Cory Wells
Cory Wells | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Emil Lewandowski |
Born | Buffalo, New York, U.S. | February 5, 1941
Died | October 20, 2015 Dunkirk, New York, U.S. | (aged 74)
Genres | Rock music |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instrument(s) |
|
Cory Wells (born Emil Lewandowski; February 5, 1941 – October 20, 2015) was an American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night.[1][2]
Early life
Wells came from a musical family and began playing in Buffalo, New York-area bands in his teens. His biological father, who was married to someone other than his mother, died when Cory was a small child, leaving his mother to struggle financially until she eventually married. She gave Cory her birth surname, although Cory eventually changed his surname to Wells (a shortened version of his birth father's surname, Wellsley). His full stage name "Cory Wells" was suggested by The Enemys' first manager, Gene Jacobs, who had a son named Cory.[citation needed]
Having survived childhood in a low-income, blue-collar neighborhood and an even more brutal home environment fueled by an abusive stepfather, this according to manager Joel Cohen's band biography, Three Dog Night And Me,[3] Wells joined the United States Air Force directly out of high school.[2][4] While in the Air Force, he formed a band of interracial musical performers, inspired by his boyhood love of a similar popular band called The Del-Vikings, who had a national hit with the doo-wop song, "Come Go with Me".
Career
Following his military tour of duty, Wells returned to Buffalo and was asked to join a band named the Vibratos. Gene Jacobs, the brother-in-law of the Vibratos guitar player, Mike Lustan, suggested to him that the Vibratos travel to California if they were serious about making it in music. They took his advice and changed the name of the band to "
Three Dog Night
Hutton and Wells formed Three Dog Night in 1968. They found a third lead singer in Chuck Negron, whom Hutton had met at a Hollywood party. Hutton, Wells, and Negron met The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, and they recorded demos under the name "Redwood" with Wilson as producer. The sessions produced a potential single, "Time to Get Alone," but Beach Boy member Mike Love wanted to save the song for the next Beach Boys album. Having perfected their three-part harmony sound, Wells, Hutton and Negron added a four-piece backing group consisting of guitarist Michael Allsup, organist Jimmy Greenspoon, bassist Joe Schermie, and drummer Floyd Sneed.[4] The group began performing as Three Dog Night in 1968, and became one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Wells sang the lead vocal on Three Dog Night's Billboard No. 1 hit song "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)". He said that Randy Newman, who wrote the song, later called him on the phone and said: "I just want to thank you for putting my kids through college."[5]
Unlike many other rock musicians of the day, Wells managed to abstain from alcohol and other drugs. Also, he didn't squander his earnings on the lavish lifestyles of many other successful rock stars; rather, he chose to live a somewhat more moderate existence. After Three Dog Night broke up in 1976, Wells tried a solo career, recording the albums
Death
Wells died in his sleep on October 20, 2015, at Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk, New York at the age of 74. His family later confirmed he had been fighting multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer since September.[7][5]He was survived by Mary Jane Catalano, his wife of 50 years. They had two daughters, Dawn Marie and CoryAnn, and five grandchildren.
References
- All Media Network. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Cory Wells, vocalist with Three Dog Night, dies at 74". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 22 October 2015. p. B6.
- ASIN B0006WZWYG.
- ^ a b c Weber, Bruce (21 October 2015). "Cory Wells, Singer With Three Dog Night, Dies at 74". The New York Times. p. A24.
- ^ a b Woo, Elaine (21 October 2015). "Cory Wells dies at 74; cofounder of 1970s band Three Dog Night". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Jimmy Greenspoon, Keyboardist for Three Dog Night, Dies at 67". The New York Times. Associated Press. 13 March 2015. p. D8.
- ^ Dillon, Charlotte. "Cory Wells". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
In October 2015, Wells succumbed to myeloma, a form of blood cancer.
External links
- Cory Wells discography at Discogs
- Cory Wells at IMDb