Lisa Lopes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lisa Lopes
Lopes as featured in Black Enterprise magazine c. 2001
Born	Lisa Nicole Lopes (1971-05-27)May 27, 1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	April 25, 2002(2002-04-25) (aged 30) La Ceiba, Honduras
Resting place	Hillandale Memorial Gardens, Lithonia, Georgia
Other names	Left Eye N.I.N.A.
Education	Philadelphia High School for Girls
Occupation	Rapper singer
Partner(s)	Andre Rison (1993–2001) Sean Newman (2000)
Musical career
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop pop R&B
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1991–2002
Labels	LaFace Arista Death Row

Lisa Nicole Lopes (May 27, 1971 – April 25, 2002), known as Left Eye, was an American rapper and singer. She was a member of the R&B girl group TLC. The other members were Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Lisa Lopes was a creative force behind TLC. She helped write many songs and had more co-writing credits than the other members. She also designed outfits and stage setups for the group. Lopes helped shape the group's image, album titles, artwork, and music videos. Through her work with TLC, Lisa won four Grammy Awards.

During her solo career, Lopes had two top 10 songs in the US: "Not Tonight" and "U Know What's Up". She also had a number-one song in the UK, "Never Be the Same Again". This song was a collaboration with Melanie C from the British girl group Spice Girls. Lisa also helped another girl group, Blaque, become successful. Blaque released a platinum album and had two top 10 hits in the US. Lisa Lopes is the only member of TLC to have released a solo album.

On April 25, 2002, Lisa Lopes died in a car crash. She was on vacation and filming a documentary about her charity work in Honduras. The car she was in went off the road. The documentary was later released as The Last Days of Left Eye. It was shown on VH1 in May 2007.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Lisa Lopes was born in 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother, Wanda Denise, was a seamstress. Her father, Ronald Lopes Sr., was a US Army staff sergeant. Lisa had a younger brother, Ronald Jr., and a younger sister, Raina Anitra. Lisa described her father as "very strict" but also a "talented musician." He played the harmonica, clarinet, piano, and saxophone.

Lisa's parents separated when she was in school. Her paternal grandmother raised her during her later childhood years. She started playing with a toy keyboard at age 5 and later wrote her own songs. By age 10, she formed a musical trio called The Lopes Kids with her siblings. They sang gospel songs at local events and churches. She attended the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

Lisa Lopes' Music Career

Becoming a Star with TLC

In late 1990, Lisa Lopes heard about auditions for a new girl group. She moved to Atlanta to try out. The group was first called 2nd Nature. It was later renamed TLC, using the first letters of its members' names: Tionne Watkins, Lisa Lopes, and Crystal Jones. When Crystal Jones left, Damian Dame backup dancer Rozonda Thomas joined. To keep the name TLC, Rozonda became "Chilli," a name chosen by Lisa. Tionne became "T-Boz." Lisa was renamed "Left Eye" because her then-boyfriend said he was attracted to her left eye, which was larger than her right.

TLC became famous in 1992 with their album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. It had four hit songs and sold six million copies worldwide. Soon after, Lopes started dating Atlanta Falcons football player Andre Rison. They lived together for a time.

Their next album, CrazySexyCool, sold over 23 million copies worldwide. Lisa had less input in writing this album. In 1994, Lopes was featured on a song called "How Do You Like It?" by Keith Sweat. In 1995, she rapped on "Freedom" for the Panther movie soundtrack. In 1997, Lopes was featured on a remix of Lil' Kim's "Not Tonight". This song earned a Grammy nomination for all the artists involved. TLC's third album, FanMail, was released in 1999. It sold over 14 million copies worldwide. The album title honored TLC's fans, and their names were printed on the album sleeve.

During the FanMail era, Lisa Lopes often told the press she felt she couldn't fully express herself in TLC. Her parts in songs were often short raps. She wanted to sing more background vocals. In a 1999 Vibe magazine interview, Lopes said she couldn't fully support the TLC project. This led to some disagreements within the group. Lisa once challenged Tionne and Rozonda to release solo albums. She wanted the public to decide who was the "greatest" member. The other members did not accept the challenge. Lisa explained that their disagreements were like sisters arguing. She said, "It's deeper than a working relationship. We have feelings for each other, which is why we get so mad at each other."

Lisa's Solo Music Journey

In 1998, Lisa Lopes hosted an MTV show called The Cut. It was a competition for new singers, rappers, and rock bands. The winner received a record deal. A singer named Anastacia finished third but got a record deal because Lisa and the judges were impressed.

Lopes started Left Eye Productions to find new talent. She helped the R&B group Blaque get a record deal. Lisa was an executive producer for their first album. She also appeared in their music videos. Lisa was also helping another new band called Egypt. They worked with Lisa on her second solo album, which she planned to release under the name N.I.N.A. (New Identity Not Applicable).

In 2000, Lopes was featured on several songs. She was on Spice Girl Melanie C's song "Never Be the Same Again". This song reached number one in 35 countries, including the UK. She was also on "U Know What's Up" by Donell Jones. She rapped a verse in "Space Cowboy" with NSYNC. In October 2000, Lopes co-hosted the UK's MOBO Awards. She also performed "U Know What's Up" with Donell Jones. She worked with Toni Braxton on her 2000 album The Heat. In 2001, she appeared in a commercial for the fashion brand Gap. In July 2001, Lopes appeared on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire with other singers. She won $32,000 for her charity. After her death, the episode was shown in her memory.

In 2008, Lopes' family opened UNI Studios to the public. Lisa had created it to record solo projects. Her brother Ronald is the general manager. Lisa wanted new artists to be able to record music at a low cost in a high-quality studio at her house. Her family continues to run it.

