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TLC are an American Music group, whose repertoire spans R&B , Hip Hop and Pop . Originally known as ''2nd Nature'', the group, TLC was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1991 by Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins , Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes , and Crystal Jones. Before signing to LaFace Records through a production deal with R&B singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid , the group's name was changed to "TLC", and Crystal Jones was replaced by Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas . One of the best selling s as fashion accessories in the early 1990s, to Left-Eye's troubles with both the law and her groupmates during much of the rest of the group's career. Just before the release of TLC's fourth LP, '' 3D '', Left Eye was Killed In A Car Crash while on vacation in La Ceiba, Honduras. T-Boz and Chili promoted ''3D'' as a duo, and in 2005 hosted a Reality Television show, '' R U The Girl '' with T-Boz & Chilli. The grand prize for ''R U the Girl'', won by Tiffany " O'so Krispie " Baker, was a chance to record a song and perform once in concert with T-Boz and Chilli. CAREER 2nd Nature In 1990, Atlanta teenager Crystal Jones put out a call for two more girls to join her in a hip hop/R&B group to be called ''2nd Nature''. Her request was eventually answered by Tionne Watkins, a native of Des Moines, Iowa who moved to Atlanta with her family at an early age, and Lisa Lopes, a rapper who had just moved to the city from her native Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with only a Keyboard and $750. 2nd Nature eventually managed to arrange an audition with R&B singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid , who had started her own management and production company, Pebbitone. Impressed by the girls, Pebbles renamed the group "TLC" and arranged an audition for the group with local Record Label LaFace Records , run by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Pebbles' husband, Antonio "L.A." Reid . Reid was impressed with Watkins and Lopes but felt that Jones should be replaced; within a few months, former Damian Dame backup dancer Rozonda Thomas was brought in to replace Jones. The girls were signed to LaFace through a production deal with Pebbitone (with Pebbles taking the role of the group's manager) (see Artist Development Deal ) and almost immediately went into the studio with producers Reid and Babyface, Dallas Austin , Jermaine Dupri , and Marley Marl to produce their first album. Besides being an Acronym for "tender loving care", the name "TLC" was based upon the first names of the original members of the group: Tionne, '''L'''isa, and '''C'''rystal. Therefore, when Thomas joined, the girls thought about nicknames that fit them: Watkins became "T-Boz", Lopes "Left Eye", and Thomas "Chilli". ''Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip'' (1992) The first TLC album, '' Ooooooohhh.... On The TLC Tip '', was released in February 1992 by LaFace . The songs on the album are a blend of funk (T-Boz), hip-hop (Left-Eye), and R&B (Chilli), similar to the " New Jack Swing " sound popularized by producer Teddy Riley in the late- 1980s ; TLC's sound was dubbed "new jill swing". The album was a critical and commercial success, being certified Double-platinum within a year and launching a number of U.S. '' Billboard '' Hot 100 top thirty singles with "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" , "Hat 2 Da Back", "What About your Friends", and "Baby-Baby-Baby." TLC's lyrics, chiefly written by Left Eye and Dallas Austin, were playful, female-empowering anthems characterized by Left Eye's quirky, nasal-toned raps, T-Boz's low-voiced lead vocals, and Chilli's powerful vocals and harmonization. The musical formula was augmented by the girls' brightly-colored videos and curious costuming: each girl wore wrapped Condom s on their clothing (Left Eye also wore one in a pair of glasses over her left eye). During TLC's first national tour as MC Hammer 's opening act, Left Eye and Chilli discovered that T-Boz had Sickle-cell Disease , an ailment which she kept a closely-guarded secret until she became ill while TLC was touring the southwestern U.S. T-Boz would continue to battle her condition and eventually became a spokesperson for the ''Sickle Cell Disease Association of America'' in the late 1990s.1 At the conclusion of the tour, TLC decided to take more control of their careers and thus informed Pebbles that they no longer wished her to be their manager. Pebbles released the group from its management deal, but they remained signed to Pebbitone, and Pebbles continued to receive a share of their