Saturday, October 26, 2013

Who is Kimberly Noel Kardashian?

Ray J and Kim
Who is Kimberly Noel Kardashian? The entertainment and acting world knows her as television personality, fashion designer, model, and actress. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she first garnered media attention through her then-friend Paris Hilton. In 2007, Kardashian came to prominence after a sex tape with her then-boyfriend Ray J was leaked. Later that year, she and her family were reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Its success has led to the creation of spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York and Kourtney and Kim Take Miami. In 2010, Kardashian was named the highest-paid reality television personality, with estimated earnings of $6 million.
commissioned to star in the


Kim Kardasian, she is an American
In August 2011, Kardashian married basketball player Kris Humphries in a widely-publicized ceremony. However, following 72 days of marriage, she garnered significant criticism after filing for divorce that October, labeling their nuptials a publicity stunt. In June 2013, their divorce was finalized with an undisclosed settlement. Kardashian began a relationship with rapper Kanye West in 2012, and gave birth to their daughter North West the following year.
With sisters Kourtney and Khloé, Kardashian is involved in the retail and fashion industries. They have launched several clothing collections and fragrances, and additionally released the book Kardashian Konfidential in 2010.

Life and career

1980–2007: Early life and sex tape

Kimberly Noel Kardashian was born October 21, 1980 in Los Angeles, California on October 21, 1980, to Robert and Kris (née Houghton).[2] She has an older sister Kourtney, a younger sister Khloé, and a younger brother Rob.[3] Their mother is of Dutch, English, and Scottish ancestry,[4] while their father was a third-generation Armenian American.[5] After their parents divorced in 1991,[6] Houghton remarried to the 1976 Summer Olympics decathlon winner Bruce Jenner in 1991.[7] Through their marriage, Kardashian gained step-brothers Burton "Burt", Brandon, and Brody; step-sister Casey; and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie.[8][9]
parents
As a teenager, she attended Marymount High School, a Roman Catholic all-girls school in Los Angeles.[10] In 1994, her father garnered public attention as the primary defense lawyer for football player O.J. Simpson during his murder trial. In 2003, Robert Kardashian was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and died that September.[11]
In 2000, a 19-year-old Kardashian eloped to music producer Damon Thomas. Thomas filed for divorce in 2003, though Kardashian later credited their separation to physical and emotional abuse on his part.[12] During this time, Kardashian was also close friends with socialite Paris Hilton, through whom she first garnered media attention.[13] Prior to the finalization of her divorce, Kardashian began dating singer Ray J, the younger brother of Brandy Norwood.[14] In February 2007, a sex tape made by Kardashian and Ray J in 2003 was leaked.[15][16] Kardashian filed a lawsuit against Vivid Entertainment, who distributed the film as Kim K Superstar, and dropped the suit and settled for $5 million.[17][18]

2007–09: Career beginnings

Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
In October 2007, Kardashian, in addition to her mother Kris; her step-father Bruce; her siblings Kourtney, reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians.[19] The series proved successful for E!, the network in which it is broadcast, and has led to the creations of spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York and Kourtney and Kim Take Miami.[20] That December, Kardashian posed for a nude pictorial for Playboy.[21]
 
Khloé, and Rob; and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie were commissioned to star in the
In 2008, Kardashian made her feature film debut in the disaster film spoof Disaster Movie, in which she appeared as a character named Lisa.[22][23] That year, she was announced as one of thirteen participants on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars, where she was partnered with Mark Ballas. Kardashian was the third contestant to be eliminated.[24]
In January 2009, Kardashian guest starred as herself during an episode of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother in the episode "Benefits".[25] That March, she launched an endorsement with ShoeDazzle shopping,[26] of which she is the co-founder and chief fashion stylist.[27] She then endorsed multiple other projects including a vanilla cupcake mix flavor called 'Va-Va-Va-Nilla' for the Los Angeles bakery, Famous Cupcakes.[27] In April, she released a workout DVD series, Fit in Your Jeans by Friday, with trainers Jennifer Galardi and Patrick Goudeau.[28][29] In June, it was announced that Kardashian was to star as Elle in the television series Beyond the Break.[30] August saw Kardashian become a guest host of WrestleMania XXIV and guest judge on America's Next Top Model.[31] In September, Fusion Beauty and Seven Bar Foundation launched "Kiss Away Poverty", with Kardashian as the face of the campaign. For every LipFusion lipgloss sold, $1 went to the Foundation to fund women entrepreneurs in the US.[32] The following month, she released her first fragrance titled "Kim Kardashian".[33][34] On December 16, 2009, Kardashian made a guest star appearance on CBS's CSI: NY with Vanessa Minnillo.[35][36]

