Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), better known by her
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Left Eye, was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapperRapping is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes, wordplay, and poetry. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment...
,
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
,
teen idolA Teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols are child actors...
, and member of the popular
Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
-winning
R&BContemporary R&B is a music genre of western popular music. Although the acronym “R&B” originates from its association with traditional rhythm and blues music, the term R&B is today most often used to define a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s...
group
TLCTLC is a four-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B, pop, and hip hop group, consisting of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas....
.
Lopes contributed her own self-written
rapsRapping is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes, wordplay, and poetry. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment...
to many of TLC's popular singles, including "
Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg"Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" is TLC's debut single from their debut album, Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip. The song reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, becoming their first single to reach the top ten on both charts. The single also reached to Top 20...
", "
What About Your Friends"What about Your Friends?" is TLC's third single from their debut album, Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip. The single was released in the fall of 1992. "What about Your Friends?" received massive airplay worldwide and became a hit on both R&B and dance charts.-Song information:"What about Your...
", "
Hat 2 da Back"Hat 2 Da Back" is TLC's fourth and final single from their debut album, Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip. The song reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100, while reaching #14 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. The song is about the girls' fashion sense...
", "Waterfalls", "
No Scrubs"No Scrubs" is a 1999 song recorded by R&B girl groupTLC for their album Fanmail. Released as the album's first single, "No Scrubs" eventually became TLC's third number-one Hot 100 single. TLC got their second Grammy nomination for Record of the Year but lost again, this time to Santana's "Smooth"...
" and "
Girl Talk"Girl Talk" is a 2002 song written by Lisa Lopes, Anita McLoud, Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement, Kandi Burruss, and Tionne Watkins, and was the first single released from TLC's fourth album, 3D . It was produced by Hustle and released as the album's lead single in North America in October 2002 and...
". Lopes was also a self-taught keyboardist and displayed those talents during her solo spot on TLC's headlining concert performances. She was also known for wearing a pair of glasses with a condom in place of the left eye lens in the beginning of her career, which was one of the ways she promoted
safe sexSafe sex is defined as "Sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS." This is also referred to as safer sex, or protected sex, while unsafe sex or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in by people...
. Lopes got the nickname "Left Eye" from a boyfriend who noticed that her left eye appeared slightly larger than her right.
TLC
TLC began as a female trio called Second Nature. The group evolved into TLC — the letters of the band made up of the first initials of the three members —
Tionne,
Lisa and
Crystal. Things didn't work out with Crystal Jones, and TLC's manager Perri "Pebbles" Reid brought in her backup dancer,
Rozonda ThomasRozonda Ocelean Thomas , best known by her stage name Chilli, is an American R&B singer and actress who rose to fame as one third of the successful R&B/Hip-Hop/Pop girl group TLC.- Early life :...
, as a third member of the group. To keep the "initial" theme of the band's name, Rozonda needed a name starting with C, so she took on the nickname Chilli, which was given immediately by Lopes. Bandmate
Tionne WatkinsTionne Tenese Watkins , better known by her stage name T-Boz, is an American R&B singer, song-writer, and a member of the group TLC. Watkins is also an occasional actress.-Early life:...
became T-Boz, while Lopes was renamed Left Eye. Lopes celebrated her nickname by wearing an eye patch or a condom, later evolving to a
black stripeEye black is a grease applied under the eyes to reduce glare. It is often used by baseball and American football players, where sunlight or stadium lights can impair vision of an airborne ball. Eyeblack has been used for centuries to help reduce the glare of the sun.Traditional grease consists of...
under her eye, and then to an eye ring on her left eyebrow.
The group appeared on the scene in 1992 with the album
Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. With three hit singles, it sold 6 million copies worldwide and TLC became a household name. After a few years' break, TLC came back with
CrazySexyCoolCrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American group TLC, released by LaFace Records on November 15, 1994 in North America. CrazySexyCool earned a Grammy and became the group's biggest-selling album to date. It has sold more than 15 million units...
selling over 15 million copies worldwide and cementing TLC as one of the biggest female groups of all time. TLC's third album
FanMailFanmail may refer to:* FanMail, a 1999 album by American band TLC* Mail from fans...
was released in 1999 and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. The album's title was a tribute to TLC's loyal fans. The album's sleeve contained the names of hundreds of fans as a thank you to everyone who supported them.
