Three Dog Nightmare: The Chuck Negron Story

by Chuck Negron, Chris Blatchford

The former lead singer for Three Dog Night relates his unhappy childhood, his life as a rock star, the drug addiction that nearly killed him, and his final success at getting sober

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Rock N Roll, Memoir, Autobiography

365 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Patrick DiJusto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Go on YouTube and search for a performance of the rock band Three Dog Night. Aside from some great music, you'll probably also notice how skinny they all are. 'Of course,' you'll say, 'this was the 1970s, before high fructose corn syrup and the internet conspired to make us all fat.'

Technically, you're right, but that's not the specific reason why they were all so skinny: most of the band were serious heroin addicts. This book by Chuck Negron (aka The Handsome One) is his story of addiction and (of course) recovery.

As with all these stories, the addiction part is the most interesting and cringeworthy. The junkies of Trainspotting comes across as the Crawleys of Downton Abbey compared to Chuck Negron. There's the times he left his kid in the car while he scored heroin, shot up, and passed out for hours. The time his other son was born addicted to heroin. The time he set a drug dealer's house on fire. I t wasn't an act of revenge -- the "plan" was that after the drug dealer had run out of the house, Negron would run into the burning structure and steal the guy's drugs. And Negron claims that the one night he wasn't getting high with his dealer Joy Miller's was the night she and her housemates were killed in what came to be known as the Wonderland Murders.

Ultimately, this story is just like every other heroin memoir: nothing, not friendship, love, or even your own children are more important to you than heroin. Heroin is probably the most evil substance on the face of the earth.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should really give three or four stars, because there are typos/printing errors throughout the edition I read, and there is some repetition, because Chuck runs some "tapes," reiterating throughout some of the incidents in his life that have marked him. The last several chapters in this edition are from his "pen" alone, without the editing and revising from his co-authors in the earlier chapters, which is mostly a plus: you really get to hear his written voice.

But I gave it five stars. I did, because I respect and love this man. As he freely admits, he had it all--money, fame, adoring fans, a voice to die for--and he threw it all away as his addictions took control of his life. But he finally made it through to true recovery. He found (refound?) the capacity for curiosity, for gratitude, for forgiveness, for appreciation of his own gifts and those of others, and admitted to his own failings. In addition, he reaches out, including in this book, to addicts and their families; he's always trying to help.

Thank you, Mr. Negron, for your body of work throughout the years. I hope that you read this review, because my days of writing fan letters are over. But I am your fan, for all the right reasons, and I wish you continued happiness and an even longer life than you've been blessed to receive so far.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a fan of 1970s music, you are no doubt familiar with the hit juggernaut known as Three Dog Night. Singer Chuck Negron's story mirrors the story arc of so many rock talents as profiled on VH1's old "Behind the Music" series: from the top of the world to the deepest rock bottom, then an older, wiser, and more cautious venture back into music.

Don't read THREE DOG NIGHTMARE expecting great writing. The text is very simple and straightforward. That said, Negron's humility regarding the awful ways he behaved as a hard drug addict is the book's most memorable quality.

Like many of these memoirs, there is occasional dark humor in the debauchery. While dining at a fine restaurant in England, we learn, Negron blacked out and face-planted into his dinner plate. Everyone was too refined to do anything about it. When he came to, it was to the veddy proper waiter asking him if he would be having dessert!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Three Dog Night's music (still do, as a matter of fact). I found this book more or less by accident when I was looking for something else. I had heard that Chuck Negron had a drug problem (from which he recovered) but knew nothing more than that. This book is a stark and honest look at the life he led as a musician and drug addict and how his drug use cost him nearly everything.

The average person can't comprehend that someone with millions of dollars, fame and adoring fans would throw it all away for drugs but it happens far too often. Mr. Negron had the money, the fame, the fans and a loving family but he still became hooked on heroin. He led a terrible life for a very long time, losing two wives along the way and mistreating his two oldest children.

This book is truly sad but the message is ultimately hopeful. If you have ever cared for someone with a substance abuse problem you will find this interesting and enlightening.

[Brent Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this amazing true story of Negron, Three Dog Night, the world's most popular pop band (at the time)and his incredible journey through the fame, drugs and tribulations of the era. He's one of the lucky ones to come out fine on the other side (although, there were a few near death experiences along the way). As Executive Producer & Co-Founder of the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, we honored Chuck in 2008 with a Lifetime Career Achievement Award and man, does he deserve it!! Being involved with the entertainment business and independent artist community for over a 30 year span, I found this to be a VERY entertaining read. Keep on, keeping on Chuck!!

