[80s90sIsTheBest]

Welcome To The TLC Campaign Thread!



Made by ME [80s90sIsTheBest]

Fan List:

80s90sIsTheBest

Artemis

beyond insane

Chasing Fireflies

CrashandBurn9

Karma Police

*KindKennen*

KingMikeTarzan

Kiss of Death

MyLastDayWithoutYou

skje

Stay to the Lights

TLC Biography:

TLC were one of the biggest-selling female R&B groups of all time, riding a blend of pop, hip-hop, and urban soul to superstardom during the '90s. Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas managed to appeal equally to pop and R&B audiences, blending catchy hooks and bouncy funk with a sassy, sexy attitude. Initially, their image was equal parts style and spirit, bolstered by a flamboyant, outrageous wardrobe. As time passed, they became equally well known for their chaotic personal lives, leaving a trail of headlines that read like a soap opera plot: arson, rehab, bankruptcy, serious illness, high-profile romances, and countless intragroup squabbles. After their star-making second album, CrazySexyCool, TLC fell into disarray, taking over four years to record the follow-up, Fanmail; even so, they returned more popular than ever, and the hits kept on coming. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in early 2002, when Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras.

TLC were formed in Atlanta, GA, in 1991, when Watkins and Lopes decided to split off from another all-female group. In short order, they met Thomas, locally based producer Dallas Austin, and '80s R&B singer Pebbles, who became their manager. They quickly scored a record deal with L.A. Reid and Babyface's new label, LaFace, and in 1992 issued their new jack-styled debut album, Ooooooohhh...On the TLC Tip. The video for the sexy, aggressive lead single, "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," established their quirky, colorful fashion sense, and true to her nickname, Lopes stirred some attention by wearing a condom over her left eye to promote safe sex. The song became a Top Ten hit as did its follow-ups, the ballad "Baby-Baby-Baby" (a number two hit) and "What About Your Friends." TLC were definitely a success, but they weren't quite stars yet, and it remained to be seen whether they could maintain their momentum over the long haul.

Not long before the release of their second album in late 1994, Lisa Lopes was arrested on arson charges. In an alcohol-fueled fit of rage, Lopes vented all the frustrations from her often-stormy relationship with NFL wide receiver Andre Rison, burning his Atlanta mansion to the ground and vandalizing several of his cars. Lopes' lawyers claimed that she had a drinking problem, and while Lopes herself wasn't happy with that defense, she avoided jail time with a sentence of five years' probation; she was also later admitted to an alcohol rehab program. All the publicity certainly didn't hurt CrazySexyCool, which became a blockbuster success, albeit for other reasons. Taking a cue from Salt-n-Pepa's makeover on Very Necessary, CrazySexyCool toned down the boisterousness of their first record in favor of a smoother, more mature presentation; they were still strong and sexual, but now fully adult as well, and were more involved (especially Lopes) in crafting their own material. The slinky lead single, "Creep," became TLC's first number one pop hit, topping the charts for four weeks. It was followed by three more Top Five singles: "Red Light Special," "Waterfalls" (which became their biggest hit ever, spending seven weeks at number one), and "Diggin' on You." TLC were a bona fide phenomenon, and their stylish videos and live performances kept upping the ante for outrageous fashion sense. CrazySexyCool eventually sold over 11 million copies in the U.S. alone, and won a Grammy for Best R&B Album.

All was not well, however. In 1995, TLC filed for bankruptcy, claiming debts of over 3.5 million dollars, in part stemming from Lopes' insurance payments over the arson incident. They also claimed they hadn't seen their fair share of royalties from CrazySexyCool; LaFace countered that they were simply trying to get a bigger contract. TLC did wind up splitting from Pebbles' management company over the money issues (not helped by the fact that Pebbles' marriage to LaFace head L.A. Reid had gone through a nasty breakup). What was more, it was announced that for some time Watkins had been battling sickle cell anemia, which sapped her energy and often made performing difficult. TLC spent much of 1996 getting their financial affairs in order, and were set to re-enter the studio in the summer of 1997. The sessions had trouble getting off the ground, though, thanks to the group's public spat with producer Dallas Austin, claiming that his fee was far too high; not only had Austin played a significant role in the creation of their music, but the split was all the more awkward because he and Thomas had just had a son together. It took until early 1998 to finally resolve the producer situation, and Austin wound up handling the vast majority of the record. Still, it took quite some time to put together; Lopes announced in the summer of 1998 that she was working on a solo record, and Watkins tried her hand at acting with an appearance in the Hype Williams-directed Belly. All the delays, tension, and side projects fueled rumors of the group's impending breakup.