2010–11: International success





2010 saw Kardashian venture into several new endorsement deals, including endorsing various food products for Carl's Jr.[27][37] Beginning in early 2010, Kardashian and her sisters designed and developed clothing lines for Bebe stores and 'Virgins, Saints, and Angels'.[38][39][40] In January 2010, she starred as Summa Eve in the film Deep in the Valley[35] In April, Kardashian sparked controversy over the way she held a kitten for a photograph, holding it by the scruff of its neck.[41] Animal rights organization PETA criticized Kardashian for repeatedly wearing fur coats, and named her as one of the five worst people or organizations of 2010 when it came to animal welfare.[42] June saw Kardashian guest star with Khloé and Kourtney as herself on the season three premiere episode of the series 90210.[43] That same month, Kardashian was involved in a lawsuit against one of her endorsments. Sanford Siegal, the creator of the Cookie Diet, sued Kardashian, claiming she defamed him on Twitter. According to Siegal, Kardashian tweeted in October 2009 that he was "falsely promoting" that she was on the cookie diet. Siegal filed a claim in a Florida state court charging that her statements were false and defamatory. He also alleged that Kardashian was on QuickTrim's payroll when she posted the tweet. Kardashian's tweet appears to stem from an article on CookieDiet.com, that named Kardashian as one of many celebrities who saw positive results on the diet. Kardashian sent a cease-and-desist order to Siegal, demanding the link be removed.[44] Additionally, Kardashian and her sisters released a sunless tanner "Kardashian Glamour Tan", that month.[45]
On July 1, 2010, the New York City branch of Madame Tussauds revealed a wax figure of Kardashian.[46]

In November, Kardashian served as producer for The Spin Crowd, a reality television show about Command PR, a New York City public relations firm, run by Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck. The show followed them as they settle into their new offices in Los Angeles. Kardashian is friends with both, specifically Cheban, who frequently appears on her reality shows.[47] That month, she also appeared on the tenth season of The Apprentice.[48][49] Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé wrote an autobiography titled Kardashian Konfidential, which was released in stores on November 23, and appeared on New York Times's Best Seller List.[50][51]
In December 2010, Kardashian filmed a music video for a song titled "Jam (Turn It Up)". The video was directed by Hype Williams; Kanye West makes a cameo in the video.[52] Kardashian premiered the song during a New Year's Eve party at TAO Las Vegas on December 31, 2010.[53] The song was produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. When asked if an album was in the works, Kardashian replied, "There's no album in the works or anything—just one song we did for Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and a video Hype Williams directed, half of the proceeds we're giving away to a cancer foundation, because The-Dream's and one of my parents passed away from cancer. It's just all having fun—with a good cause".[54] Jim Farber, writing for the Daily News, called the song a "dead-brained piece of generic dance music, without a single distinguishing feature," and suggested that the single made Kardashian the "worst singer in the reality TV universe."[55] That month, it was announced by the International Business Times that Kardashian's 2010 earnings were the highest among Hollywood-based reality stars, being estimated at $6 million.[56][57]

2011: Marriage to Kris Humphries

Kardashian, who has supported recognition of the Armenian Genocide on numerous occasions, encouraged American President Barack Obama and the United States government to consider its acknowledgement. On April 21, 2011, days before the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Kardashian wrote about the issue on her blog and sent a tweet to her fans, urging its recognition.[58] That April, she also released her third fragrance "Gold".[33] In May, she became engaged to NBA player Kris Humphries, then of the New Jersey Nets, whom she had been dating since October 2010.[59] They were married during an extravagant wedding ceremony on August 20 in Montecito, California.[60] Earlier that month, she had released her "wedding fragrance" called "Kim Kardashian Love" which coincided with her own wedding.[33][61] A two-part TV special showing the preparations and the wedding itself aired on E! in early October 2011, amidst what The Washington Post called a "media blitz" related to the wedding.[62] Also in October, Kardashian and her sisters opened their Kardashian Khaos store in Las Vegas.[63] After 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce from Humphries on October 31, citing irreconcilable differences.[64] After filing for the divorce, Kardashian asked the court to order Humphries to pay his own legal expenses.[65] On December 1, Humphries filed his response to Kardashian's petition, requesting an annulment on the grounds of fraud or if the court would not grant an annulment, a decree of legal separation rather than Kardashian's requested divorce.[66] Several news outlets surmised that Kardashian's marriage to Humphries was merely a publicity stunt, to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures.[67] Her former publicist also claimed that her short-lived wedding was indeed staged and a ploy to generate money. Kardashian filed suit against him, saying his claims were untrue.[68] A widely circulated petition asking to remove all Kardashian-related programming from the air followed the split.[69]