Brent Harvey
Executive Producer / Co-Founder
Hollywood Music In Media Awards

[Jon Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having had the opportunity to interview Chuck on my radio show added a dimension of retrospective understanding that brings the pages of Three Dog Nightmare to life on an even deeper level.

The fact that Chuck is in the process of launching his new album "Then And Now" on Kickstarter, speaks to his faith and determination to find both truth and peace through God within himself.

Here are the links to the interview (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/jon-hans...), and Chuck's Kickstarter page (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2...).

[Sherri Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about how a man was delivered from drug addiction. Unfortunately he lost the best years of his life due to being "stoned" but this book really helped me understand some of what it might be like to be an addict and also, to be someone who loves an addict (the enabler) - It's hard to fully realize what levels an addict will stoop to get the drugs....Chuck Negron explains it bluntly - no holds barred - and it isn't pretty but I really enjoyed the happy ending of this book.

[Richard West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is something like the 4th update edition of the original 1999 book - only with an extra 100 or so pages added to bring the reader up-to-date on what has transpired Chuck Negron's life since the original was published. I have read many rock 'n roll, and country, biographies and autobiographies over the years and this is quite possibly the best - it is so gut-wrenching, so brutally honest that at times you keep asking yourself "how could someone with this much talent allow himself to become so screwed up all for the love of drugs?"

Negron was the most prominent and definitely most popular, of the singers who made up the group Three Dog Night which was a late '60's, early '70's phenomenon in the music industry. The group literally owned the pop charts with songs such as "One" to the one no one seems to know the real name of, "Joy To The World" (misidentified as "Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog," and "That Bullfrog Song" to radio listeners - I worked in radio when the song was popular and can tell countless true stories of requests for the song).

If you were fortunate enough to see the group in concert during their heyday, you never would have known it from the performance, but Negron was higher than the proverbial kite, being so strung out on heroin that he didn't know where he was most of the time. The stories are all here - and some of them will bring tears to your eyes if you have a heart - of how he literally sold his body and soul, not to mention everything he owned (at one point he was sleeping on the streets) so he could get that next fix. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for it.

Brutally honest in its telling, Negron holds nothing back, telling how his need for heroin all but destroyed his life - numerous marriages included - and how he finally came clean and turned his life around and is now, once more, performing and recording as a solo act. This updated edition does get into some more recent details about why if you were to go see "Three Dog Night" today, you would see only one of the originals, Danny Hutton as well as offer touching remembrances of bandmates who have died, such as Corey Wells, the other lead singer.

He has paid the price for his addiction though, suffering from emphysema and COPD (the same disease that killed Leonard Nimoy of "Star Trek" fame), yet he continues to perform and record, just not like in the group's heyday.

At times, shocking; at times, sad, and there are even a few times where you'll chuckle to yourself - Negron's story is inspiring because he shows how a person who is determined to overcome the devil, can, in the words of Kris Kristofferson, "Beat The Devil."

There is also a DVD available "The Chuck Negron Story" which is recommended for the person who really wants to delve into the life of hell and redemption which makes up his story. It's been around for a number of years, so good luck in finding a copy.

[April Schwanke Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many books I find by checking out recommendations that come through book club, friends, book groups online, and those algorithms used by everyone from Goodreads to Amazon. Word of mouth continues to be the best marketing resource, at least to me. But I went searching for this book. My love for music from the 1970s, and my ability to listen to it at any time has turned me into a new, old, Three Dog Night fan. I have fallen in love with their repertoire, including “Pieces of April”, “Out in the Country”, “Shambala”, “An Old Fashioned Love Song”, “One (is the loneliest number)”, “Black and White”, “Celebrate”, “Joy to the World”, and so many more. So, I wanted to learn more about how these songs came to be. And the first book that popped up was this one. Chuck makes no bones about why he shared so many of the demons of his past, those he can remember, anyway. Very much a story of the sex, drugs, and rock and roll era, he lays it out here for all to see. Many of us know people who have similar battles, at least with the drugs part of that phrase. As such, we are given this glimpse into the skin of someone battling demons, and losing far too often. I hope to share my copy with people I love who know this war, every day.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book several years ago and remember being amazed that Chuck Negron survived the drug abuse and self destructive behavior. Three Dog Night was always one of my favorite bands, and I had no idea of the abuse before reading this book. As the description states: "That he survived at all is a miracle; that he has his career back on track and a new life devoted to helping other drug abusers is an inspiration." This is a fantastic tribute to the talent of this man. Recently, on 11/20/08, he received a Career Achievement Award. However, the saddest part of his story for me is learning that his son Chucky, who was born addicted to heroin, is still battling the addiction despite the family’s support and participation in the Intervention series on A&E. This has to be crushing for Negron Sr.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I've never read about a more self-destructive human being than Chuck Negron. You won't believe the depths at which a human can go until you read about him. This very powerful and self deprecating journey through his addictions will leave you wanting more. You find yourself rooting for him in the book, and every time he comes up against his demons you beg him to make the right decision, but he never does. It really speaks to the horrors of drug addiction.

