 Biography
From
a humble Bronx, New York apartment to success and wealth far
beyond anything he could imagine to homelessness and jail. The
Chuck Negron story is an amazing saga. Even more so when you
realize it resolves in a wonderful triumph. For what could have
ended on a deadly downbeat is today a story that gives us all
hope and faith that miracles do happen.
Rock-n-Roll first made a
difference in Chuck's life in the late 1950's. At age 15, he
recorded his first record with a friend. The recording session
was unique and a powerful learning experience. There was no tape
recorder or tape. The music went directly to disc, so any
mistakes or flaws in their performance could not be fixed. Chuck
learned to strive to make his performances as natural and error
free as possible. At age 16, Chuck sang lead in a vocal group
The Rondells and they performed at the world famous Apollo
Theater. A stone cold dead silence ensued as the curtain rose on
The Rondells. "We were not just the only white group on the
bill," Negron recalls, "We were the only white people
in the building. But by our second verse something magical
happened. The audience started to cheer us on." That night
Negron learned an important lesson, that music transcends all
barriers and differences that people might have. "That's
the power of music." Soon after his Apollo triumph the
teenage Chuck Negron and the Rondells began haunting Manhattan's
famous Brill Building. "I came to believe that the
difference between a good singer and a great singer was the
songs they sang. I looked to see who was writing the great hits
of the early rock-n-roll years. The same names came up over and
over again. Leiber and Stoller, Goffan and King, Mann and Weil,
Bacharach and David among others." They would go from
office to office in hopes of meeting some of these great writers
to sing for them. They performed 10 to 20 times a day for
publishers as well as record companies.
COLLEGE OR MUSIC
By 1961 it was decision time for his future. Chuck had received
several scholarships to play college basketball. In addition, he
had a desire to pursue a music career. Chuck decided to do both.
Chuck accepted an athletic scholarship from Allan Hancock
College in Santa Maria, California, which was a few hours from
Hollywood. Bill Sharman, a coach at Cal State Los Angeles, a
"stones throw" from Hollywood and the recording
industry, later recruited Chuck. Now in California, attending
college and playing basketball, obtaining a recording contract
was next on Chuck's agenda. Columbia Records came calling after
Chuck and the Sorenson Brothers had radio success in central
California with two single releases, "Sharon Lee" on
the Marlinda label and "I Dream of An Angel" on the
Heart Van label. In 1965, Columbia Records signed Chuck Negron/Rondell
to a recording contract. With his hoop life now behind him,
Negron arrived in Hollywood to make a reputation as a recording
artist and performer. "I learned a great deal while on
Columbia. The producers and A&R people had total control.
They picked all my songs, the arrangements and ultimately how
the world would see me. I learned you must be more than just a
singer. You must be able to define yourself in some special way.
A unique vocal style, image or presence, through your song
writing, or ability to pick great songs, arrange and produce
them."
REACHING
BACK TO HIS ROOTS
In 1967, Chuck Negron became a founding member of Three Dog
Night. A vocal trio whose roots would be in R&B, rock-n-roll
and urban doo-wop. But, whose music would be totally new and
unique. Chuck felt one thing might be missing. Great songs!
Chuck went back to the publishers who represented the great
writers he loved as a teenager. These publishers would also
introduce Chuck to new, up and coming writers. Chuck brought
Harry Nielsen's "One" (Is the Loneliest Number) to TDN,
Paul Williams' "Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Out
In The Country," Laura Nyro's "Eli's Coming,"
David Loggins' "Pieces Of April" and Hoxt Axton's
"Joy To The World" as well as new writers such as
Elton John, Tim Hardin and Leo Sayers, to mention a few. Built
around the pop soul vocals of Negron and Wells, great songs and
a powerful three-part harmony, few bands were as daringly
electric or consistently popular as Three Dog Night. In an era
when the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones were
storming the charts, TDN had, by 1975, sold 50 million albums.
90 million to date.
A STAR
WITHIN A STAR
Driven by Chuck Negron's lead vocal on 4 million selling
singles, 1 number 1 single, that topped the charts for six
weeks, 5 top 5 hits and 7 top 40 hits, his souring, soulful 4
octave range and unique vocal styling became a part of the
American landscape. The world was introduced to Chuck Negron and
Three Dog Night in 1969 by the breakthrough, and band's first
million seller "One." His gut wrenching performance on
the band's follow up hit "Easy To Be Hard," is now a
pop classic, as is his beautiful and smooth vocal on "Old
Fashioned Love Song." Chuck's unmistakable voice
proclaiming to the world "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" on
the multi-Grammy nominated and 1971 Record Of The Year,
"Joy To The World" is today a part of Americana.
Securing a place for Chuck Negron as one of the greatest singers
in rock and pop.
SUCCESS
ALMOST UNEQUALED
While Chuck was with TDN, they had a phenomenal 18 consecutive
top 20 hits, 21 top 40 hits, 8 top 10 hits and 3 #1 hits. Not to
mention 5 top 10 albums. "We were a self-contained band who
performed all the music on our records," Negron explained,
"We picked all the songs, arranged them and were totally
involved in production. We never had an AR person or any record
company interference. The band contractually had artistic
control." Few bands were as popular in concert. They
pioneered stadium extravaganzas prompting Rolling Stone Magazine
in its 1972 cover story to exclaim, "More Gold Than The
Stones, Bigger Crowds Than Credence, Fatter Purses than
Elvis." Some of their opening acts were the likes of Rod
Stewart, Aerosmith, ELO and co-headlining billing with Led
Zepplin.
