck never forgot the young salesman’s kindness and in the years that followed would send his friends - friends in Chicago, the Turtles and more - over to him to buy their cars. “He ended up getting his own dealership,” Negron says proudly, adding that the two reunited at a concert just a couple of weeks ago.
Yes indeed, Chuck is still performing concerts throughout the world. The dedication and hard work that drove him to his iconic place in American music history is still very much a part of his life. “I’m very blessed and very, very grateful. In fact, I’ll be doing 60 dates next summer (with the Happy Together Tour). Who thought this music - the music that I was so fortunate to be a part of - would still be so popular? But the audience is still there: loving, hearing this music, seeing us.” And Negron spends every minute onstage making sure the audience gets his very best night after night. When the fans join him in belting out “Joy To The World,” he’s overcome with emotion. “It’s very intoxicating, a very powerful thing and it also can be very emotional. I’m just trying to be the best I can and there are nights when I just catch someone’s eye and they’re crying and singing along and it just touches my heart. It’s a very, very wonderful thing. The audience can end up giving you as much as you’re giving them.” Even when Chuck gets off the stage, he still finds ways to give back to his fans – every item sold on his website is personally autographed.
The guests aboard the ‘70s Rock & Romance Cruise will get to experience his gratitude firsthand when it sails in March. “On a cruise, you run into people constantly,” notes Chuck. “The experience they have is much different than people who just go to concerts. They get to see us, say ‘hi’, get autographs and do a lot of picture taking.” And Chuck’s fans will return the favor, letting him know just how grateful they are for his songs, his music and his impact on their lives. They’ll spend the entire week making sure he knows that he’s far from the loneliest number.
