Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes: A Life of Controversy and Spontaneity
Born in Philadelphia, but raised all over the world as the daughter of a U.S. Army serviceman, Lisa Lopes became one of the most influential trendsetters in the 1990s music scene. She relocated to Atlanta during her young adult years and became heavily involved in the city's thriving music industry, which produced many top acts.
Lopes and her bandmates, Tionne "T-Boz Watkins" and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, formed TLC, the best-selling girl group of all time. TLC, which stood for the first initial of each member's nickname, was discovered at an Atlanta club by singer Pebbles, who immediately signed them to her label.
TLC went on to great success under Arista's new LaFace label, managed by superstar producers Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and L.A. Reid. They scored three major hits on their 1992 debut album, "Ooooooooh on the TLC Tip". With success at hand, Lopes ventured off into the world of stardom, and doing so brought her major headlines.
In 1995, Lopes made national and international headlines after she set her boyfriend's home ablaze after a major fight. Lopes, who was sentenced to 5 years probation and therapy at a halfway house, never was able to shake that incident from her personality.
After promoting their sophomore album, "Crazy Sexy Cool", Lopes and her TLC bandmates underwent a change from their childlike antics to a sense of maturity that represented their metamorphosis as major recording stars. That album became one of that decade's biggest selling albums, netting the group two Grammy Awards, and producing three hit singles.
After TLC, Lopes decided to venture into a variety of projects that showcased her excellent ability to spot talent. She became the mentor and producer of the R&B trio Blaque, whose members saw TLC-like success with several hit singles and starring roles in the film "Bring it On".
Lopes also worked with other major artists who sought her talents in producing. She became one of the music industry's highly sought stars due to her unique vocals and amazing style.
However, Lopes who sought a fresh new start in life after a difficult childhood, began to involve herself in holistic and spiritual practices that brought her a sense of peace and tranquility. It was during a trip to Honduras that Lopes saw a world different from what she saw in the United States, and began to get herself involved in several projects that benefited many victims of Hurricane Mitch, which struck Central America in 1997.
After the release and promotion of TLC's 1999 album, "Fanmail", Lopes started to shun away from her bandmates in order to develop an identity independent from that of her bandmates. Often disputing with them in public, Lopes worked hard on a solo debut album, "Supernova", which was released internationally but never released in the United States due to poor radio play.
In her continuation for a change, Lopes signed a deal to release an album under the alias N.I.N.A. (Not Into Name Alternatives) with controversial producer Suge Knight. That project never came about.
On Thursday, April 25, while returning from the village where she called home for the past few years, Lopes was the only fatality in a car crash that occurred when her car swerved off the road near the town of Roma, Honduras. Lopes, who was to celebrate her 31st birthday the next month, died instantly while four of the seven others who were riding in the sports utility vehicle she was driving were rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
Lopes, who adopted a young girl several years ago, left her motherless and left a legion of grieving, distraught fans crying for another life taken so quickly.
