Cory Wells obituary

Cory Wells, who has died aged 74, was a founder member of the pop vocal trio Three Dog Night. Despite never being the band of choice for hip insiders, they enjoyed huge chart success in the late 60s and early 70s, scoring 21 consecutive top 40 singles in the US between 1969 and 1975, including three No 1 hits. Their albums also earned a string of gold discs.

Three Dog Night’s success was built on the collective vocal skills of Wells, Danny Hutton and Chuck Negron, but it was Wells who sang the lead part on their best-remembered hit, Mama Told Me Not to Come, a Randy Newman song that they took to the top of the charts in 1970. Wells recalled that Newman, ever the professional songwriter, phoned him after its success and said: “I just want to thank you for putting my kids through college.”