earnings. In 1993, TLC played the musical group "Sex as a Weapon" in the New Line Cinema Feature Film '' House Party 3 '', starring Kid 'n Play . ''CrazySexyCool'' (1994) Left-Eye had started dating Atlanta Falcons American Football player Andre Rison shortly after the release of ''Ooooooohhh.... On the TLC Tip'', and by 1994 the two were living together in Rison's upscale double-story home. Their relationship was allegedly filled with violent moments, and Left-Eye filed an assault charge against Rison on September 2 , 1993 , although Rison later denied battering her. Left-Eye was also battling Alcoholism , having been a heavy drinker since her early teen years. After another fight between Left-Eye and Rison in the early morning hours of June 9 , 1994 , Left-Eye, tipsy from Alcohol , tossed numerous pairs of Rison's newly purchased Sneakers into a Bathtub , doused them with Lighter Fluid , and lit them on fire. The Plexiglas bathtub quickly melted and set the structural frame of the house on fire. Although firefighters were called to the scene, the house could not be saved due to the toxic fumes from the gasoline. Left-Eye was eventually arrested for and indicted on charges of first-degree Arson ; she was sentenced to five years of Probation and required to enter alcoholism Rehab ilitation. Rison eventually reconciled with Left-Eye, and they continued dating on-and-off for most of the next few years. During the fall of 1994, TLC re-entered the studio with Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri , Babyface , Organized Noize , and Sean "Puffy" Combs to record their second album, '' CrazySexyCool ''. Left Eye was released from rehab to attend the recording sessions, but the finished album featured significantly less of her raps and vocals. The album instead focused more on T-Boz's and Chili's contributions and a smoother, more fluid sound, similar to the most successful single from the first album, the U.S. #2 hit "Baby-Baby-Baby". All four singles from ''CrazySexyCool'' reached the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top five, while " Creep ", " Red Light Special " and " Waterfalls " even peaked at number-one. "Waterfalls", an Organized-Noise produced record that featured an old-school Soul -based musical arrangement, socially conscious lyrics criticizing drug dealing and unsafe sex, and an introspective rap from Left Eye, became TLC's biggest hit, and its million-dollar Music Video was an MTV staple for many months. ''CrazySexyCool'' eventually sold over 11 million copies in the U.S., becoming one of only seven R&B albums to ever receive a Diamond Certification from the RIAA , and won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album . However, many were shocked when, in the midst of their apparent success, the members of TLC filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on July 3 , 1995 .2 They declared debts totaling 3.5 million dollars, much of it because of Lopes' insurance payments citing from the Rison arson incident and Watkins' medical bills, but the primary reason being that each member of the group was taking home less than $35,000 a year after paying managers, producers, expenses, and taxes. They sought to renegotiate their contract with LaFace—under their 1991 contract, they only received seven percent of the revenues from their album sales—and to dissolve their association with Pebbitone. Both Pebbitone and LaFace countered that TLC simply wanted more money and were in no real financial danger, resulting in two years of legal hassles before the cases were finally settled in late 1996. TLC's contract was renegotiated, their production deal with Pebbitone and Pebbles (who had separated from husband Reid by this time) was rescinded, and the group was set to re-enter the recording studio in 1997 after signing a new contract with LaFace . The group was given around $200 million from album sales and merchandise after the case was settled . ''FanMail'' (1999) Preliminary work on TLC's third album, '' FanMail '', was delayed when friction arose between the group and their main producer Dallas Austin , who was by this time dating Chilli and helping to raise their young son Tron. Austin wanted $4.2 million and creative control to work on the project, resulting in a stand-off between the producer and the artists. During this period, Chilli appeared in the independent film ''HavPlenty'', and T-Boz co-starred in Hype Williams ' 1998 film '' Belly '' with rappers Nas and DMX . T-Boz made a solo song in late 1996 called Touch Myself. Left Eye started her own Left Eye Productions artist development company and signed Blaque , a TLC-like female R&B/hip hop trio. She also appeared on the "Not Tonight" remix with fellow female rappers including