Celebrating Lisa ‘Left-Eye’ Lopes | 20 Years Later

Lisa Nicole Lopes lived a life of creativity, ambition, dedication to her artistry, and love of family and friends. Also known as “Left Eye,” was born on May 27th, 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lisa passed away 20 years ago today on April 25th, 2002.

Creatively gifted, music was always interwoven in the fabric of Lisa’s being. Her devotion to music served as a source of comfort, mental release, emotional support, and a sense of fulfillment.

Fueled by ambition, Lisa moved to Atlanta in 1992, focused on pursuing a music career. Shortly after arriving, Lisa met two ladies who soon became her best friends, collaborators and dream seekers.

The group’s name TLC, represented the first initials of the three founding members, Tionne, Lisa, and Crystal. Crystal ended up not working out for the group, and singer Rozonda Thomas was brought in as the new third member. To maintain the theme of the band’s name, Rozonda took on the nickname “Chilli”. Tionne ended up becoming T-Boz, and Lisa renamed herself “Left Eye”, after she was once told she had beautiful eyes, “particularly the left eye.”

TLC has sold over 65 million albums and 9 million singles worldwide sold and impacted popular culture through music, style and fashion.

TLC exploded onto the music scene in 1992 with the album “Ooooooohhh…. On the TLC Tip.” Which included two consecutive Top 3 platinum singles, “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” and “Baby, Baby, Baby” and the gold single “What About Your Friends.” All three tracks helped propel their LaFace debut “Oooooooohhh! On The TLC Tip” to the top of the charts. The album went on to sell over 6 million copies.

It was their 1994 follow-up, “CrazySexyCool” that really set them apart from the rest. Working with producers such as Austin, Dupri, Sean “Puffy” Combs and Organized Noize, TLC delivered a record that set them apart from all other female groups of the day. The first single, “Creep” was another platinum smash, staying at the top of the pop and R&B charts for weeks to end. The second single, Babyface‘s “Red Light Special” was another major hit.

The project was met with critical acclaim and solidified TLC as one of the biggest female groups of all time. The album sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and was awarded with the 1996 Grammy for Best R&B Album.

In 1995, TLC completed a successful nationwide tour with Boyz II Men. Their many media appearances included the film “House Party 3,” and the popular sitcom “Living Single.” Musically, the group contributed the theme to Nickelodeon show “All That,” covered The Time‘s “Get It Up” for the “Poetic Justice” soundtrack. Their charitable work included launching the 1995 “Believe In Yourself” campaign and working with the “Make-a-Wish” Foundation.

TLC’s third album, “Fanmail” was released in 1999 and was also a commercial success; the album sold in excess of 10 million copies worldwide and took home two Grammy’s: Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Album.

The group’s pay-per-view special of the “FanMail” tour was the highest-grossing pay-per-view event in history at the time. The tour started poorly, but grossed $72.8 million by the time it was over.

After the success of the group and Fanmail, Lisa started to explore her own creative endeavors and began expanding her solo career.

“Left Eye” was a featured rapper on several artists’ tracks during her solo career, including Melanie C of the Spice Girls, Donell Jones, *NSYNC, and Toni Braxton. She spent much of her spare time after the headlining tour of “Fanmail” recording her debut solo album, “Supernova.” The album was only released to limited territories outside the United States.

In collaboration with her uncle, Lisa launched a line of hip-hop fashions. And, through her production company, “Left Eye Productions,” Lisa served as a mentor to the female groups “Egypt,” “Blaque,” “Nandi,” and “Jenaisiqua.”

While working on songs for the fourth TLC album, 3D, Lisa began a spiritual retreat in Honduras, which was Lisa’s “home away from home” where she went to get away from the chaos of the media and press. Lisa wanted to film a documentary during this retreat so her fans could catch a glimpse into her life.

With only a few days left of filming, Lisa was tragically killed in a car accident in La Ceiba, Honduras on April 25th, 2002. She was only 30 years old at the time of her death, one of a number of tragic young deaths in the entertainment industry that have taken great talents away from the world. Her funeral was held at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia where over 30,000 fans came from around the world to say goodbye to the Hip-Hop and R&B icon. Engraved upon her white casket was her verse from “Waterfalls.”

Having participated in the creation of the ratings success “CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story” that aired in October of 2013 on VH1 and serving as executive producers, Chilli and T-Boz ushered in the next phase of the group’s illustrious career. Which saw them, along with Lisa, sell 65 million albums worldwide and become cultural icons in the process.

Today 20 Years Later, We Remember Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes. One of The Greatest to Hold a Mic and Hit the Stage!