Only in their early 20s, the three members of TLC--T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli--have grown up in the four to five years they have been working in the music business professionally. While some contend that being in the limelight all the time has affected their values, those close to the girls claim that they are as down-to-earth as anyone can get. We tend to believe the latter viewpoint, as our dealings with the girls have shown that they're playful, but, at the same time, dead serious about what they do for a living.
When asked to look back on the initial stages of their success, all three girls will tell you that they were exicted to be discovered by Pebbles, a popular singer in her own right, five years ago--;and while they've since split from the chanteuse/manager over proffession differences&--;they are still grateful for that big break and the inital exposure to important press, radio and retail people Pebbles gave them.
The ladies's success snowballed thanks to the fact that they not only had talent, but their clothing went way beyond the norms of R&B. It wouldn't be strange for them to hand out condoms at cocktail parties either since safe sex has always been one of the top messages of their songs. These days, the group looks more sophisticated, wearing chemise-style dressews and palazzo pants instead of overalls with the straps hanging off their shoulders. And they were also the only other female group besides SWV to have two hit singles in the Billboard Top Five pop singles chart at the same time.
But with the onslaught of sophistication, the ladies have not taken the route of creating mystery about their personal or professional lives. They still tell it like it is. The girls will talk about who's crazy, sexy or cool in the group (thus, the name of their current LP, CrazySexyCool) and just who they have crushes on or how they expect men to act toward them sexually. Anything is fair game in interviews--a refreshing change from stars who give vague, rehearsed answers!
Ask TLC what they hope for in the future, and they'll tell you that they're hoping to break into other areas of the business--including management, production, and even acting. A TV pilot for a major network (which will supposedly utilize the girls hysterical ability to rank on each other--and men!) is still in the negotiation stage and manager Hiriam says he is presently not allowed to comment on the situation. You can be sure that TLC will have surprises up their sleeves in years to come--with an occaisional glance ba ck to the past just for a reality check. They'll always be the belles of Atlanta.
From Word Up! Magazine September 1995