When Lisa Left Eye Lopes was killed in a car accident in Honduras in 2002 her group members were left stunned and saddened. Although, the group had their well publicized differences, they had patched things up and were hard at work on their album 3-D.

After Lisa died, T-Boz and Chilli vowed that TLC was forever and that they could never replace Lisa. TLC was T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli. They even hinted that their fans would never forgive them for replacing Lisa.

At the time Chilli was crazy in love with Usher and T-Boz was seemingly happily married to rapper Mack-10.

Two years later. The groups album 3-D was a commercial disappointment. Their record company Arista went bust and split into a million pieces leaving artists on the shelf and careers in limbo. The Usher gravy chain came to a halt when Chilli broke things off with Mr. Usher for committing the "ultimate no no." She once lived in his Atlanta estate and the two were in a long term relationship. He admitted to Sister 2 Sister magazine that he had cheated on her but that was not the cause of the break up. T-Boz filed for divorce from Mack 10 and claimed that she had been threatened and physically abused by the rapper who even hinted at having her "erased." To top things off their Greatest Hits package and DVD was only released overseas.

Let's not forget that TLC was the group that sold well over 20 million records worldwide and filed for bankruptcy. So it wouldn't be premature to think that TLC committed to doing this reality show because they needed the money. I'm sure T-Boz might have some legal fees associated with her upcoming divorce and let's just face it, this is America and everyone needs to earn a buck.

I'm not ragging on TLC for replacing Left Eye. I could understand if they had a change of heart and realized that they needed a third member. If they announced that they had selected a replacement say maybe Natina from the group Blaque, Lisa's sister Raina who is also a performer, or any up and coming or established artist, heck even Da Brat, but to hold a spectacle of a reality show to just find some random person to fill Left Eyes void is just tacky.

TLC may never realize that Left Eye truly was the moving force behind their group. People tuned in to see what she was going to be wearing or what she was going to say. I have to say that Left Eye was the shit and without Left Eye TLC is pretty boring. The music on 3D without Left Eye was pretty standard TLC, but Lisa's presence and energy elevated the group.

On top of that, TLC really needs to grow up. These are two women now in their mid thirties and they seem quite content doing the same kinda songs and still acting purrty darn silly and immature in interviews. Grow up ladies. I love you, I swear I do. What I would really like to see is maybe T-Boz getting into acting and release a solo LP and Chili do the same. I think if they would have said that they were going to continue as a group with a new member and change the name of the group and start a new group fans might be more forgiving, but TLC fans thus far are not feeling this whole reality series.

Left Eyes shoes are so big. She seemed like a real loyal person. I can really picture her sitting in a meeting room. Say T-boz or Chili died, and someone pitched a reality series to replace one of them, I can really picture her saying, "Hell no." But Chilli and T Boz have their reasons. I predict a TLC without Left Eye will last as long as Edens Crush*.

INXS. I don't know why the hell they keep trying to replace Michael Hutchence. Okay, Michael didn't write all the songs but face it brothers and guys whose name no one remembers, INXS was Michael Hutchence. He made that group his. He was sexy, seductive and captivating. Michaels unbelievable range (remember when he sang in E on Disappear and people didn't even recognize it as his voice when it first came out) and his style. His presence. You can't just replace Michael Hutchence. INXS has been trying to replace Michael for years now, at one time they had even enlisted Terrance Trent D'Arby to front the band.

Okay, I hear it now, well Van Halen replaced David Lee Roth and had a successful run with Sammy Hagar. Well Van Halen also had Eddie Van Halen and members that people stuck to. Who can really name any of the members of INXS. Fariss who? Garry Gary whatchamacallit......

Advice for INXS and TLC. Go the Nirvana route. When Kurt Cobain blew his brains out the group disbanded. Kris Novascelic went and did his own thing and Dave Grohl went on and founded Foo Fighters and had a lot of sucess with that group. They were smart. They knew that Nirvana was Kurt Cobain. Just like TLC was Left Eye and INXS was Michael Hutchence.

I'm not saying stop making music you guys, just change the name of the group or find a better way to replace your poor dead group member than a tacky reality series.

* Edens Crush was the girl group formed after the first season of the WB's Popstars. The group faded away quickly after.

Past op eds......

 
Last months Op/Ed
MTV acts crappy and small with Janet Jackson

Last Op/Ed-
In Op/Ed G-Unit shows off their sexy side

Dorrie Williams-Wheeler is a very married, quite eccentric, multi talented chick with way too much time on her hands. She is also the author of Be My Sorority Sister-Under Pressure and the editor for Tha Biz, check her out on line at www.dorrieinteractive.com.