[Alex Rivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A life story of a rock star hard core drug addict, surprisingly enough he survived 20 years of drug use. I can't feel sorry for someone who was so stubborn and refused to get help for so many years, hurting and losing his family, job, house, cars, etc.

In my opinion, Robin his third wife is a saint for having had the courage to stand so much crap and still believing in him.

A somewhat happy ending to a horrible nightmare.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow...talk about obsession...singlemindedness...this was a member, if not THE member of the hottest rock group of my time and all he could think about was his next fix. So crazy. He was famous and traveling the world, but none of that seemed to matter. It was always a poor second to his addiction. He was enslaved. Makes one realize that fame and fortune might not be all it's cracked up to be!

[Makoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is probably my favorite rockography of all time. It pretty much will change your life when you read it. unfortunately, this was lent to someone and i don't remember who, and they never returned it to me. it will be missed.

[Kristine Bottone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the third edition of this book with new material. The new narrative of his youth is heartbreaking. The afterword about his son being an addict is wisdom from experience. Recovery is a long journey and you are all in my prayers.

[Jeff Pflaumbaum]

Great bio but very depressing or sad or disturbing ... not sure which one.

[Dee Moris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing the demons these great talents face!

[WHKing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Three Dog Night whose harmonies are exquisite. I never get tired of hearing their hit "Shambala". I first heard them when I was in high school and sang along to the radio whenever their songs were played. I chose to read this book because I wanted to know the genesis of the group --- how they met, got together and their process of producing such great music. I had heard stories about singer Chuck Negron's descent into drugs and the group's internal problems so knew ahead of time that this book would cover all that. I wanted to know why this group, once the most successful of their day, crumbled to pieces.

Negron is very candid about his life. The first part of the book about his tough childhood, teen years and young adulthood before he entered the rock music world was captivating. I was surprised to learn he had been a star athlete winning a college scholarship.

Negron goes into great depths about his life as a heroin addict, life on the road, the tough music business, and the wild and crazy 1970s and the debauchery that took place. As Negron writes, he should be dead. He took many, many drugs on top of heroin. He became a walking corpse and hit rock bottom. It's a miracle he survived and lived to tell. It was sad reading all that happened to this great singer and how drugs ruined his life. His harrowing, sickening yet illuminating tale shows the power of drug addiction and how drugs ruled his life every minute of the day. For 30 years drugs were his obsession. There wasn't a drug he didn't touch. Drugs became more important than his music and took a toll on his health and the group. It was depressing to learn the truth of what all happened and Negron's descent into self-destruction and hell.

I'm disappointed that he never talked about how drugs affected his beautiful voice when the group was on top of heap. I wish he had. He does write about the roots of his addiction but his detailed description of his life as a junkie outweigh that. I would have liked more info on what caused his downfall. I am astonished that he remembers such details about his life as an addict. I would think that someone who took as many drugs as he did would have severe memory problems.

By the grace of God, Negron finally gets help after more than 30 detox attempts. His recovery was miraculous and such a relief to this reader. He atones for all the bad things he had done to his family, friends, and fellow bandmembers. I love that he took voice lessons to restore his fractured voice and that he reconnects to singing.

It appears that the fourth edition of his book was self-published. It has some glaring typos on a scale I've never seen before. It was very important for Negron to tell his story and try to reach out to and help other addicts and their families. Negron emerged from hell, lived to tell and is now an angel doing good in the world so I can look pass the poor editing. Better to have it all written down than not at all.

It's tough to read the truth about your rock hero's drug addiction. Luckily this story has a happy ending, unlike Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the others who succumbed to drug addiction. Negron is one lucky guy to have survived. I thank him for writing this book which although was depressing at times really helped me understand the power of addiction.

[Francesca Carinci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This horrific account of a selfish, egocentric but talented rock star was fascinating. Most shocking is that he lived through this descent into the hell of heroin addiction and all that goes with the lifestyle. He takes cheap shots at Danny Hutton and never lets anyone forget he was the "voice" of Three Dog Night. The band was famous for their three part harmony. Even after his triumphant recovery, he is still sees himself as a victim and even has the temerity to whine over "everything that was done to me". Indeed. He did not show up for shows and when he did, blood was dripping from his needle marks. He transported heroin via airlines to keep high on tour. Even though he abused every relationship and burned every bridge, he criticizes the still touring Three Dog Night as a "nostalgia band that hasn't changed the show since he left in 1985". It is difficult to love this guy, but I loved his story.

