Rozonda Thomas

Chilli's silky vocals added a dose of sensuality to the high-energy hits released by Grammy Award-winning group TLC. Along with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes and Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, the Atlanta-born singer with the youthful and exuberant vibe debuted the single "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" (1992), which introduced the sassy trio's brightly colored outfits that matched their ready-to-party personalities to the world. Chilli's smooth vocals brought out a softer side to the group, which also showcased T-Boz's soulful swagger and Left Eye's rap-funk playfulness. The group's journey to the top hit a few speed bumps along the way, from issues with management to Left Eye's headline-making arrest in 1994 for arson. TLC made a triumphant comeback with its landmark album CrazySexyCool (1994), featuring the hit singles "Creep" and "Waterfalls." They earned more accolades for their third album FanMail (1999), but the group's success came to an abrupt end when Left Eye died in a car accident in Honduras in 2002. Chilli and T-Boz carried on their late bandmate's legacy, but TLC was never the same. After a few years away from the spotlight, the singer produced and starred on her own reality series "What Chilli Wants" (VH1, 2010), where she opened up about her personal life and experiences as a member of one of the most influential and successful female groups of all time.

She was born Rozonda Ocelean Thomas on Feb. 27, 1971 in Atlanta, GA to Abdul Ali and Ava Thomas. Her father was of East Indian and Middle Eastern descent, while her mother was African-American and Native American. She began her entertainment career as a back-up dancer for the R&B duo Damian Dame, the first act signed to LaFace Records, whose founders were Antonio 'L.A.' Reid and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds. Around the same time, Reid's wife Perri 'Pebbles' Reid began managing an Atlanta-based musical trio. Originally named 2nd Nature, Pebbles changed the group's name to TLC, which stood for the first letters of the band members' names: Tionne Watkins, Lisa Lopes, and Crystal Jones. After TLC signed to LaFace, the label felt Jones was not a good fit for the group and decided to replace her with Thomas. To keep the name TLC, Thomas took the nickname Chilli, while Watkins and Lopes went by T-Boz and Left Eye, respectively.

TLC released its debut album Ooooooohhh On the TLC Tip in 1992. A mixture of rap, R&B, and the popular '90s genre New Jack Swing, TLC delivered a fun, high-energy album that matched the group's youthful personality. The lead single "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg," about a young woman's prerogative to demand sex, showcased T-Boz's soulful swagger, Left Eye's eccentric rap style, and Chilli's sexy vocals. The accompanying music video was equally vibrant, a raucous party scene that introduced the world to TLC's signature look - baggy, neon-colored clothing, excessive jewelry, and Left Eye's condom worn as an eye patch. Ooooooohhh On the TLC Tip peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 chart and spawned a string of Top 10 hits, including the ballad "Baby-Baby-Baby" and the girl power anthem "What About Your Friends."After the success of the debut album, the trio decided to take more control of their career, so parted ways with manager Pebbles, but remained signed to LaFace Records. Chilli, T-Boz and Left Eye made their feature film debut in the comedy "House Party 3" (1994), performing as the group Sex as a Weapon, and also contributed to the "Poetic Justice" (1993) soundtrack with the track "Get It Up." While anticipation grew for TLC's follow-up album, Left Eye made headlines when she began a turbulent relationship with NFL player Andre Rison. The couple lived together in Atlanta, where one of their fights eventually led to Left Eye accidentally setting his house on fire in June 1994. She was reportedly found guilty of first-degree arson, fined $10,000, and sentenced to five years probation. Ironically, Left Eye and Rison reconciled and remained together for another three years.

The incident could have damaged TLC's career, but instead gave the group a media boost while promoting their sophomore album. In 1994, they appeared on a memorable cover of VIBE magazine dressed as firefighters, a cheeky nod to Left Eye's domestic and legal issues. Later that year, they finally released the landmark albumCrazySexyCool, with the album title highlighting each of the group's distinct personalities CrazySexyCool - Left Eye as crazy, Chilli as sexy, and T-Boz as cool. Showing a more sophisticated and mature style however, the group also ditched their day-glow outfits and condom accessories for sleeker, futuristic get-ups. The first single "Creep," a mid-tempo jam about infidelity, topped the Billboard 100, while the sexually-charged ballad "Red Light Special" peaked at No. 2. TLC also took on a more socially conscious stance with "Waterfalls," an inspirational track that spent seven weeks at No. 1 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year. CrazySexyCool went on to become one of the year's top-selling albums and earned the trio a 1996 Grammy for Best R&B Album.

TLC's critical and commercial success was short-lived, however, when they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 1995. They reportedly owed $3.5 million, and that despite their albums and singles topping the charts, the ladies were also rumored to earn less than $35,000 after taxes, producer fees, and other expenses. The group renegotiated its contract with LaFace Records, which took almost two years until both parties settled and TLC resigned under LaFace/Arista. The group released its highly anticipated third album FanMail in 1999, which debuted at the top of the charts, largely due to another girl power anthem "No Scrubs." The follow-up single "Unpretty," also a No. 1 hit, drew comparisons to "Waterfalls" for its socially conscious message and memorable chorus. TLC dominated the 2000 Grammy Awards with seven nominations, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. The trio won Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "No Scrubs."

Rumors swirled that TLC was splitting up after Chilli and Left Eye both announced they were working on solo projects. Chilli also made inroads in acting, landing a featured role in the made-for-television movie "A Diva's Christmas Carol" (VH1, 2000) and the action thriller "Ticker" (2001). Left Eye further fueled rumors of the band's internal conflict when she wrote an open letter to her bandmates in Entertainment Weekly, challenging each TLC member to record a solo album for a 3-disc compilation that she titled The Challenge. In her letter, Left Eye also referred to T-Boz as "the Player" and Chilli as "the Hater." The girls patched up their feud before the ambitious project began, but Left Eye eventually recorded her solo album Supernova (2001), which was not released in the U.S. Sadly, on April 25, 2002, Left Eye flipped the SUV she was driving in Honduras and died from severe head trauma. Chilli and T-Boz were left to work on TLC's fourth and final album as a trio 3D (2002). The lead single "Girl Talk," which Left Eye had co-written, peaked at No. 28. 3D sold over a million copies despite the tragic loss, but it was clear the group's heyday was over.In 2005, Chilli and T-Boz hosted the search for TLC's newest member with the UPN reality series "R U the Girl," which declared contestant Tiffany 'O'so Krispie' Baker as the winner, but she was not made an official member of the group. After the group's decline on the charts, the two remaining members of TLC pursued other projects and focused on their personal lives. Chilli raised her son Tron, whom gave birth to in 1997 with then-boyfriend (and TLC producer) Dallas Austin. The singer also dated R&B superstar Usher for two years, during that time appearing in his music videos "U Remind Me" (2001) and "U Got It Bad" (2001). It was rumored the couple split due to Usher's infidelity, which he alluded to in his hit album Confessions (2004). Chilli also opened up about her past relationship and her quest to find love once again on her own reality series "What Chilli Wants," which she created and produced.

By Candy Cuenco