Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, an African American singer, writer and entertainer, was born on this date in 1971.
She was Born in Philadelphia, PA, and first learned how to play songs on a toy piano she received at the age of 5. Lopes moved to Atlanta in 1992, forming the super singing group TLC with Tionne Watkins and Rozonda Thomas. As talented as She was with the group, she was very extroverted and outspoken regarding business dealings with TLC and her own career aspirations. She was also often in the news with her personal life too.
She even went so far as to burn the house down of her on-again off-again football star boyfriend, Andre’ Rison. Lopes was fined and sentenced to five years probation, then entered an alcohol rehab program. Her brother said his sister’s life had its share of turmoil, but that the changes she underwent in the last few years made her a better person. On March 20, 2002, Lopes traveled to Honduras where she visited often. She was volunteering at a children’s development center and The Usha Herbal Resource Institute, an herbal healing center.
Lopes was driving a rented SUV, a spokesperson said, when the vehicle tipped over while were traveling from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula. Lopes died from a head injury. A capacity crowd of about 10,000 people filled New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia, and hundreds more waited outside the church during the 30-year-old singer’s funeral.
A host of music industry VIPs attended, including singers Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Keith Sweat, and producer Kenneth “Baby Face” Edmonds.
Written by Dianne Washington