During the recording of
FanMail, a public conflict began between the three members of the group. Lopes sent a message to
Vibe magazine saying, "I've graduated from this era. I cannot stand 100 percent behind this TLC project and the music that is supposed to represent me." In response to Lopes' comments, Watkins and Thomas stated to
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Unlike celebrity-focused publications US Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EWs primary concentration is on entertainment...
that Lopes "doesn't respect the whole group" and "Left Eye is only concerned with Left Eye". In turn, Lopes sent a letter to
Entertainment Weekly issuing a challenge to Watkins and Thomas to release solo albums and let the public decide who was the greatest member of TLC:
T-Boz and Chilli declined to take up the "Challenge," though Lopes always maintained she thought it was a great idea. Things were heated between the girls for some time, with Thomas speaking out against Lopes, calling her antics "selfish," "evil," and "heartless."
Solo career
After
Fanmail, Lopes began to expand her solo career. She became a featured rapper on several singles, including former
Spice GirlThe Spice Girls were an English pop girl group formed in 1994. They consist of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They are the most successful girl group of all time....
Melanie CMelanie Jayne Chisholm is an English singer-songwriter, businesswoman and television personality, best known as one of the five members of the legendary girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed "Sporty Spice"...
's "Never Be the Same Again", which went to #1 in 35 countries, including the UK. She was also featured on the first single from
Donell JonesDonell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.He is most notable for the hits "U Know What's Up", "Where I Wanna Be" and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet".-Biography:...
' second album, entitled "
U Know What's Up"U Know What's Up" is a hit song by singer-songwriter-producer Donell Jones. In November 1999 it reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart on November 13, 1999, and stayed at number one for eight consecutive weeks, and it reached number seven on the Billboard...
", and she sang "Space Cowboy" with
*NSYNCN Sync was an American popgroup. The group's launch to fame was financed by the boy band mogul Lou Pearlman. Since 1997, 'N Sync has sold over 56 million records worldwide....
on their 2000 album
No Strings Attached. Lopes also collaborated on "Gimme Some" by
Toni BraxtonToni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter actress; and philanthropist whose successful career sky rocketed from 1989 till the present day . Braxton has won six Grammy Awards and has sold over 40 million records worldwide...
from her 2000 release
The Heat. In 2001 she appeared in two commercials for The Gap, one solo and the other with
India.ArieIndia.Arie is a Grammy Award winning African-American soul, R&B, and neo soul singer-songwriter, record producer, guitarist, and flautist.-Biography:...
,
Liz PhairElizabeth Clark "Liz" Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Phair began her career in the early 1990s by self-releasing lo-fi audio cassettes under the moniker Girly Sound, before signing with Matador Records and becoming one of the leading artists of the 1990s DIY indie rock...
, and
Sheryl CrowSheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Her music blends rock, country and pop into one mainstream sound, and she has won nine Grammy Awards...
, where she was featured singing, instead of rapping, for the first time alone.
Lopes was also the host of the short-lived
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
series,
The CutThe Cut was a 1998 MTV talent series hosted by late TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. MTV's The Cut, was a precursor of sorts to American Idol. A handful of would-be pop stars, rappers, and rock bands competed against each other and were judged...
, a precursor to
American IdolAmerican Idol is a reality competition to find new solo musical talent, created by Simon Fuller. It debuted on June 11, 2002 on the Fox network, and has since become one of the most popular shows on American television...
in which a handful of would-be pop stars, rappers, and rock bands competed against each other and were judged. The show's winner, which ended up being a male-female rap duo, was promised a record deal and funding to produce a music video, which would then enter MTV's heavy rotation. A then-unknown
AnastaciaAnastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, Oceania, South Africa and South America but has not had as much success in her native United States...
finished in third place, but so impressed Lopes and the show's three judges, that she scored a record deal as well. About nine months before her death, Lopes appeared on the singers' edition of
Who Wants to Be a MillionaireIn the United States, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is a television game show which offers a maximum prize of $1,000,000 for correctly answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty...
along with Joey McIntyre, Tyrese,
Nick LacheyNicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American pop singer, actor, producer, television host, and television personality who rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees....
, and
Lee Ann WomackLee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best-known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
. She dropped from a $125,000 question and won $32,000 for charity. A year later, in 2002, the episode of her drop was shown and was dedicated to her.
Lopes created "Left Eye Productions" to discover new talent. She helped the R&B trio
BlaqueBlaque is an American R&B vocal trio. Blaque stands for Believing in Life and Achieving a Quest for Unity in Everything. The group was originally known as Blaque Ivory and is still known by that name outside the United States...
to secure a record deal with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
. Their self-titled debut album was executive-produced by Lopes, who also made a cameo appearance on the album and in their music video "I Do". Lopes was also developing another new band called Egypt. They worked on her second album under her new nickname, N.I.N.A, meaning New Identity Not Applicable.