Lil' Kim , which garnered the ladies a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo, Band, or Group in 1998. TLC eventually began working with other producers for the ''FanMail'' album, until finally negotiating with Austin, who produced the bulk of ''FanMail'' and gave the album a futuristic, more Pop -based feel. '' FanMail'' was another success for TLC, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart and selling over 6 million copies in the U.S. The album featured the number-one hit " No Scrubs ", produced by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs , and the single " Unpretty ," an Alternative Rock -styled song about self-love written by T-Boz and Dallas Austin; it also reached the top of the charts. At the Lady Of Soul Awards the groups was honored with the Aretha Franklin entertainer of the year award. The videos for both songs were heavily featured on -written ballad, "Dear Lie". Like ''CrazySexyCool'', ''FanMail'' won the Grammy Award For Best R&B Album Of 2000 . The group went on a worldwide tour simply named ''The Fanmail tour''. While the first leg of the tour sold poorly and made the group lose 500,000 dollars, most of the second leg of the tour was sold out. The group had a PayPerView special of their tour which at the time became PayPerView's highest grossing televised special. During and after the release of ''FanMail'', Left Eye made it known to the press on multiple occasions that she felt that she was unable to fully express herself working with TLC and Dallas Austin. Her contributions to the songs had been reduced to periodic eight- Bar raps, and studio session singers (most often Debra Killings ) often took her place on the background vocals for the groups' songs. In its November 28 , 1999 issue, '' Entertainment Weekly '' ran a letter from Left Eye that challenged her groupmates to record solo albums and let the fans judge which of the three was the most talented: "I challenge Tionne 'Player' Watkins (T-Boz) and Rozonda 'Hater' Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled The ladies eventually settled the feud, and ''The Challenge'' was never followed through. After the conclusion of the successful ''FanMail'' tour, the ladies, however, took some time off and pursued personal interests. Left Eye was the first to begin recording her solo album, ''Supernova''. In the year 2000, she released a single with former Spice Girl Melanie C in the UK and Europe, called " Never Be The Same Again "; it became a massive success reaching number-one in many countries. ''3D'' (2002) See Also: 3D (album) Before the recording of their fourth album, " 3D ," there was a dispute between Left Eye and T-Boz / Chilli . Left Eye originally wanted to withdraw from the group in order to see if they could duplicate their prior success without her contributions. Left Eye eventually pursued solo stardom and recorded her first album Supernova (album) , however it underperformed overseas and was never officially released in the United States . Tragically before the album was completed, Left Eye died in a fatal car crash. Returning from yet another hiatus after Left Eye 's death in a car crash in 2002 while on missionary work in Honduras, TLC and Austin decided that they would complete the remainder of their fourth album without Left Eye, to be called ''3D'', which also featured production from Rodney Jerkins , The Neptunes , Raphael Saadiq , Missy Elliott and Timbaland . The decision was also made that TLC would retire after the release and promotion of ''3D''; Left Eye would not be replaced. The rapper had already completed her vocals for four songs; the remainder were performed by T-Boz and Chilli alone, who gave reverence to Left Eye on a number of the tracks. It was their most personal and meaningful album in most fans eyes, despite it being poorly received. The first single for ''3D'' was "Girl Talk", the video for which featured T-Boz and Chilli alone in live-action segments and Left Eye in animated segments. Its follow-up, "Hands Up", featured only T-Boz and Chili in its video, but took place in a nightclub named Club Left Eye (Lopes' production company's "eye" logo was a prominent feature on the club's walls). The album only sold two million copies in its first year of release, and " Girl Talk " was the only single to reach the U.S. top forty with a peak position of number 28; "Hands Up" never charted, and a third single, " Damaged ", reached number 53. However, the singles enjoyed a bit more success in Europe and Asia . In June 2003 , at Zootopia , an annual concert hosted by New York radio station Z100 held at Giants Stadium , TLC appeared in what was announced to be their last performance. The group, introduced by Carson Daly , showed a video montage