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Life had not always been easy for Lopes, who adopted the nickname ''Left Eye'' in her teens after being told that orb was more distinctive. Born in Philadelphia, the oldest of three, she used music to escape a home dominated by an alcoholic father, Ronald, a musician who died in 1991. (Mom Wanda Lopes-Coleman, 50, now lives in Stone Mountain, Ga.) After moving to Atlanta at 17, Left Eye met Watkins at a 1991 open audition for an R&B girl group. Soon, Perri ''Pebbles'' Reid, then wife of LaFace co-owner L.A. Reid, became their manager and added Thomas to the lineup. The trio's 1992 debut, ''Ooooooohhh...on the TLC Tip,'' got some notice. But 1994's ''CrazySexyCool'' -- with the hit singles ''Waterfalls'' and ''Creep'' -- won a Grammy for Best R&B Album and cemented their divadom. In 1995, TLC filed for bankruptcy and a legal imbroglio ensued, resulting in a more favorable contract with LaFace. |
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