Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins (b. 1970)

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Biography

TLC is an American girl group formed in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia. The group's best-known line-up was composed of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. The group enjoyed success during the 1990s, with nine top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one singles: "Creep", "Waterfalls", "No Scrubs", and "Unpretty". TLC also recorded four multi-platinum albums, including CrazySexyCool (1994), which received a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They became the first R&B group in history to receive the million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for FanMail (1999).

Timeline

The story of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, told in moments.

1992 Event

TLC released Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip. T-Boz sang lead on "Baby-Baby-Baby" and "What About Your Friends." The trio of T-Boz, Left Eye (Lisa Lopes), and Chilli (Rozonda Thomas) became the defining girl group of the 1990s.

What was the TLC chemistry like in those early days? Did defining the girl group of the 1990s feel real in the moment? Was your voice always the soul of the group?

1995 Event

CrazySexyCool went diamond. "Waterfalls" hit number one. T-Boz's alto carried the song's warnings about drugs and unsafe sex. The album sold over 14 million copies in the U.S. alone. They became the best-selling American girl group of all time.

What does a diamond album feel like? Did 'Waterfalls' carry the message you intended? Was being the best-selling American girl group a title you chased?

2002 Event

Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes died in a car crash in Honduras. She was 30. T-Boz and Chilli chose to continue as a duo rather than replace her. The group won five Grammys across their career.

How did you process Lisa's death at 30? Was continuing as a duo honoring her or moving forward? Do five Grammys capture what TLC meant to a generation?

Artifacts (2)

A Sick Life: TLC 'n Me: Stories from On and Off the Stage

A candid memoir of fame, strength, family, and friendship from the lead singer of TLC As the lead singer of Grammy-winning supergroup TLC, Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins has seen phenomenal fame, success, and...

2017

Works Read Talk

A Sick Life: TLC 'n Me: Stories from on and Off the Stage

Rolling Stone declared TLC "the most effervescent and soulful girl group anyone has seen since the Supremes." They have sold more than 85 million albums worldwide and won five Grammys, and their...

2017

Works Read Talk

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