Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, the most flamboyant and
outspoken member of the multiplatinum trio TLC, has died, according to a
spokesperson for the group's label, Arista Records. Lopes was 30.
"We had all grown up together and were as close as a family. Today we have truly lost our sister," Lopes' TLC partners Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas said in a statement.
Friday afternoon (April 26) on MTV's "TRL," the audibly distraught ladies phoned in, saying, "Lisa had one of the biggest hearts of anybody we've ever known. She did charity work with kids for the lupus disease. She adopted a little girl named Snow. ... Lisa could do anything she put her mind to."
"No words can possibly express the sorrow and sadness I feel for this most devastating loss," Arista CEO L.A. Reid said in a statement. "Lisa was not only a gifted and talented musical inspiration, but more importantly, she was like a daughter to me. My thoughts and prayers are with Lisa's family and friends. Her legacy will be remembered forever."
On Friday morning Lopes' personal publicist released details about the tragedy. Left Eye went down to Honduras — where she would often visit — on March 20 and was scheduled to return to the States on Sunday. While there, she was volunteering at a children's development center and at the Usha Herbal Resource Institute, an herbal healing center.
Left Eye was driving a rented Mitsubishi Montero SUV and traveling from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula. According to her spokesperson, a three-person group called Egypt, her brother, sister and two producers were in the vehicle with her. The spokesperson said the SUV tipped over and Left Eye died after sustaining a blow to the head.
According to authorities in Jutiapa, Lopes was not licensed to drive internationally and was apparently speeding and lost control. The car crashed in Roma, which is one of Jutiapa's provinces.
Everyone was taken to the Vicente D'Antoni hospital in La Ceiba and, according to that medical facility, there were eight other passengers in the vehicle. Four were released, and the remaining four remain hospitalized in stable condition.
The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said it is working with the San Jose Funeral Home in La Ceiba and the Lopes family to make arrangements for the body to be flown back to Atlanta. No funeral plans have been made yet.
"We had all grown up together and were as close as a family. Today we have truly lost our sister," Lopes' TLC partners Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas said in a statement.
Friday afternoon (April 26) on MTV's "TRL," the audibly distraught ladies phoned in, saying, "Lisa had one of the biggest hearts of anybody we've ever known. She did charity work with kids for the lupus disease. She adopted a little girl named Snow. ... Lisa could do anything she put her mind to."
"No words can possibly express the sorrow and sadness I feel for this most devastating loss," Arista CEO L.A. Reid said in a statement. "Lisa was not only a gifted and talented musical inspiration, but more importantly, she was like a daughter to me. My thoughts and prayers are with Lisa's family and friends. Her legacy will be remembered forever."
On Friday morning Lopes' personal publicist released details about the tragedy. Left Eye went down to Honduras — where she would often visit — on March 20 and was scheduled to return to the States on Sunday. While there, she was volunteering at a children's development center and at the Usha Herbal Resource Institute, an herbal healing center.
Left Eye was driving a rented Mitsubishi Montero SUV and traveling from La Ceiba to San Pedro Sula. According to her spokesperson, a three-person group called Egypt, her brother, sister and two producers were in the vehicle with her. The spokesperson said the SUV tipped over and Left Eye died after sustaining a blow to the head.
According to authorities in Jutiapa, Lopes was not licensed to drive internationally and was apparently speeding and lost control. The car crashed in Roma, which is one of Jutiapa's provinces.
Everyone was taken to the Vicente D'Antoni hospital in La Ceiba and, according to that medical facility, there were eight other passengers in the vehicle. Four were released, and the remaining four remain hospitalized in stable condition.
The U.S. Embassy in Honduras said it is working with the San Jose Funeral Home in La Ceiba and the Lopes family to make arrangements for the body to be flown back to Atlanta. No funeral plans have been made yet.
As for the musical projects Left Eye was involved with, TLC were working on an
album, and at least four tracks have been completed. Left Eye had been in the
studio working on a track with David Bowie and had hoped to do a song with Eve
and Pink based on the theme of Philly pride, Lopes' spokesperson said.
Born in Philadelphia, Left Eye later moved to Atlanta, where she formed TLC with Watkins and Thomas. The trio's 1992 debut LP, Ooooooohhh ... On the TLC Tip, spawned the top 10 hits "Baby-Baby-Baby," "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" and "What About Your Friends."
Born in Philadelphia, Left Eye later moved to Atlanta, where she formed TLC with Watkins and Thomas. The trio's 1992 debut LP, Ooooooohhh ... On the TLC Tip, spawned the top 10 hits "Baby-Baby-Baby," "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" and "What About Your Friends."
