If you hear the adjectives “crazy,” “sexy” and “cool” presented in that order – one thing should come to mind. And that is the musical styling and cultural impact of the women of TLC.
Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes captivated the hearts of millions with their pop hits and imprint on the fashion world. The Atlanta-based girl group would skyrocket into superstardom with their debut album, “Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip.”
Their first album, released in 1992, would host chart-topping singles like “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg”, “What About Your Friends,” and “Baby-Baby-Baby.”
The group avoided the sophomore slump by releasing one of their most popular albums in 1994 – “CrazySexyCool.” TLC would go on to have four No. 1 hits and nine singles to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
With so much musical success, it is no surprise that they would become the second biggest-selling female group with 23 million certified units over their career. The ’90s group was also nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning four.
In 2002, the girl group faced major tragedy as the rap star of the trio, Left Eye, tragically passed away in Honduras while doing charity work.
T-Boz and Chilli would decide to disband the group after Lopes’ death. However, they later came back as a duo performing their hit singles, periodically including rapper Lil Mama, who portrayed Left Eye in the VH1 biopic about the ladies.
Based on a People Magazine report, the ladies of TLC are preparing to have their story told on the theatrical stage. While talking through the show, Chilli remembered the magic that made the group so special to music and culture.
View this post on Instagram
“The chemistry between the three of us when Lisa was here is just something that is either there, or it’s not. I can’t sing her part, [T-Boz] can’t sing my parts, we can’t do Lisa’s raps. Everybody has respect for the other and what they do; we just come together through all of it, and this is deeper than a marriage. We’re sisters, this is my sister, and we’re always going to be together,” Chilli explained.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, their long-lasting career has allowed the remaining members to earn a collective net worth of $9.5 million (T-Boz making $1.5M and Chilli earning $8M). Today, these women are still holding it down decades after they hit the scene.
Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins
Outside of music, T-Boz is a mom of two and an out-loud advocate for sickle cell awareness. She also owns Tionne Wellness, a holistic wellness brand that offers beauty and skin products, voice and throat supplements, and a CBD line, TLCBD.
T-Boz released a memoir that detailed her life in September 2017, titled “A Sick Life.”
Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas
Before stepping on the scene as a singer and joining TLC, Chilli was a backup dancer for Damien Dame. The mom and fitness enthusiast utilized the talent and partnered with fitness instructor Shaun T. to create a dance fitness series.
More recently, according to The Atlanta Voice, in 2018 Chilli became the face of DAYO, a luxury loungewear brand founded by Yolanda White.