TLC's third album was finally released at the beginning of 1999. The hotly anticipated Fanmail debuted at number one, and its first single, "No Scrubs" -- a dismissal of men who didn't measure up -- topped the charts as well for four weeks. The critically acclaimed follow-up, "Unpretty," tackled unrealistic beauty standards and spent three weeks at number one. Fanmail wound up going six times platinum, and won another Best R&B Album Grammy. As TLC prepared to tour in late 1999, tensions between the individual members spilled over into a public feud; Watkins and Thomas criticized Lopes for putting herself before the group, and Lopes responded by blasting TLC's recent music and challenging her bandmates to record solo albums, so that fans could see who the real talent lay with. The blowup was only temporary, but rumors about TLC's future continued to swirl. Lopes continued to publicize her upcoming solo project, and Thomas eventually began working on her own album as well. Watkins married rapper Mack 10 in the summer of 2000 and had their first child not long after. Meanwhile, tabloid favorite Lopes continued to make headlines when she disappeared for over a week, missing a family function and a press conference (she turned out to be with a new boyfriend).

In 2001, TLC somehow managed to regroup and enter the studio together to work on material for a new album. That summer, a report surfaced that Lopes had postponed a wedding with, of all people, Andre Rison. Meanwhile, her solo debut, Supernova, was scheduled for release and then scrapped on several occasions; it eventually came out overseas, but domestically Arista pulled the plug. Meanwhile, TLC's recording halted while Watkins was hospitalized from complications with her anemia. At the beginning of 2002, Lopes announced that she had signed a solo deal with the infamous Suge Knight's new label Tha Row, for which she would begin recording a follow-up to the unreleased Supernova under the name N.I.N.A. (New Identity Non-Applicable). Sadly, she would never get the chance. Vacationing in her favorite getaway spot, Honduras, Lopes was driving a rented SUV with at least seven (possibly eight) passengers.

Reportedly speeding, she lost control of the vehicle, which flipped over; she was the only member of the party to be seriously injured, and died from severe head trauma on April 25, 2002. The surviving members of TLC announced their intention to complete the album they'd begun, though without their most vibrant character the group's long-term future remained in doubt.

Reasons Why We Love Them:

1. They were the best selling music group of all time.
2. Despite what they went through as a group they always stayed together.
3. They had that amazing sisterly chemistry that if other groups had went though what they did, would've broken them up, but TLC never did.
4. They were their own trendsetters.
5. They were unique in everything they did.
6. T-Boz & Chilli still have their same chemistry as they did years ago.
7. They were never fake about their emotions or feelings.
8. They love(d) their fans.

Music Videos:

T-Boz & Chilli Being Themselves:

(Crazy, silly etc...they had me laughing so hard!)



T-Boz and Chilli - TLC's Most Hilarious Blooper Moments On TV T-Boz & Chilli 2003



TLC Interview on VH1 (Outtakes)



TLC Goes Back Home To ATL (2002) (part 1 of 2)



TLC Goes Back Home To ATL (TLC Goes Back Home To ATL (2002) (Part 2 of 2)

Contact TLC:

T-Boz:

The Official T-Boz Website [Official Site]

https://twitter.com/#!/TheRealTBOZ [Twitter]

Chilli:

Home [project that Chilli has made]

https://twitter.com/#!/officialchilli [Twitter]

If there's anything you guys would like me to add on here, please let me know or if you like to add something to said sections on here let me know that as well.

[MyLastDayWithoutYou]

you can add me
i was so young

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Originally Posted by skje (View Post) you can add me i was so young

Yep I was too, but I loved them and I still do. I'm really hoping they can get their own board because they definitely deserve it. I'll add you to the list!

[MyLastDayWithoutYou]

thanks

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Originally Posted by skje (View Post) thanks

sure I was thinking of updating the OP thread with Reasons Why We Love Them. I'd just need to think of some reasons and you're more than welcome to join in and add some reasons too. I hope we'll get more people in this thread too so they can add to the list once it gets going.

[Artemis]

Add me. I love TLC. Unpretty is one of my favorite songs in general!

[MyLastDayWithoutYou]

glad to see you there

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Originally Posted by Kiss of Death (View Post) Add me. I love TLC. Unpretty is one of my favorite songs in general!

Welcome! and you've been added to the list. hope you'll be back to post in the thread again soon.

[Artemis]

What's your favorite TLC song?

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Originally Posted by Kiss of Death (View Post) What's your favorite TLC song?

Oh gosh I have so many it's hard to choose: Red Light Special, Turntable, Girl Talk, Baby, Baby, Baby, Sleigh Ride, Unpretty, Damaged, Dear Lie, If They Only Knew, Diggin On You (that's all I can think of at the moment) What about you, what are your favorites?

[MyLastDayWithoutYou]

no scrubs, that the song i will always remember from this group

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Originally Posted by skje (View Post) no scrubs, that the song i will always remember from this group

That's funny I always remember too many songs from them because I was such an obsessed fan literally. I grew up with them. I'll always love them.

[MyLastDayWithoutYou]

thank you for uploading the OP

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Originally Posted by skje (View Post) thank you for uploading the OP

no problem! I love making the OP threads pretty with little heart and cute symbols now that I know how to do them. I'm now obsessed with it. If you ever want me to add anything more like for the reasons we love them section or if you think of something new to add please let me know and I'll be more than happy to add it up.

[80s90sIsTheBest]

Anyone have a favorite music video from them? I have a few, but my most favorite one is Baby, Baby, Baby & Sleigh Ride. Baby, Baby, Baby because there's just something about it that I've always loved it's just an awesome and so cute! Sleigh Ride again it's so cute.