Three Dog Night Singer Cory Wells Dies at 74

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http://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/music/three-dog-night-singer-cory-wells-dies-74-n449001

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The death of Wells — one of the group's three lead singers — was announced on the band's official website.



Longtime bandmate Danny Hutton said that Wells died "unexpectedly" Tuesday in Dunkirk, New York. 
"Cory was an incredible singer, a great performer, he could sing anything," Hutton said in a statement. "Cory was like a brother in so many ways... I am in shock at this sudden loss."

Three Dog Night formed in the late 1960s and racked up 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, including "Joy to the World" and "One."
The group's singers rotated, with Wells record vocals for "Shambala" and the No. 1 hit "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)."





Wells — born Emil Lewandowski on Feb. 2, 1941 in Buffalo — joined the Air Force directly out of high school. He formed a band while in the service and went on to play with other groups in his hometown after leaving the military.

He met Hutton — then a solo artist — after both were invited to tour with Sonny and Cher. Three Dog Night — named after a story about Australian aborigines in the cold outback seeking warmth — was formed after that tour.