2012–present: Pregnancy and motherhood

In March 2012, Kardashian debuted her fourth fragrance titled "True Reflection", which she worked with the company Dress for Success to promote.[70] That month, Kardashian and her sisters were named in a $5 million class action lawsuit against QuickTrim, the weight loss supplement they endorse.[71] The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, accuses the Kardashians (along with QuickTrim’s manufacturer, Windmill Health Products; the retailer GNC; and others in the salesconsumer protection laws.[72] In April, E! renewed Keeping Up with the Kardashians for two additional seasons, in a deal reported to be worth $50 million.[73][74] Kardashian also began dating American rapper and longtime friend[75] Kanye West that month,[76] though she remained legally married to Humphries. In October 2012, Kardashian released her fifth fragrance, "Glam", which "draws on the glamour of her Hollywood lifestyle", and was made available through Debenhams.[77] In November, Kardashian and her sisters internationally launched the 'Kardashian Collection' in England,[78][79] as well as launching a line of cosmetics, 'Khroma Beauty'.[80] On December 31, 2012, Kardashian and West announced that she was pregnant with the couple's first child,[81][82] a girl.[83][84]
and marketing chain) of false and deceptive marketing of the diet aid. The plaintiffs, hailing from several states, brought claims under their respective states’
In February 2013, a judge ruled that Kardashian's divorce case with Humphries would go to trial, and set a trial date for May.[85] However, on April 19, 536 days after Kardashian's initial divorce filing, she and Humphries reached an undisclosed divorce settlement, avoiding a trial.[86][87] The divorce was legally finalized on June 3.[88] Kardashian gave birth to her daughter with West, named North West, on June 15 at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, five weeks prior to her due date.[84][89][90] Kardashian and West became engaged on October 21, Kardashian's 33rd birthday,[91][92] when West rented out AT&T Park in San Francisco and projected a proposal message on the stadium screen in front of Kardashian's assembled friends and family members.[93]

Filmography

Acting credits

Acting credits
Year Title Role Notes
2008 Disaster Movie Lisa Taylor[94]
2009 CSI: NY Debbie Fallon[95] TV series (1 episode: "Second Chances")
2009 Beyond the Break Elle[96] TV series (4 episodes)
2009 Deep in the Valley Summa Eve[97]
2012 Drop Dead Diva Nikki LePree[98] TV series (4 episodes)
2013 Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Ava[99]
2013 American Dad! Alien character (voice) season 10[100][101]

As herself

As herself
Year Title Notes
2003–2006 The Simple Life TV series (3 episodes)
2007–present Keeping Up with the Kardashians TV series
2008 Dancing with the Stars TV series (6 episodes)[102]
2009–present Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami TV series[103]
2009 America's Next Top Model TV series (1 episode: "Interview 101")[104]
2009 How I Met Your Mother TV series (1 episode: "Benefits")[105]
2010 90210 TV series (1 episode: "Senior Year, Baby")[106]
2011 Khloé & Lamar TV series (3 episodes)[107]
2011–2012 Kourtney and Kim Take New York TV series (18 episodes)[108]
2011 America's Next Top Model TV series (1 episode: "LaToya Jackson")[109][110]
2012 Last Man Standing TV series (1 episode: "Tree of Strife")[111]
2012 30 Rock TV series (1 episode: "Live From Studio 6H") West Coast Version[112]
2012 Punk'd TV series (1 episode)[113]

Discography

Singles

Chart (2011) Title Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles[114] "Jam (Turn It Up)" 17

Awards and nominations

Year Nominated work Award Result
2008 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Teen Choice Award Choice TV Female Reality/Variety Star Nominated[115]
2009 Disaster Movie Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress Worst Supporting Actress Nominated[116]
2009 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star Nominated[117]
2010 N/A Teen Choice Award Choice Female Hottie Nominated[118]
2010 N/A Teen Choice Award Choice Twit Nominated
2010 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Teen Choice Award Choice Female Reality/Variety Star (shared with Kourtney, Khloe, Rob, and Kris) Won[118]
2011 N/A Teen Choice Award Choice Female Hottie Nominated[119]
2011 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star (shared with Kourtney, Khloe, Rob, and Kris) Won[120]
2012 N/A Favorite TV Celeb Reality Star Won[121]
2012 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star (shared with Kourtney, Khloe, Rob, and Kris) Won[122]
2013 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star (shared with Kourtney, Khloe, Rob, Kris, Kendall, Kylie, and Bruce) Won[123]

 






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Monday, October 21, 2013

Who is TLC?