[Indydave1958 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as much a recovery memoir as it is a rock star autobiography, and that’s a good thing. Chuck Negron and Three Dog Night were arguably the Biggest Thing in rock in the early 1970s. Then, the fame came crashing down in a haze of drug abuse and petty jealousies. Negron, one of the band’s three singers, would sink to such depths that even his closest family members would give up on him. But a moment of clarity — those instances of sudden awareness that are critical for those in recovery — finally jolts him off a horrifying path that had consumed millions of dollars and nearly killed him. The story is an inspiring one, and anyone who enjoyed the band’s music will cheer Negron’s sobriety and comeback. This book was first published in 1999; Negron, who turned 80 in 2022, continues to work in the recovery community. According to his website, a new, updated edition of his book is now available.

[Eric McDowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a candid, brutally-honest retrospective, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night--one of the most successful American rock bands ever--details his struggle with drug addiction and how he finally overcame the illness. This 1999 autobiography is an unflinching read, not only for how Negron catalogs the insanity that makes up the life of a heroin addict but also for how the singer peels off the glamorous veneer of the music business by chronicling the behind-the-scenes conflict among him and his bandmates, the pressures of touring, and the tenuous nature of "stardom." After 20 years of using the drug daily, it's amazing that Negron is still alive, an observation he readily admits. Highly recommended, not only for Three Dog Night fans but for anyone seeking to understand the complexity of substance abuse and recovery.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think the 70’s had some of the best music ever (like I do!). You surely know about Three Dog Night. My first Rock Concert was Chicago (opening Act) and Three Dog Night at the Honolulu International Center (HIC) Arena in June of 1971. Church Negron’s voice powered most of my favorite songs. You may have known that Chuck was eventually kicked out of the and by Corey Wells and Danny Hutton because of his drug addiction. I had no idea how far into the gutter Chuck really sank. He is very truthful, showing his warts and all. I had no idea. As he has said numerous times in the book he has no idea how he ever survived. I was lucky enough to see him a few years ago when he performed with the Happy Together Tour. Chuck was sober and still sounded great. Warts and all this is a great inside look of a famous Rock star at his extreme highs and lows.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wild, honest and fascinating look at the life of a Rock Star - and his spectacular fall from grace! Chuck Negron has a powerfully told story of stardom, the subsequent fall from grace, and his redemption. Important to note that he is brutally candid, and he does NOT blame anyone but himself for the life he has led, and his horrific slide into drug addiction. He also offers a terrific insight into his music career with Three Dog Night, his drug addiction, and ultimate survival....A great read! https://johnrieber.com/2020/05/27/thr...

[Robyn Obermeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, This book was full of crazy tales of drug use. how this guy survived and is still singing is amazing.I really was effected by his journey, how can he remember the amounts of money and ways he copped so much heroin?By the end it was terribly sad he was so far gone,all the rehabs and bullshit, the way he treated his own kids very sad....... at least he admits it and feels regret, i liked the bits and pieces of the stories with the songwriters Randy Newman and Hoyt Axton, Danny Whitten, a lot of action in this book.

[Elsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the group and their songs. Took my kids to see Three Dog Night (Danny and Cory) at Frontier City in Oklahoma City back in the 1990's. Like many (according to Negron), I didn't realize it wasn't the full group.

This book made me sad. Addiction in its many forms ruins lives and not just the life of the addict but as Negron freely admits of all those around the addict.

I am glad Negron was eventually able to overcome his addiction.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chuck Negron documents his life from when he was a star high school athlete who never touched any illegal substances, to being the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands of the 70's with a debilitating heroin addiction. The ups and downs of Negron's life start to feel repetitive, but it only perpetuates his point - addiction is a never-ending vicious cycle that hurts you and everyone around you. His book leaves you rooting for him to succeed, all while humming some really great tunes.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts out really strong but takes an unfortunate downhill turn. His early life is rather sad but he creates opportunities for himself. Once he gets started with drugs and becomes a junkie, it's really awful to read his incredible self-destructiveness and the extreme extent of it all. It's painful and rather revolting to read. I soldiered on, though I fear, not for the better.

[Terre Arena · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real eye-opener -- Chuck's decline from a world-famous, wealthy rock star to a homeless, broke heroin addict was fascinating and heartbreaking. I was always such a fan of Three Dog Night in the 70s and always wondered what happened to them. The answer -- drugs.

[Roy Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done. Hard to read in parts but wow, what the human body is able to endure. Excellent read for folks who are in recovery. The families could benefit from the read also.

[Joni Kuzma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 70's must have been one big drug fest!