Supernova
Lopes spent much of her free time after the conclusion of TLC's first headlining tour behind
Fanmail recording her debut album,
SupernovaSupernova is the debut album from Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC.- Album Information :The album was not released in the United States, although it was released in other countries. The first single, "The Block Party", was sent to radio in the summer of 2001, becoming a top 20 hit in the U.K., but it...
. It includes a song titled "A New Star is Born" which is dedicated to her late father. She told MTV News:
Other tracks covered personal issues including her relationship with
NFLThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
football player
Andre RisonAndre Previn "Bad Moon" Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football...
. Among the album's 12 tracks was a posthumous duet with
Tupac ShakurTupac Amaru Shakur , also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He has sold 75 million albums to date and is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In addition to his status as a top-selling recording artist, Shakur was a promising actor and a social...
that was assembled from the large cache of unreleased recordings done prior to his murder in 1996. The unreleased song "Left Pimpin" was sampled for the song "Quickie", which is featured on TLC's fourth album,
3D. Initially scheduled for release on a date to coincide with the tenth anniversary of her father's passing,
Supernova was then delayed for two months before her American label chose to shelve the project. The album was eventually released outside of the United States, and hardcore American TLC fans caused a demand for import copies of the album from the UK and Japan.
After numerous talks with
Death Row RecordsDeath Row Records is a record label that was founded in 1991 by Dr. Dre and Suge Knight, and was once home to some of West Coast hip hop's most well-known rappers, including 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound ....
CEO
Suge KnightMarion Hugh Knight, Jr. , better known as Suge Knight, is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. The record label rose to dominate the charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough album The Chronic in 1992. After several years of chart successes for artists including Tupac Shakur, Dr...
, Lopes severed her solo deal with
Arista RecordsArista Records is an American record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
(she remained contracted with the label as a member of TLC) and signed with Knight's Tha Row Records, intending to record a second solo album under the
pseudonymA pseudonym is a fictitious name used by a person, or sometimes, a group.Pseudonyms are often used to hide an individual's real identity, as with writers' pen names, graffiti artists, resistance fighters' or terrorists' noms de guerre and computer hackers' handles. Actors, musicians, and other...
N.I.N.A. (New Identity Not Applicable). N.I.N.A. was to include several songs recorded by and with
Ray JWilliam Raymond Norwood, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, record producer and actor. He is the son of gospel singer Willie Norwood and Sonja Bates-Norwood, the cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg and the younger brother of R&B singer Brandy.-Career:Ray J was born William...
.
Eye Legacy
Before her death in 2002, Lisa recorded some songs for an album. In 2008 Lisa's family decided to work with producers at Surefire Music Group to create a
posthumous album in honor of her. Originally set to be released October 28, 2008, the release date was pushed back to November 11, then to January 27, 2009. "
Crank ItCrank It is a promo single by the late Lisa Lopes which features her youger sister, rapper Reigndrop Lopes. The Song was released as a Promo single and was released on the internet to promote the release of her first posthumous album Eye Legacy.-Versions:The promotional version is only three...
", which features her younger sister Reigndrop Lopes, was released as a promo single. The first official single from the album, "
Let's Just Do It"Let's Just Do It" is a posthumous single by the late rapper, singer, and songwriter Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and is the lead single from her first posthumous album, Eye Legacy.-History:...
", was released on January 13, 2009 and features
Missy ElliottMissy "Misdemeanor" Elliott is an American recording artist, producer and actress. With record sales of over seven million in the United States, she is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum Under Construction.Elliott is known for a...
and
TLCTLC is a four-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B, pop, and hip hop group, consisting of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas....
. The second official single "Block Party" featuring
Lil MamaNiatia Jessica Kirkland , better known as "Lil Mama", is an American rapper currently signed to Jive Records. Lil Mama was born in Harlem and later moved to the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York where she attended Edward R. Murrow High School...
and Marcus Amandi.
The Future
When Lisa Lopes signed with Death Row Records, Lisa recorded several songs. There were so many songs recorded, the new CEO Lara Lavi is planning to release the songs as a box set which is set to release in 2010. there will also be a album releasing titled
Women On Death Row and an album that will be just
Left-Eye.
Personal life
Lopes was often vocal about her personal life and difficult past. She readily admitted she had come from an abusive, alcoholic background and suffered with alcohol problems herself. These problems became headline news in 1994, when she set fire to
Andre RisonAndre Previn "Bad Moon" Rison is a retired American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Canadian Football...
's tennis shoes in a bathtub, which ultimately set fire to their mansion, destroying it. Lopes claimed "I was just trying to barbecue his tennis shoes", as revenge for his infidelity and abuse.