Who is TLC? The entertainment and music world knows girl group in music history, whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally composed of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas the group was very successful in the 1990s in spite of numerous spats with the law, each other, and the group's record label.


TLC as the most successful American
TLCs debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip sold 6 million copies worldwide. However, this success was surpassed by their second album, CrazySexyCool, which was certified diamond by the RIAA — a first for a female group; it eventually sold 23 million copies worldwide.[4] Five years later, in 1999, the group released their third album FanMail, which debuted at number one and sold more than 11 million copies worldwide. The subsequent tour became the highest grossing tour of all time by a female band. In 2002, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes died in a car accident in Honduras. Seven months later, T-Boz and Chilli released the group's fourth album 3D, which sold 2 million copies worldwide, scored the Top 40 hit "Girl Talk", and earned two Grammy Awards nominations. It featured previously unreleased vocals from Left Eye.
Billboard magazine ranked TLC as one of the greatest musical trios.[5] Between 1992 and 2003, the band had ten top ten singles, four number one singles, four multi-platinum albums, and won five Grammy Awards. At the end of 1999, TLC was ranked as the seventh most successful act of the 1990s by Billboard. In 2008, the group was inducted into the All Time Hot 100 Artist Hall of Fame by the same magazine, at 56th place. That year it was also listed as the #25 R&B/hip-hop artist of the preceding 25 years.[6] According to the RIAA, TLC has sold more than 23 million albums and 6.5 million singles in the United States alone.[7] Worldwide they have sold more than 65 million records[8] and are ranked as the second best selling female group of all time, behind the Spice Girls.[9] In 2012, TLC ranked 12th on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music, and as the number one all girl group.[10]

History

In 1990–1991, Atlanta, Georgia, teen Crystal Jones put out a call for two more girls to join her in a trio to be called 2nd Nature. Her request was eventually answered by Tionne Watkins, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, who moved to Atlanta with her family at an early age, and Lisa Lopes, a rapper who had just moved to the city from her native Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with only a keyboard and US$750 ($1,340 today).
The group eventually managed to arrange an audition with R&B singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid, who had started her own management and production company, Pebbitone. Impressed by the girls, Reid renamed the group "TLC" (an initialism of the first letters of each of their names) and arranged an audition for them with local record label LaFace Records, run by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and then husband, Antonio "L.A." Reid. The latter Reid saw potential in Watkins and Lopes but felt that Jones should be replaced; within a few days, part-time Damian Dame backup dancer Rozonda Thomas was brought in to replace Jones. Thomas was christened with the nickname "Chilli" so as to keep the TLC name, while Watkins became "T-Boz" and Lopes was named "Left Eye". The girls were signed to LaFace through a production deal with Pebbitone (with Perri Reid taking the role of the group's manager) (see artist development deal) and immediately went into the studio with producers Reid and Edmonds, Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri, and Marley Marl to produce their first album.

1991–94: Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip

The first TLC album, Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip, was released on February 25, 1992 by LaFace. The songs on the album are a blend of funk (Watkins), hip-hop (Lopes), and R&B (Thomas), similar to the "new jack swing" sound popularized by producer Teddy Riley in the late 1980s (and TLC's sound was sometimes cited as an example of the "new jack swing" genre).[11] The album was a critical and commercial success, being certified quadruple-platinum within a year and launching a number of US Hot 100 top-ten singles with "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg", "What About Your Friends", and "Baby-Baby-Baby" which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100.
TLC's lyrics, chiefly written by Lopes and Dallas Austin, were playful, female-empowering anthems characterized by Lopes's quirky, nasal-toned raps, Watkins's low-voiced lead vocals, and Thomas's powerful vocals and harmonization. The musical formula was augmented by the girls' brightly colored videos and curious costuming: each girl wore wrapped condoms on their clothing (Lopes also wore one over her left eye in a pair of glasses).
During TLC's first national tour, as MC Hammer's opening act, Lopes and Thomas discovered that Watkins had sickle-cell disease, an ailment which she kept a closely guarded secret until she became ill while TLC was touring the Southwest US. Watkins continued to battle her condition and eventually became a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America in the late 1990s.[12] At the conclusion of the tour, TLC decided to take more control of their careers and thus informed Perri Reid that they no longer wished her to be their manager. Reid released the group from its management deal, but they remained signed to Pebbitone, and Reid continued to receive a share of their earnings. Also in 1994, TLC played the musical group "Sex as a Weapon" in the New Line Cinema feature film House Party 3, starring Kid 'n Play.