Supernova Album

Lisa Lopes spent much of her free time recording her first solo album, Supernova. It included a song called "A New Star is Born," dedicated to her late father. She said the song was for anyone who had lost loved ones. She believed that "Every atom that was once a star is now in you." The album also covered personal topics, like her relationship with Andre Rison. It included a song with Tupac Shakur. The album was released in August 2001 in other countries, but not in the US. The Japanese version had a bonus song called "Friends."

N.I.N.A. Project

In January 2002, Lisa Lopes signed with Death Row Records. She planned to record a second solo album under the name "N.I.N.A." (New Identity Not Applicable). She talked about working with David Bowie and her friend Missy Elliott on this project. After Lisa's death in April 2002, Death Row Records planned to release the unfinished album. However, it was later canceled. Some songs from the album were later shared online. Lisa's unreleased songs were also used by TLC for their fourth album 3D. Another song, "Too Street 4 T.V.", was released on a movie soundtrack in 2003.

Eye Legacy and Later Releases

In 2008, Lisa's family worked with Surefire Music Group to create a posthumous album called Eye Legacy. It was released in January 2009. The album included songs featuring Lisa's sister Raina "Reigndrop" Lopes. The first song from the album, "Let's Just Do It", featured Missy Elliott and TLC. The second song, "Block Party", featured Lil Mama. This album mostly had new versions of songs from her Supernova album. In November 2009, Forever... The EP was released with bonus songs. In 2012, an unreleased song called "Fantasies" was uploaded to SoundCloud.

Lisa's Personal Life

Lisa Lopes often spoke openly about her life. She adopted an 8-year-old girl after meeting the girl's mother in a program. She had also adopted a 12-year-old boy ten years earlier.

Lisa had several tattoos. A large eagle on her left arm represented freedom. She added the number "80" around the eagle, which was Andre Rison's football number. She had a moon with a face on her foot, referring to Rison's nickname "Bad Moon." She later added "Love U 2" in musical notes for Tupac Shakur. On her upper right arm, she had "Parron" for her late stepbrother. Her smallest tattoo was on her left earlobe: an arrow pointing left over an eye symbol, referring to her nickname.

Roughly two weeks before her own death, Lisa Lopes was a passenger in a car accident in Honduras. A 10-year-old Honduran boy died in this accident. It is common for people to walk on the roads in Honduras, and it can be hard to see pedestrians. The boy, Bayron Isaul Fuentes Lopez, was hit by a van driven by Lisa's assistant. Lisa's group stopped and took the boy to a hospital. He died the next day. Lisa paid for his medical and funeral costs. Authorities and the boy's family agreed it was a sad accident, and no one was blamed. In the documentary The Last Days of Left Eye, Lisa is shown choosing a casket for the child.

Lisa Lopes' Passing and Tributes

Lopes's grave at Hillandale Memorial Gardens

On April 25, 2002, Lisa Lopes was driving an SUV in La Ceiba, Honduras. She swerved to avoid a truck and then sharply to the left to avoid another car. The vehicle rolled over several times after hitting two trees. Lisa and three others were thrown from the car. The car stopped in a ditch. Lisa, at 30 years old, died instantly from head injuries. She was the only person who died in the crash. The accident was recorded on video because a documentary was being filmed.

Lisa Lopes' funeral was held at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, on May 2, 2002. Thousands of people attended. Her casket had lyrics from her part of the song "Waterfalls" engraved on it: "Dreams are hopeless aspirations, in hopes of coming true, believe in yourself, the rest is up to me and you." Gospel duo Mary Mary sang their song "Shackles (Praise You)" at the funeral. Lisa was buried at Hillandale Memorial Gardens in Lithonia.

Producer Jermaine Dupri remembered Lisa as someone who was "determined to be something in life." He called her a "true rock star" who didn't care what the press thought. He said, "You could expect the unexpected. When you see Lisa, you could expect something from her. That's the gift she carried."

Lisa Lopes' Lasting Impact

Lisa Lopes was setting up two educational centers for children in Honduras. One was called Camp YAC, and the other was Creative Castle.

In 2003, after Lisa's death, her family started the Lisa Lopes Foundation. This charity helps young people who are neglected or abandoned. It provides them with resources to improve their lives. Lisa's motto was "Energy never dies... it just transforms." Her foundation visited poor villages and gave new clothes to children and families. In August 2007, the foundation held a charity auction. It raised about $5,000 for Hogar de Amor ("Home of Love"), an orphanage in Honduras. Since 2012, the foundation has hosted an annual music festival called "Left Eye Music Fest" in Decatur, Georgia.

In the 2018 film Sorry to Bother You, a fictional activist group called "Left Eye" uses a stripe of eye black under the left eye as their symbol. This is a reference to Lisa Lopes.

Documentary About Lisa's Final Days

A documentary called The Last Days of Left Eye showed the last 27 days of Lisa Lopes' life. It premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival in April 2007. Many famous people attended. VH1 and VH1 Soul showed the documentary on May 19, 2007. Much of the film was shot by Lisa herself, like diary entries. She filmed it during a 30-day spiritual retreat in Honduras with her sister Reigndrop, brother Ronald, and members of the R&B group Egypt. In these videos, she talked about her life and career. The documentary showed a calmer side of her, including her interest in numerology and yoga. In January 2020, Lifetime aired an episode of Hopelessly In Love. This show explores relationships of famous people. The episode was about Lisa Lopes and Andre Rison's relationship.

Discography

Studio albums

• Supernova (2001)

Posthumous studio albums

• Eye Legacy (2009)

Filmography