FROM
THE SPOTLIGHT TO DARKNESS
But, by the mid-70's the sex, drugs, rock-n-roll existence was
taking its toll. By 1975, two original members, Joe Schermie and
Danny Hutton, were unable to continue and had to be replaced.
The band's magical "Shambala" existence was under
intense inter-personal stress. Negron admits rock star arrogance
and drug use had a lot to do with it. Soldiering on after their
last million selling top 10 single, again featuring a song Chuck
brought to the band and sang lead on, ironically entitled
"The Show Must Go On," the band called it quits in
1977. Of the original 7 musicians, only Negron, Wells and
Greenspoon performed for the final performance. 6 of the
original 7 members of the band briefly reunited in the 1980's.
Chuck departed in 1985 and since his departure, the remaining
two TDN members have not released another recording in over 20
years.
No longer recording or
touring, his voracious appetite for self-indulgence was leading
to his destruction. Chuck Negron forged a new career for himself
as a hard-core drug addict. This pursuit would drag him down to
a depth of existence few of us ever encounter, as chronicled in
his best-selling biography "Three Dog Nightmare." In 5
years all the money was gone. Squandered on drugs, lawyers who
were paid to keep him out of jail, and ex-wives who could no
longer standby and watch him die. A small fortune was spent on
Robert Shapiro, lead attorney in the infamous O.J. Simpson
trial; he was Chuck's lawyer for years. "I ended up
homeless and alone, too ashamed to let my family see the
pathetic beaten man I had become." It seemed that no amount
of humiliation or rehabilitation programs (37 in all) could
steer Chuck away from drugs, which became the love of his life.
Sleeping in abandoned buildings, suffering from emphysema and
Hepatitis C, the former 6'1", 185 lb athlete and rock idol
had, by 1991, shrunk to a cadaverous 126 lbs.
NEVER
SAY NEVER
Just when it seemed that everyone had given up on him, Negron's
sister-in-law made him an offer and the offer was simple. Go to
jail, die in the streets or let me get you into Cri-Help, a
long-term rehab. Chuck went into rehab for the 37th and final
time. The Cri-Help staff didn't think he would make it through
withdrawal cold turkey, but he did! Today Chuck feels the staff
saved his life and that God worked through them to give him
another chance. After so many years, it was finally over.
September 17, 1991, Chuck entered Cri-Help and has been clean
and sober ever since.
As Negron is the first to
admit, the story of his rise and fall is a clique worthy of the
Rock-n-Roll Hall of Shame. But his 9-month stay at Cri-Help
changed his life profoundly and presented him with his next
realization. There was now something he desperately wanted to do
more than drugs. The one thing since he was a kid that always
made him feel good inside "I wanted to make music and sing
again!" But he knew he wasn't ready just yet. He worked for
several months in a hospital, a lock-down rehab unit for abused
and addicted adolescents.
THE
LONG ROAD BACK
" I studied voice, rehearsed and trained after work and on
my days off." Dedicating himself to a strenuous training
regiment. Chuck Negron restored his body to a healthy 185 lbs.
Revitalized, he accepted an invitation to record the
"Golden Girls" television theme song for their new
series. He was then offered and embarked on a series of well
received live performances opening for comedian Howie Mandel. It
was there that he impressed critics and audiences with the 4 ½
octave range, incredibly, a half octave higher than it was while
in TDN. "Live performances can be like an athletic event,
Negron explains with a laugh. "I train and utilize a vocal
coach whenever necessary." Negron performs many shows
yearly, giving crowds the opportunity to hear his impressive
volume of hits. Plus an exciting repertoire of new songs.
"The hits I sang while in TDN are definitely a part of who
I am," Negron says. "But audiences today, even though
they love the old songs, they always come up and ask me to do
more of my songs from the solo albums." His debut solo
album, "Am I Still In Your Heart" clearly shows that
Negron is today, not only in the best voice of his life but
still has the knack for picking great songs. Songs like his
soulful "How About Us" and the deeply affecting and
irresistible "Soul to Soul" which put Chuck back on
the radio charts. Chuck also released a Christmas CD with a full
orchestra, The Salt Lake City Children's Choir as well as a
gospel choir. The Christmas CD is entitled "Joy To The
World." His forth solo CD, "Live In Concert" 2 CD
set was released in 2001. But Chuck admits his proudest
accomplishment is his best selling book "Three Dog
Nightmare" and the accompanying soundtrack to the book
"The Long Road Back" CD. This unique endeavor was
purely to give help and guidance to anyone who is on "the
long road to hell" through drug addiction. It was meant to
be a message of honesty, hope and faith.
REDEMPTION
Chuck remains active at Cri-Help, Musicians Assistance Program
(MAP), Hazelden Recovery Center, Music-Cares, and Musicians.com
who aim to keep drugs out of the music industry. "The only
reason I've included all the horrific life experiences that my
journey has taken me on is because I want all people, young and
old, to know what can be in store for them if they use drugs.
I'm tired of people sensationalizing, glamorizing and
romanticizing the drugs and rock-n-roll life style. People die,
lives and families are ruined and careers are ended before they
start."
"I've been singing and
recording for over 40 years. I've always been grateful for my
voice and my life as a musician. I look at it as a gift from
God. It has afforded me the opportunity to touch so many people
in such a beautiful way. Music has brought me joy and inner
peace and comfort that I thrive on. I feel very grateful to be
in the game again."
|