1993–96: CrazySexyCool

Lopes began dating Atlanta Falcons American football player Andre Rison shortly after the release of Oooohhh... On the TLC Tip, and by 1994 the two were living together in Rison's upscale double-story home. Their relationship was allegedly filled with violent moments, and Lopes filed an assault charge against Rison on September 2, 1993. Rison denied battering her. Lopes was also battling alcoholism at the time. She had been a heavy drinker since the age of fifteen. After another fight between the couple in the early morning hours of June 9, 1994, Lopes tossed numerous pairs of Rison's newly purchased shoes into a bathtub, doused them with lighter fluid, and lit them on fire. The plexiglas bathtub quickly melted and set the structural frame of the house on fire. Lopes was arrested and indicted on charges of first-degree arson; she was sentenced to five years of probation and a $10,000 fine. Rison eventually reconciled with Lopes, and they continued dating on and off for seven years.[13]
During early 1994, TLC re-entered the studio with Dallas Austin, Tim & Bob, Arnold Hennings, Jermaine Dupri, Babyface, Organized Noize, and Sean "Puffy" Combs to record their second album, CrazySexyCool. Lopes was released from rehab to attend the recording sessions, but the finished album featured significantly less of her raps and vocals. The album instead focused more on the contributions from Watkins and Thomas, and had a smoother, more fluid sound, similar to the most successful single from the first album, the US #2 hit "Baby-Baby-Baby".[14] All four singles from CrazySexyCool reached the top 5 of the US Hot 100, while "Creep" and "Waterfalls" peaked at no. 1, while Red Light Special reached no. 2 and "Diggin' on You" reached no. 5. "Waterfalls",[14] an Organized Noise-produced song that featured an old-school soul-based musical arrangement, socially conscious lyrics criticizing drug dealing and unsafe sex, and an introspective rap from Lopes, became TLC's biggest hit, and its million-dollar music video was an MTV staple for many months. Also in 1994, TLC recorded the theme song to Nickelodeon's popular sketch comedy All That which was produced and co-written by Arnold Hennings which ran for ten seasons.
CrazySexyCool eventually sold over 11 million copies in the US, and became one of the first albums to ever receive a diamond certification from the RIAA,[11] and won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and a 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for "Creep".[15] However, in the midst of their apparent success, the members of TLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 3, 1995.[16]
They declared debts totaling $3.5 million, much of it because of Lopes' insurance payments arising from the arson incident and Watkins' medical bills, but the primary reason being that each member of the group was taking home less than $35,000 a year after paying managers, producers, expenses, and taxes. They sought to renegotiate their 1991 contract with LaFace, under which they only received seven percent of the revenues from their album sales, and to dissolve their association with Pebbitone. Both Pebbitone and LaFace countered that TLC simply wanted more money and were in no real financial danger, resulting in two years of legal debates before the cases were finally settled in late 1996. TLC's contract was renegotiated, their production deal with Pebbitone and Perri Reid (who had separated from her husband by this time) was rescinded, and the group appeared on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack with "This Is How It Works" (a song written by Babyface and Lopes) and was set to re-enter the recording studio in 1997 after signing a new contract with LaFace/Arista.

