| Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes  AKA Lisa Nicole Lopes
Born: 27-May-1971
Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA
Died: 25-Apr-2002
Location of death: La Ceiba, Honduras
Cause of death: Accident - Automobile
Remains: Buried, Hillandale Memorial Gardens, Lithonia, GA
Gender: Female
Race or Ethnicity: Black
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Singer Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Member of TLC Born into the itinerant lifestyle of an Army child, Lisa Lopes settled in Atlanta as an adult to become active in the music industry. Along with Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, she formed the vocal trio Second Nature, with whom she established a reputation through performances in local clubs. Eventually the group attracted the attention of R&B singer Pebbles, who assumed management duties for the group and -- with the addition of Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas -- transformed them into TLC in 1991. In short order, a record deal was arranged with LaFace Records (run by Pebbles' husband-at-the-time L. A. Reid); their debut effort, Ooooooooh... on the TLC Tip, surfaced the following year, earning a #3 position on the R&B charts and featuring 3 top ten R&B/pop crossover singles.
Suddenly let loose into the candy store of major-league fame, Lopes quickly established a reputation of her own. News of her personal life surpassed interest in her music -- focusing particularly on her fiery relationship with former athlete Andre Rison and spurred by her notoriously outspoken attitude towards reporters. In 1994 she topped it all when, following a disagreement between the two, she torched Rison's house, bringing about its complete destruction. She was subsequently sentenced to five years probation and required to attend therapy. The couple would eventually reconcile.
Later in 1994, a second TLC album -- CrazySexyCool -- was released, evidencing a change towards a more mature style of music. The record was a phenomenal success: achieving platinum staus 11 times over, producing two #1 pop singles (and two more top 5 singles), and scoring the band a pair of Grammy awards. Ironically, in the midst of this runaway popularity the personal cupboards of the group members (and Lopes in particular) were barer than ever before. As a result of a breach of contract suit lost to former manager Pebbles and a million dollar debt owed to Lloyds of London for her brief but remarkable venture into arson -- as well as the usual creative accounting practiced by all major labels -- Lopes and TLC were forced to file for bankruptcy in July of 1995.
There would be a five-year gap before the group's third album Fanmail would surface -- a gap but not a silence, as the group would keep the attention of the press with their personal and legal battles. It was during this hiatus that Lopes began traveling to Honduras, involving herself in reconstruction projects following the impact of Hurricane Mitch. Work as a producer was also undertaken at this time, with Lopes mentoring the R&B trio Blaque (primarily known for their involvement as both actors and soundtrack artists in the epic-stuggle-between-cheerleaders film Bring It On).
Following the release of Fanmail, Lopes sought for a time to distance herself from TLC and pursue a solo career; her first attempt, Supernova, was stalled when her label refused to release the album domestically. A second record -- to done for the L.A.-based label Tha Row under the moniker N.I.N.A. -- was cut short when Lopes was killed as a result of an SUV crash while vacationing in Honduras. During this time, work had also been underway on a fourth TLC album, which was posthumously released in 2002 under the title 3D. Father: Ronald Lopes (military)
Mother: Wanda
Brother: Ronald Lopes Jr.
Sister: Raina
Boyfriend: Andre Rison (NFL player, broken engagement, burned his mansion in 1994)
TLC Vocalist 1991-2002
Grammy Best R&B Album (with TLC) (1995)
Grammy Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (with TLC) (1995)
Grammy Best R&B Album (with TLC) (1999)
Grammy Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal (with TLC) (1999)
unknown detox facility 16-Jun-1994
Drunk and Disorderly Atlanta, GA 15-Sep-1993
Trespassing Atlanta, GA 15-Sep-1993
Battery Atlanta, GA 15-Sep-1993
Arson 9-Jun-1994
Bankruptcy Jul-1995
Autopsy
Risk Factors: Alcoholism
FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
House Party 3 (12-Jan-1994) · Sex as a Weapon
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