WAKY Three Dog Night Concert

[Travis]

On page 12 of Photos, there's a WAKY banner promoting a Three Dog Night concert which took place on Friday, March 27, 1970. That may well be the one where lead singer Chuck Negron was busted for having drugs (at the hotel, not at the concert). Negron wrote about the incident in his book 'Three Dog Nightmare.' I believe this happened after the show, so it did go on that night. I think.

[Max]

Does anyone, jocks or listeners, have any idea why Corey Wells didn't want Chuck back in the band after he sobered up? I read on their site awhile back Danny Hutton wanted him back, but Corey nixed the idea. I wonder if it was a power thing, since Corey handles/handled the majority of the solos and Danny hardly any. And has anyone been to a concert since he left? If so, who sings "One" and other Negron solos? I know sometimes a band just cuts songs from their repertoire from ex-members. And then others just switch singers, like Glenn Frey assuming duties on Randy Meisner's "Take it to the Limit".

Just wondering. I'm also wondering why they didn't just get another token singer to maintain 3 'dogs'.

[Travis]

Three Dog still performs all the tunes, even without Negron, but I have a problem with paying to see legendary bands that are without the original lead singers. A band can get away with different guitarists, drummers, etc. (and even that can make for an arguement) but the lead singer is a signature that cannot generally be forged. Paying to see Three Dog Night without Chuck Negron is like paying to see Steppenwolf without John Kay or Blood Sweat & Tears without David Clayton Thomas. Without those signature voices it's just not the same.

[Max]

True, true. But as we get older we're finding more of that happening. While America does just fine without Dan Peek, who left in 1977, I saw Buffalo Springfield in 1987 out at the Bacchanal in San Diego suburbs and the only original member was the bass player, who kept his back to the audience the whole night until the last song. I also saw the Guess Who at the same venue, the same year, where the only originals were the drummer and bass player. Guess Who just isn't right without Burton Cummings. And now the only original member of Foreigner is Mick Jones. Tell me Foreigner is going to sound the same without Lou Gramm...go ahead...I dare ya!

Terry Kath, unfortunately, died early enough in Chicago's career to not make that big of a difference, since Robert Lamm and Peter Cetera handled most of the lead. And even Jason Scheff replacing Cetera hasn't made that much of a dent in their sound or success. In fact, we went to see Chicago a couple of years ago at the Center for the Arts and while I usually can tell the slight difference, this night Jason Scheff cooked!! When Brian Wilson stopped touring with the Beach Boys in the late 60's, brother Carl stepped up to the plate and did nicely...he had to.

But by and by, Travis' feelings are shared by many of us. But thanks to recorded music, we always will hear it like it used to be...much like this website.

[Mike Griffin]

Travis said, concerning bands, "Without those signature voices it's just not the same." It's an interesting point and it got me wondering about WAKY when Gary Burbank left, Dude Walker, Chris Lundi, Weird Beard, and Mason Dixon -- they made WAKY hot again in the late 60's-early 70's. Before that Jack Sanders, and the others from the 60's had left from WAKY's first incarnation. How did these people leaving impact the sound of WAKY for it's listeners. Were those jocks as important as a lead singer and did their replacements fill the void that was left?

I felt a big personal loss as these guys, friends, from the second incarntation of WAKY left in the early seventies so it's hard for me to measure the impact on the stations sound. Likewise Tom Dooley who replaced someone, (was it Lee Masters?), was a good friend who came and went. What does this mean to the stations sound? Did WAKY ever really recover from the guys who made WAKY's second incarnation happen leaving? Only Bill Bailey and Johnny Randolph remained from this group. Did the new singers really cut it?

We know that FM ultimately lead to WAKY's demise...but what about the singers? What if WAKY had also had FM as Johnny Randoph repeatedly urged Lin and whatever that next company was to buy? Would the format and singers have cut it?

[Travis]

Is WAKY & WKLO relevant to when a given listener was in his or her 'teens'? Like John Quincy, I think of the early '70s WAKY as "MY" WAKY because that is when I was in my teens and was getting into the music and buying records and whatever.

Those who were teens growing up with WAKY in the early '60s probably think of Jack Sanders, Tim Tyler, etc. as being a part of their WAKY. Just guessing.

[Max]

I believe that one's perception of musical (and radio) greatness is indeed relative. Like I said a month or so ago, I believe where I am convinced the early to mid 70's was the best time to grow up, there are those from the 60's generation who are just as adamant about there generation! Therefore, although alot of us from the 70's generation appear to have taken alot of the messageboard space as of late, I feel we would not be where we are, or have our memories, were it not for the pioneers of the 60's and certainly those from 1958. I really would hope some of the jocks and listeners who frequented these two sites at the beginning would continue to share with us some their memories and experiences.

[Mike Griffin]

Perhaps the idea that 3/4 of the staff that made WAKY's rebirth happen leaving can be dismissed as a teen thing and no other impact on the stations future is correct. Somehow that sounds too pat to me.

I could accept either that it might even be a good thing, like music rotation, bringing a freshness to the station, or like lead singers you can never replace them. Somehow I think the turnover had more impact than just teen memories. I certainly believe that had Bill Bailey decided to move on in that time that WAKY would have fallen on hard times sooner.

[RJC]

I have heard a story floating around that due to a bad concert in Louisville, that Three Dog Night, wrote a bastardized version of "My Old Kentucky Home". I have heard a bit of the song, and felt it was an insult to "My Old Kentucky Home". Can anyone shed any light, and confirm the story?

[Max]

If that indeed happened, it was more than likely Corey Wells' doings.

[Travis]

Why would it be Cory Wells' doing when it was Chuck Negron that got arrested that night? Just curious.

[Max]

I just based that on my opinion that he is arrogant and it just sounds like something he'd do. I'm probably holding a grudge, since Chuck's my favorite and after he'd cleaned up and was sober Cory wouldn't let him back in, despite Danny's wishes.

[Max]

Don't forget the Dogs are coming to Freeman Lake in E'town July 6th! Be there or be square!

I'm assuming the new station will have something to do with promoting that.

[ttyler]

Three Dog Night performed in Louisville in August 1970 at the Kentucky State Fair. I do not recall any news of any Three Dog Night band member being busted for drugs after their concert. That doesn't mean it did not happen. If there was a bust, such a story could have been suppressed because of the Kentucky State Fair connection. I am very aware of this concert as I originally booked Three Dog Night for the Kentucky State Fair Board, with a California promoter actually producing the show. As for Chuck Negron, here is what the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) says about him: "CHUCK NEGRON was the lead singer for "Three Dog Night," one of the most popular bands in the early 70's. They had twenty-one consecutive "Top 40" hits -- their signature song being "Joy to the World." Since those days, Jesus has changed his life with a newfound JOY. He was delivered from drug addiction and now he is singing a "new song" for the Lord!" He has his own web site: "www.chucknegron.com." TIM TYLER

[Travis]

Tim,

Just Google "chuck negron" louisville, and pages relating to the incident will appear. But, as I always like to say...

"It must be true, I read it on the Internet"