1997–2000: FanMail

Preliminary work on TLC's third album, FanMail, was delayed when friction arose between the group and their main producer Dallas Austin, who was by this time dating Thomas and helping to raise their young son Tron. Austin wanted $4.2 million and creative control to work on the project, resulting in a stand-off between the producer and the artists. During this period, Thomas appeared in the independent film HavPlenty, and Watkins co-starred in Hype Williams (who later directed the "No Scrubs" video)' 1998 film Belly with rappers Nas and DMX. Watkins made a solo song in late 1996 called "Touch Myself". Lopes started her own Production Company Lopes Productions artist development company and signed Blaque, a TLC-like female R&B trio. She also appeared on the "Not Tonight" remix with fellow female rappers Lil' Kim, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Da Brat and Angie Martinez, which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo, Band, or Group in 1998.
TLC eventually began working with other producers for the FanMail album, until finally negotiating with Austin, who produced the bulk of FanMail and gave the album a futuristic, more pop-based feel. FanMail was another success for TLC, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart and selling over 6 million copies in the U.S. The album featured the number-one hit "No Scrubs", produced by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, and the single "Unpretty", an alternative rock-styled song about self-love written by Watkins and Dallas Austin (another version of it sampled Dennis Edwards' 1984 hit "Don't Look Any Further"), that also reached #1 on the Billboard chart.[14] At the Lady of Soul Awards the group was honored with the Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award.[17]
The videos for both songs were heavily featured on MTV and BET, and three more singles received decent radio play: "Silly Ho", "I'm Good at Being Bad", and Edmonds-written ballad, "Dear Lie". Like CrazySexyCool, FanMail won the Grammy for Best R&B Album of 2000 and Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "No Scrubs". The group went on a worldwide tour simply named FanMail Tour. While the first leg of the tour sold poorly and made the group lose $500,000 dollars, most of the second leg of the tour was sold out. The group had a PayPerView special of their tour which at the time became PayPerView's highest grossing televised special. The tour went on to gross more than $72.8 million according to Billboard which became the highest grossing tour by a female group.
During and after the release of FanMail, Lopes made it known to the press on multiple occasions that she felt that she was unable to fully express herself working with TLC and Austin. Her contributions to the songs had been reduced to periodic eight-bar raps, and studio session singers such as Debra Killings often took her place on the background vocals for the group's songs. In its November 28, 1999 issue, Entertainment Weekly ran a letter from Lopes that challenged her group mates to record solo albums and let the fans judge which of the three was the most talented:
"I challenge Tionne 'Player' Watkins (T-boz) and Rozonda 'Hater' Thomas (Chilli) to an album entitled The Challenge... a 3-CD set that contains three solo albums. Each (album)... will be due to the record label by October 1, 2000... I also challenge producer Dallas 'The Manipulator' Austin to produce all of the material and do it at a fraction of his normal rate. As I think about it, I'm sure LaFace would not mind throwing in a $1.5 million dollar prize for the winner."[18]
The ladies eventually settled the feud, and The Challenge was never followed through. After the conclusion of the successful FanMail tour, the ladies, however, took some time off and pursued personal interests. Lopes was the first to begin recording her solo album, Supernova. In 2000, Spice Girl Melanie C released a single co-written with Lopes in the UK and Europe, called "Never Be the Same Again"; it became a hit reaching #1 in many countries.

2001–04: 3D and the death of Left Eye

Before the recording of their fourth album, 3D, Lopes originally wanted to withdraw from the group in order to see if they could duplicate their prior success without her contributions. Lopes eventually pursued solo stardom and recorded her first album Supernova, however it underperformed overseas and was never officially released in the United States. Before her second solo album was completed, Lopes died in a car crash while filming a documentary in Honduras, which would later be released as The Last Days of Left Eye in 2007 on VH1.
Returning from yet another hiatus after Lopes' death, Watkins, Thomas and Austin decided that they would complete the remainder of their fourth album, to be called 3D, which also featured production from Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes, Raphael Saadiq, Missy Elliott and Timbaland. The decision was also made that TLC would retire after the release and promotion of 3D, rather than replace Lopes and continue. Lopes had already completed her vocals for four songs and the remainder were performed by the remaining group members alone, who eulogized Lopes on a number of the tracks. "3D" was released on November 12, 2002.
The first single for 3D was "Girl Talk", the video for which featured Watkins and Thomas alone in live-action segments and Lopes in animated segments. Its follow-up, "Hands Up", featured only Watkins and Thomas in its video, but took place in a nightclub named Club Lopes (Lopes' production company's "eye" logo was a prominent feature on the club's walls). The album sold two million copies in its first year of release, and "Girl Talk" was the only single to reach the U.S. top forty with a peak position of number 28; "Hands Up" never charted, and a third single, "Damaged", reached number 53.[14] However, the singles enjoyed a bit more success in Europe and Asia. 3D went on to sell nearly 2 million copies in the US alone.
In June 2003, more than a year since the death of Left Eye, at Zootopia, an annual concert hosted by New York radio station Z100 held at Giants Stadium, TLC appeared in what was announced to be their last performance. The group, introduced by Carson Daly, showed a video montage dedicated to Lopes, and went on to perform songs against video footage of Lopes performing the same songs, and wearing the same outfits, that were appearing onstage.[19]

2005–08: Now & Forever: The Hits

In 2005, LaFace had scheduled the release of Now and Forever: The Hits, a TLC greatest hits album with a new song, "Come Get Some", featuring Lil Jon and Sean P of the YoungBloodZ. However, the compilation was not released domestically until June 2005, although versions of the compilation were released internationally in 2004 and the album was also available as a legal download from the iTunes Store in November 2004. On June 21, 2005, Now and Forever: The Hits was quietly released in the United States; the album debuted at number 53 with 20,000 copies sold.
"I Bet", the first new TLC single released after the finale of their competition show 'R U the Girl, was also appended to pressings of Now and Forever: The Hits released after October 11, 2005.
On May 15, 2007, Now and Forever: The Video Hits was released in the United States, after over four years of delayed release dates.
On August 20, 2007, a new greatest hits album was released in the UK called Crazy Sexy Hits: The Very Best of TLC, a play on the group's best selling album title Crazy Sexy Cool. Now and Forever: The Video Hits was also released in the UK for the first time on the same date. The album fared better than previous compilation Now and Forever: The Hits, peaking at #57 on the UK album chart (Now and Forever: The Hits made #86).