dedicated to Lopes, and went on to perform songs against video footage of Lopes performing the same songs, and wearing the same outfits, that were appearing onstage. Fan reaction to the performance led Watkins and Thomas to decide not to disband the group. ''Now and Forever: The Hits'' (2005) and beyond In 2003, LaFace had scheduled the release of ''Now and Forever: The Hits'', a TLC Greatest Hits album with a new song, "Come Get Some", featuring Lil Jon and Sean Paul of the YoungBloodZ . However, the compilation was not released domestically until June 2005 , although versions of the compilation were released internationally in 2004 and the album was also available as a legal download from the ITunes Music Store in November 2004. On June 21 2005 , ''Now and Forever: The Hits'' was quietly released in the United States; the album debuted at number 53 with just 20,000 copies sold. On June 25 2004 , T-Boz and Chilli announced that they were pitching a Reality Television Show to FOX , where contestants would compete for a chance to record a single and perform in concert with the two of them. Fox passed on the show, which was eventually picked up for development by UPN . '' R U The Girl '' with T-Boz & Chilli debuted on UPN on July 27 2005 . The winner of the show would record with T-Boz and Chilli on a new single and perform the track with them in a live concert finale in Atlanta. Roughly 4.1 million viewers tuned in for the season finale of ''R U The Girl'' on September 20 , 2005 , with 20 year old Tiffany " O'so Krispie " Baker as the winner. Despite media speculation that the winner of the series was to become a new, permanent member of TLC, Watkins and Thomas have stated never to replace Lisa with a new, permanent member, suggesting that they will continue to record and perform together as TLC. Radio Interview With Tionne Watkins And Rozonda Thomas About ''R U The Girl'' (see "Interview Audio" link above) On '' released after October 11 , 2005. "I Bet" failed to chart in America and Europe, ending reports that Watkins and Thomas were putting the finishing touches on a repackaged ''Greatest Hits'' album. During the fall of 2005, Watkins lent her vocals to both "It's Good", a track from the Youngbloodz ' 2005 album ''Ev'rybody Know Me'', and an Atlanta sports anthem titled "The ATL", featuring Monica , Sammie , Ciara , and a few other people. Furthermore she co-produced the motion picture '' ATL '' (based on Dallas Austins' high school experiences) and worked on a clothing line for kids titled, "Chase's Closet". On May 15, 2007, '''' was finally released in the United States, after 4.5 years of delayed release dates. A Documentary on the final days of Lisa Lopes titled, '' Last Days Of Left Eye '' premiered Saturday, May 19, 2007 on VH1 and VH1 Soul . The documentary chronicled the surreal final days of Lisa Lopes' life up to moments before crash that claimed her life. On August 20, 2007 a new Greatest Hits album was released in the UK called '' (''Now and Forever: The Hits'' made #86). Future Rozonda Thomas has signed with New York-based publicity firm WeRoqq , represented by Josie Zohny. Her Untitled Debut Album will be released most likely in 2008. One of its tracks, " Gameproof ", recently leaked onto the internet against WeRoqq's permission, but Chilli appreciates the fact that buzz on the track has been mainly favorable.3In February 2007, Chilli's song, " Straight Jack ", was included on a mixtape, and her first single was titled " Glidin' ", but is now Gameproof On August 31, Chilli confirmed she is not signed to Kon Live Distribution, and in the very near future wants to start her own label. {Link without Title} On August 14, 2007, T-Boz spoke with CyberTLC World about upcoming plans which included her solo album which she had already begun recording. She currently has 17 tracks completed and is planning on hitting up to at least 30 songs before she selects the final tracklisting. No plan date on the album at the moment. In that interview, Watkins also spoke about a possible TLC movie which bandmember Rozonda Thomas is pretty interested in making. At the moment there is no word whether or not T-Boz and Chilli will be playing themselves. An upcoming TLC-related television program is also in the works as well as an "uplifting" book that Watkins is currently in the midst of writing. During the interview, Tionne also spoke about TLC's future as a band, stating it was not likely that there will ever be another album from the group but that there will possibly be a farewell tour sometime before she releases her solo project. A full interview can be found on the TLC fansite, CyberTLC World. DISCOGRAPHY See Also: TLC discography TOURS
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