April 25th marks 16 years since the music world lost Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Here is a look back at the TLC member's life.
Born on May 27, 1971 in Philadelphia, Lopes discovered a passion for music early on. Whether she was singing at church or with the family band she created with her siblings, the youngster would take any chance she could get to perform.
At age 19, the artist relocated to Atlanta to audition for a girl group that would eventually become known as TLC.
After taking on the stage name "Left Eye" she skyrocketed to fame in 1992 with fellow group members Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas when they released TLC's debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip.
Four Grammy Awards and numerous hit singles later, Lopes separated from the trio to embark on a solo career.
Lopes was and still is the only TLC member that released music on her own.
While shooting a documentary on a trip to Honduras, Lopes, who was 30 at the time, got into a fatal car wreck after swerving to avoid hitting another vehicle.
On April 25, 2002, word of the icon's untimely death made global news.
In 2007, the documentary The Last Days of Left Eye chronicled the final 27 days of Lopes' life.
Her family started the Lisa Lopes Foundation as a way to remember her and the remaining members of TLC took a hiatus until releasing their final album in 2017.
TLC still performs around the country.