2005–08: Later projects

On June 25, 2004, Watkins and Thomas announced that they were pitching a reality television show that was eventually picked up for development by UPN. R U the Girl with Watkins and Thomas debuted on UPN on July 27, 2005. Despite media speculation that the winner of the series was to become a new, permanent


 
member of TLC, Watkins and Thomas have vowed to never replace Lopes with a new member. The winner of the show would record with them on a new single and perform the track with them in a live concert finale in Atlanta. Roughly 4.1 million viewers tuned in for the season finale of R U The Girl on September 20, 2005, with 20-year-old Tiffany "O'so Krispie" Baker as the winner.[20]
On October 4, 2005, "I Bet" was released to radio and iTunes, credited to "R U The Girl with Watkins & Thomas" with no mention of the TLC name on the package. The song was also appended to pressings of Now and Forever: The Hits released after October 11, 2005. "I Bet" failed to chart in America and Europe, ending reports that Watkins and Thomas were putting the finishing touches on a repackaged Greatest Hits album.
On June 24, 2008, Watkins and Thomas made a special appearance on the BET Awards. They, along with the original members of En Vogue and SWV, performed in Alicia Keys' tribute to girl groups. Watkins, Thomas, and Keys performed "Waterfalls".[21] Watkins and Thomas were also presenters at the BETJ Virtual Awards on November 25, 2008.

2009-present: Return

In March 2009, Watkins and Thomas announced plans to perform together in a concert series in Japan featuring seventeen of TLC's songs.[22] On April 4, 2009, the group performed a thirteen song set, in Japan during the 2009 Springroove music festival. On August 25, 2009, it was announced that the group would perform at the Justin Timberlake and Friends benefit concert at Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay Events Center. TLC performed their set to the 10,000 in attendance on October 17, 2009.[23] At the concert, Watkins announced that she and Thomas plan to record new material but was never put into motion.[24]
After another brief hiatus, TLC took the stage on May 25, 2011 on the season finale of American Idol. They performed a three song set starting with Lil Jon's intro from "Come Get Some" onto "No Scrubs" and, finally, "Waterfalls". The performance received a standing ovation from the audience.
TLC recorded a cover of the song "Rainbow" for a tribute album to the popular Japanese rock band L'Arc~En~Ciel. The tribute album, which features covers by Boyz II Men, Daniel Powter and Maxi Priest, was released June 13, 2012.
Music TV channel VH1 have announced plans to produce a biopic based on the group called CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story written by Kate Lanier,[25] with Charles Stone III directing and Watkins and Thomas signed up as consultants and executive producers. Actresses Keke Palmer and Drew Sidora as well as rapper Lil Mama have been cast as Thomas, Watkins and Lopes, respectively.[26]
In addition to the biopic, TLC announced that a possible new album was in production as well as a tour with Lisa's moving image projected on a screen behind the performers, as was done at the 2003 Zootopia show. Via Twitter, Watkins stated that she and Rozonda were once in talks with L.A. Reid's Epic Records for a new TLC album, that they would have liked to release after the biopic.[27][28]
On September 7, 2012, Chilli made an appearance on Good Afternoon America, confirming that TLC will be releasing a new album in 2013. Watkins revealed on a popular Atlanta radio station, that she and Chilli will start to record for the VH1 biopic soundtrack soon. The soundtrack will feature new recordings of some of their hits, and will feature new songs. Watkins and Thomas both revealed via their official Twitter accounts, that they turned down the recording contract they were negotiating with Epic Records.[29]
On October 7, 2012, British pop group Stooshe released a music video for their cover of "Waterfalls". T Boz and Chilli also made a special appearance in the music video which would later be included in Totally T-Boz, a docu-series chronicling Watkins' move to California, health issues and solo endeavors.[30] Stooshe would later go on to perform "Waterfalls" at the 17th annual Mobo Awards on November 3, 2012, where TLC was honored for their outstanding contribution to music.[31]
In June 2013, TLC was featured on "Crooked Smile", the second official single from American rapper J. Cole's Born Sinner album. On June 23, 2013, TLC received the Legend Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. They also performed a medley of their hit singles. On June 19, 2013, to celebrate their 20th anniversary in the music industry, the group released exclusively for Japan a compilation album entitled TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits, and as a gift for their fans they recorded a new version of their major hit "Waterfalls", replacing Lisa Lopes' vocals for Japanese pop star Namie Amuro.[32] However, this decision caused a lot of controversy mainly from Lopes' family, who felt "betrayed" that nobody informed them about this vocal replacement.[33]
On July 25, 2013, it was announced that the group had signed a recording contract with Sony Music Epic Records, and intend to release a new album on October 15, 2013 which will include the group's biggest hits and four newly recorded songs.[34][35]
To coincide with the release of the new album, VH1 released the teaser for the long rumored upcoming biopic, depicting the true story about the group's climb to fame. The film CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story is scheduled to be released on October 21, 2013.[36] Cast in the film are Keke Palmer who will portray Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas; Lil Mama will take on the role of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes; and Drew Sidora has been cast as Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins.[37]
TLC celebrated their return with a Summer 2013 World Tour which included 2 dates: VH1's Mixtape Festival in Hershey, PA on July 27th, 2013 and Drake's OVO Fest in Toronto on August 5th, 2013. We're still waiting for the rest of the Summer 2013 tour dates.

