Three Dog Night's Cory Wells; Group Had So. Cal And Long Beach Connections
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(Oct. 21, 2015) -- LBREPORT.com is saddened to report the passing of Cory Wells, one of the founding members of Three Dog Night, an enormously successful hitmaking group of the late 1960s-early to mid 1970s that had multiple southern CA connections.
The band headlined a New Years Eve show at the Long Beach Arena on Dec. 31, 1969 and appeared in a July 1981 nationwide TV-radio simulcast titled "The Spirit of America Spectacular" that originated from alongside the Queen Mary.
The band members shared lead singing roles on various songs, and Mr. Wells sang lead on one of the group's earliest hits in 1969, "Try A Little Tenderness" (given an exceptionally powerful treatment in 1966 by Otis Redding.) Mr. Wells can be seen on the video below.
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Mr. Wells had led the house band at the Sunset Strip's "Whisky A Go Go" in the mid-60s when he met Danny Hutton, who went on to form Three Dog Night with Wells and Chuck Negron. The group's name was suggested by June Fairchild, one of the "Gazzarri Dancers" on KHJ-TV's "Hollywood A Go Go" and then-girlfriend to Mr. Hutton. Ms. Fairchild had heard that on cold nights, Australian natives (Aborigines) slept with dingos (wild dogs) to stay warm...and a very cold night was a "three dog night"...and the rest is history. (Ms. Fairchild passed away earlier this year.)
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Mr. Wells sang lead on Three Dog Night's "Eli's Coming," "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," "Never Been to Spain" and "Shambala."
The group's wesbite says Mr. Wells died unexpectedly in Dunkirk, NY and had been performing with the band until September of this year when he developed a problem with severe back pain. He was 74.
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A lesser known factoid: Wells was an animal-lover, serving as spokesperson for SPCA's "TLC: Teaching Love and Compassion" program (which brought inner-city youth and shelter animals together.) SPCA said in a Facebook dispatch that Mr. Wells "enthusiastically agreed to lend his support and recorded a series of public service announcements to help further our SPCA program, responsible for enriching our community's animals and children. He was humble, he was gracious, and he repeatedly thanked US for what we do for the community, when he was the one who deserved the thanks."
Mr. Wells is survived by Mary, his wife of 50 years; daughters Coryann Wells and Dawn Marie Cussins (William), and 5 grandchildren.