Lopes, who was sentenced to five years probation and therapy at a halfway house, was never able to shake that incident from her reputation. Her tumultuous relationship with Rison continued to make headlines, with rumors of an imminent wedding, which were later debunked by
PeoplePeople is a weekly American magazine of celebrity and human-interest stories, published by Time Inc. As of 2006, it has a circulation of 3.75 million and revenue expected to top $1.5 billion. It was named "Magazine of the Year" by Advertising Age in October 2005, for excellence in editorial,...
magazine. Lopes revealed on the
Last Days of Left Eye documentary that her meeting with a struggling mother in rehab left a big impression on her. Lopes ended up adopting her daughter, Snow, who appeared in the video for her single, "
The Block Party"The Block Party" is the first solo single by rapper, singer, and songwriter, Lisa Lopes, and was the first and final single from her internationally-released debut album Supernova. It was written and produced by Lopes. The song did not do well in the U.S. but was released in other countries where...
".
Adding to Lopes' flamboyant attitude, she had several large tattoos. Most prominent was a large eagle on her left arm which she said represented freedom. Later she added the number "80" around the eagle, which was Rison's NFL number. She also had a tattoo of a moon with a face on her foot in reference to Rison's nickname, Bad Moon. On her upper right arm was a large tattoo of the name Parron, for her late stepbrother, arching over a large tattoo of a pierced heart. Her smallest tattoo was on her left ear and consisted of an arrow pointing to her left over the symbol of an eye, a reference to her nickname.
Charity
Lopes started the Lisa Lopes Foundation, Inc. The charitable group is dedicated to providing neglected and abandoned youth with the resources necessary to increase their quality of life. Her spiritual motto is the one that she used for her foundation: 'Energy never dies...It just transforms.' Her foundation went into various underdeveloped villages and gave away brand new clothes to needy children and their families in June, 2004. $100,000.00 worth of new clothes was donated by R&B recording artist
Donell JonesDonell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer.He is most notable for the hits "U Know What's Up", "Where I Wanna Be" and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet".-Biography:...
. Lisa's foundation continues to thrive, and is building an orphanage in
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
. The 10,000 square foot facility will offer a loving, family environment for children who have fallen victim to abuse and abandonment. The orphanage also provides educational support, health programs, and other events to help the children move from despair to self-sufficiency.
Death
Lopes had already started work on both her second solo album and on songs for the fourth TLC album,
3D, when she was killed in a car accident in
La CeibaLa Ceiba is a port city on the northern coast of Honduras in Central America. It is located on the southern edge of the Caribbean Sea forming part of the south eastern boundary of the Gulf of Honduras...
,
HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was formerly known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras...
on April 25, 2002. She was the sole fatality of eight people in the vehicle, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport that she was driving. Lopes allegedly tried to swerve around a truck, but there was another vehicle heading towards them in the opposite direction. To avoid a head-on collision, Lopes swerved all the way off the road. The vehicle rolled several times after hitting two trees, throwing Lopes and three others out of the windows. She died from severe head injuries. The passenger in the front passenger seat was videotaping at the time, and so the entire accident was recorded on video. Lopes' mother Wanda later sued
Mitsubishi Motorsis the fifth largest automaker in Japan and the fifteenth largest in the world by global unit sales. It is part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu, formerly the biggest industrial group in Japan, and was formed in 1970 from the automotive division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.Throughout its history it...
, as the Montero was prone to rollovers according to a 2001
Consumer ReportsConsumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
review.
Her funeral was held at
New Birth Missionary Baptist ChurchThe New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, known familiarly as New Birth, is located in Lithonia, Georgia, United States, and led by Bishop Eddie L. Long. New Birth has a membership in excess of 25,000 members...
in
Lithonia, GeorgiaLithonia is a suburban village in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, and it is incorporated as a "city", curiously the only type of municipality in this state, regardless of whether its population makes it really a city, a town, or a village...
. Over 30,000 fans came from all over the world to bid her farewell. Engraved upon her white casket was her rap from "Waterfalls": "Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you." Lopes was buried at Hillandale Memorial Gardens, in Lithonia, Georgia.
TLC's longtime producer,
Dallas AustinDallas Austin is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Some of his most notable clients include Michael Jackson ,TLC, Boyz II Men, Pink, Monica, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, Another Bad Creation, Fishbone, Sugababes, Anastacia, Japanese singer...
heard the news when he was going out and "Waterfalls" was being played in the downstairs of his house. "Maybe that's why the music is playing so loud downstairs," Austin added. In a statement to
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
, producer
Jermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Maulidin , better known by his stage name Jermaine Dupri or J.D., is an American record producer, rapper and Grammy winning songwriter.-Music industry:...
remembered Lopes:
"She was determined to be something in life. She was a true Hip-Hop star. She didn't care about no press. She was the star out of the group. She was the one that would curse on TV. She had the tattoos. You could expect the unexpected. When you see Lisa, you could expect something from her. That's the gift she carried."