Discography

Studio albums
Compilation albums

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

Created by Dick Clark in 1973, the American Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony and one of several major annual American music awards shows. TLC has won one award from seven nominations.
Year Recipient Award Result
1993 TLC Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist Nominated
TLC Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop New Artist Nominated
TLC Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist Nominated
1996 CrazySexyCool Favorite Soul/R&B Album Nominated
TLC Favorite Soul/R&B Band, Duo or Group Nominated
TLC Favorite Artist of the Year Nominated
2000 TLC Favorite Band, Duo or Group – Soul/Rhythm & Blues Won

Billboard Music Awards

The Billboard Music Awards are sponsored by Billboard magazine and is based on sales data by Nielsen SoundScan and radio information by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. TLC has won three awards from three nominations.
Year Recipient Award Result
1996 TLC Artist of the Year Won
TLC R&B Artist of the Year Won
"Creep" R&B Single of the Year Won

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. TLC has won five awards from 14 nominations.
Year Recipient Award Result
1993 "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" Best R&B Song Nominated
1996 CrazySexyCool Best R&B Album Won
"Creep" Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Won
"Waterfalls" Record of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Nominated
2000 FanMail Album of the Year Nominated
Best R&B Album Won
"No Scrubs" Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Won
Best R&B Song Won
Record of the Year Nominated
"Unpretty" "Song Of The Year Nominated
Best Short Form Music Video Nominated
2003 "Girl Talk" Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Nominated
2004 "Hands Up" Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards were established in 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top music videos of the year. TLC has won five awards from 16 nominations.
Year Recipient Award Result
1995 "Waterfalls" Video of the Year Won
Best Group Video Won
Best R&B Video Won
Viewer's Choice Won
Best Special Effects Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
Best Direction Nominated
Best Cinematography Nominated
Best Art Direction Nominated
Breakthrough Video Nominated
1999 "No Scrubs" Best Group Video Won
Viewer's Choice Nominated
Best Hip Hop Video Nominated
Best Editing Nominated
Best Direction Nominated
Best Art Direction Nominated

NAACP Image Awards

The NAACP Image Awards are presented annually by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music and literature. TLC has been nominated once.
Year Recipient Award Result
2003 TLC Outstanding Duo or Group Nominated

Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards

The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards are presented annually honoring the year's top female performers in R&B, rap/hip-hop and gospel. TLC has won six awards from eight nominations.
Year Recipient Award Result
1996 CrazySexyCool Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo Won
"Creep" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Won
1997 "Waterfalls" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Won
2000 TLC Aretha Franklin Award (Entertainer of the Year) Won
FanMail Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo Won
"No Scrubs" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Won
2003 3D Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year – Group, Band or Duo Nominated
"Girl Talk" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Nominated

Soul Train Music Awards

The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual awards show that honors the best in African American music and entertainment. TLC has won five awards from six nominations.
Year Recipient Award Result
1997 CrazySexyCool Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo Won
"Waterfalls" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Won
Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video Won
2000 FanMail Best R&B/Soul Album – Group, Band or Duo Won
"No Scrubs" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Won
2003 "Girl Talk" Best R&B/Soul Single – Group, Band or Duo Nominated


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