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The Chuck Negron Story
The Chuck Negron Story
Genres: Music Video & Concerts, Documentary
NR     2005     0hr 54min

From his first note, through the harmony and discord of 46 years of being a recording artist, writer and entertainer, Chuck Negron achieved unprecedented success with Three Dog Night. But it was a long and bumpy journey f...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Genres: Music Video & Concerts, Documentary
Sub-Genres: Pop, Rock & Roll, Documentary
Studio: Delta
Format: DVD - Color
DVD Release Date: 05/10/2005
Release Year: 2005
Run Time: 0hr 54min
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 4
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English

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Movie Reviews

Compelling life story available at a great price
James E. Bagley | Sanatoga, PA USA | 06/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having experienced greater highs (18 consecutive top 20 singles, 12 gold albums) and lower lows (drug addiction, homelessness) than most people could ever imagine, former Three Dog Night vocalist Chuck Negron's life story (subtitled Biography Of An Entertainer)- which contains a 52 minute interview with Negron, interspersed with some live footage and loads of photographs - makes for compelling viewing.

Spending his adolescent years in Woodycrest, a Bronx home for "friendless" children, Negron developed a love for both music and basketball at an early age. A basketball scholarship to a west coast college conveniently allowed Negron to pursue a recording career - as Chuck Rondell - with Mart-Van Records, and then Columbia. Forced by Columbia to choose between basketball and music, Negron opted to sing. Seduced by the seedy side of the music business, the formerly cleancut collegian then began a 25 year drug habit.

In 1967, Negron hooked up with Cory Wells and Danny Hutton in the group Redwood, as protégés of Brian Wilson. This unsuccessful venture led to their formation of Three Dog Night with other musicians. The documentary includes concert footage of Three Dog Night singing "It's For You" as well as a dramatic performance of "Eli's Coming" on a television variety show. There's also a clip of Three Dog Night's 1972 Cotton Bowl concert where Negron performs with a badly cut up nose and broken arm in sling just hours after a drug induced car accident. A montage of the group performing in concert accompanied by the previously unreleased gem "Save Our Ship" is probably the documentary's highlight.

Negron also provides remembrances from this period of his peers Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, whose collective demise due to drugs makes for a smooth seque into Negron's discussions about his own drug use which escalated into heroin addiction during Three Dog Night's glory years. Negron is at his most frank recalling his post Three Dog Night fall from grace due to drugs. Anecdotes include almost becoming one of the Wonderland Murder victims (he was supposed to be there at the time purchasing drugs, but feel asleep), a failed suicide attempt, and stealing his girlfriend's car, which led to the option of jailtime or rehab at Cri-Help.

Amazingly, the Cri-Help stint - Negron's 37th attempt to get clean - took and here the story gets inspirational. While working with other addicts to help them get sober, Negron performed at a Cri-Help Christmas Show which revived his interest in singing. The documentary then focuses on Negron's subsequent solo projects - including his excellent 1996 Christmas cd Joy To The World and the cathartic 1999 autobiography Three Dog Nightmare. The documentary concludes with a clip of Chuck singing "Joy To The World," his voice as strong and supple as it was during his years with Three Dog Night, his life now truly filled with joy.

The dvd also includes 48 minutes of "bonus" footage. Among the featured extras are snippets of Negron's appearances on various talk shows like Geraldo. Leeza, and The O'Reilly Factor, a piece on the oxygen tank Negron must travel with as a result of his years of drug abuse, and an eight-minute speech Negron gave to a group of recovering drug addicts which shows his immense gift for public speaking. The bonus highlight is the 18 plus minutes of Three Dog Night performing "Good Feeling (1957) " as their alter egos The Vomitones, a doo wop group with pompadours, glittery attire, and slick stage banter.

The Chuck Negron Story is an informative documentary/collection that devotees of those Biography/True Hollywood Story programs, and especially Three Dog Night fans will love. Make sure you check out the companion dvd Chuck Negron Live In Concert as well. It is available from Amazon for the same great price as this dvd."
I could see this 100 times! Very entertaining!
S. P. Escobar | oakland, ca United States | 07/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oustanding! At long last a documentary about one of the best entertainers of our time! It could be 5 hours longer and would still go by in a minute! To see someone survive being a victim of a long addiction to drugs, and come out of it the way he has is more than important for kiss to watch and learn from. Letting us all know that one can lose everything in a blink of an eye, if you should go down the wrong path. This film also teaches us all about how much harder it is the take the long road back and survive."
He's Still In My Heart~
B. Kimble | Sumner County Tennessee | 09/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a lifelong Three Dog Night Fan, I am always interested in what the members of the original band has been up to. To the youngsters who never got the chance to hear Chuck, Corey & Danny's harmony, while they were in the prime, I'm sorry. You missed out on one of the greatest treats of the era. EAR CANDY, indeed. (Thankfully, most of the original jams are on CD format, and I strongly urge ya'll to give them a listen).
The mixture of dope, ego's, dope, groupies, dope and more ego problems led to the fall from grace. I'm sorry that it had to happen. Which leads to my appreciation that Mr. Negron was able to pull himself out of his self-inflicted "hell", and to find CRI-HELP, and turn his life around. Not that it was easy, or he made it without permanent damages to his soul, but at least he did not come down with HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis. This DVD was purchased at a local music store for $19.99 (Amazon has a much better deal) but it is still worth what I paid for it. If you have read Three Dog Nightmare, then you have an idea what you'll see and hear on the DVD. The audio & visual of the DVD is clear.
I would love to see, one more reunion, but I bet it won't happen."
Amazing story
J. Sartin | Denver, CO USA | 07/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"You'll laugh and you'll cry as you "witness" Chuck's life unfold before you. The fact that he survived what he did is a testament to his strength, determination and faith in God to bring him out of the torment and find happiness."