A
documentaryDocumentary film is a broad category of visual expressions that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. Although "documentary film" originally referred to movies shot on film stock, it has subsequently expanded to include video and digital productions that can...
on the final 26 days of Lopes' life, entitled
The Last Days of Left EyeThe Last Days of Left Eye is a documentary directed by Lauren Lazin which premiered on VH1 and VH1 Soul on May 19, 2007. It is centered around the life, last days spent in spiritual retreat in Honduras, and April 25, 2002 accidental death of rapper/singer/actress Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, featuring...
premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival in April 2007, for an audience that included many of Lopes contemporaries, such as
MonicaMonica Denise Arnold , professionally known as Monica, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Arnold was a member of Charles Thompson and the Majestics, a traveling 12-piece gospel choir prior to signing a solo recording contract with...
,
Ronnie DeVoeRonnie DeVoe, aka R.D., is one of the members of the R&B sextet New Edition....
of
New EditionNew Edition is an American R&B male music group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1978, that was most popular during the 1980s. Their success led to the creation of late-1980s and 1990s boy bands like New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men.-Formation:...
,
112112 is a Grammy Award winning American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in early 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.-Biography:112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia...
,
Big BoiAntwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer, actor, and one half of the alternative hip hop duo Outkast.-Outkast:...
,
India.ArieIndia.Arie is a Grammy Award winning African-American soul, R&B, and neo soul singer-songwriter, record producer, guitarist, and flautist.-Biography:...
, and
Cee-LoThomas DeCarlo Callaway , better known by his stage name Cee-Lo Green, is an American hip hop, funk, soul, and R&B musician. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Goodie Mob and more recently Gnarls Barkley, and has also recorded two critically acclaimed...
.
VH1VH1 is an American cable television network based in New York City...
and
VH1 SoulVH1 Soul is a digital cable and satellite television channel, it is a sister network to VH1. It showcases R&B, funk, soul, and Motown music from past and present....
broadcast the documentary on May 19, 2007. Much of the footage was shot with a hand-held camera, often in the form of diary entries filmed by Lopes while on a 30 day spiritual retreat in Honduras with family and members of the R&B group Egypt. In these entries she reflected on her personal life and career. The high-energy performer revealed a calmer side, with interests in
numerologyNumerology is any of many systems, traditions or beliefs in a mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and physical objects or living things....
and yoga. She was in the process of setting up an educational center for Honduran children on of land she owned. The film also captured a car accident that she was involved in during filming, which killed a Honduran child with the surname Lopez. Lopes was not wearing a seat belt. Lopes is shown in a local funeral home choosing a casket for the child. Earlier in the documentary, Lopes mentioned that she feels the presence of a "spirit" following her, and was struck by the fact that the child killed in the accident shared her last name, even claiming that the spirit may have made a mistake by taking his life instead of hers. The program also showed the last minutes of Lopes' life, including her swerving off the road.
Controversy over leaked autopsy photos led to a protest by
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
star
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is a professional American race car driver who drives the #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet Impala SS in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for Hendrick Motorsports, and drives in the Nationwide Series part-time for the #5 car for his own team, JR Motorsports...
Earnhardt painted a stripe next to the left headlight decal on his #8
Chevrolet Monte CarloThe Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made automobile. Originally introduced by Chevrolet for the 1969 model year , it has gone through six generations as of 2007...
for the Pontiac Excitement 400 at
Richmond International RacewayRichmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series. "America's Premier Short Track" also was formerly host to the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series...
to protest the display of her autopsy photos. A similar controversy befell Earnhardt after the death of his father, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. a year earlier.
Lopes' UNI Studios
In 1998, Lopes created the UNI Studios for the purpose of recording solo projects. Lopes' family opened the studio to the public.
Discography
- Supernova
Supernova is the debut album from Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC.- Album Information :The album was not released in the United States, although it was released in other countries. The first single, "The Block Party", was sent to radio in the summer of 2001, becoming a top 20 hit in the U.K., but it...
(2001)
- Eye Legacy
-Background:Originally set to be released October 28, 2008, the release date was pushed back to November 11, then to January 27, 2009. The album includes a bonus DVD of never before seen footage of Left Eye. The album booklet also contains fan messages that were collected through the Eye Legacy...
(2009)
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