Rozonda Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Rozonda Ocielian Thomas |
| Also known as | Chilli |
| Born | February 27, 1971 Columbus, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | TLC |
Rozonda Ocielian Thomas (born February 27, 1971), better known by her stage name Chilli, is an American singer, dancer and actress who is a member of the group TLC, one of the best-selling girl groups of the late 20th century.
Thomas was born in Columbus, Georgia and graduated from Benjamin Elijah Mays High School in 1989. [2] Her father, Abdul Ali, is of Bangladeshi and Arab descent, while her mother, Ava Thomas, is African American and Native American. [3] [4] [5]
Thomas, who had been raised by her mother, later allowed the Sally Jessy Raphael television talk show to air footage of her meeting her father for the first time in 1996, when she was 25. [3] [6] When she was a child, her great-grandmother, whom she called Big Mama, took her to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. [7]
Thomas was first a dancer for Damian Dame. In 1991, she joined TLC, replacing founding member Crystal Jones, and was nicknamed "Chilli" by Lisa Lopes so that the group could retain the name TLC. The group went on to sell over 65 million records worldwide and became the best-selling American girl group of all-time; only the Spice Girls has sold more. [8] Chilli has won four Grammy Awards for her work with TLC. [9]
Since the death of group member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in April 2002, Thomas and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins have occasionally performed as a duo. In 2009, Thomas and Watkins performed a series of concerts in Asia. [10]
In late 2011, VH1 announced plans to produce a biopic on TLC to air in 2013. [11] Thomas and Watkins signed on as producers. Actress and singer Keke Palmer portrayed Thomas in CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story . [12]
In 2019, Thomas lost her voice and was ordered by doctors not to sing. TLC then had to cancel their singing for the California State Fair and the Stanislaus State Fair. [13]
Thomas began working on a solo album in 2000 after the completion of promotion for TLC's third album, FanMail (1999). She paused production when work began on the next TLC album, 3D (2002). In 2006, it was reported that she had signed with Akon's record label Konvict Muzik and that her debut album would be released the following year, but this never came to fruition. [14] In early April 2008, Thomas's first official solo single, "Dumb, Dumb, Dumb" was released. [15] In 2012, she performed a track called "Flirt" on a second season episode of Single Ladies . [16]
In January 2016, she released the single "Body", which served to promote her fitness workout campaign. [17]
Thomas has made guest appearances on television shows such as The Parkers , That 70s Show, Living Single and Strong Medicine . In 1992, she had a brief cameo in the music video for "Jump" by Kris Kross. In 2000, she was featured in the made-for-television movies A Diva's Christmas Carol and Love Song (with close friend Monica), and in the film Snow Day . In 2001, she co-starred in the action film Ticker, directed by Albert Pyun. She also played a small role in House Party 3 and the 1997 film Hav Plenty .
In 2005, Thomas and Watkins looked for a new TLC member in the reality series R U The Girl. [18] In June 2009, VH1 announced the airing of a reality TV series starring Thomas. The series, What Chilli Wants , which documents Thomas's quest to find love and manage her life with the help of love and relationship expert Tionna Tee Smalls, premiered on April 11, 2010. [19] The second season of What Chilli Wants premiered on January 2, 2011. [20] In 2011, Thomas made cameo appearances throughout the first season of VH1's Single Ladies . In 2012, Thomas appeared as the leading lady in R&B singer Tyrese's music video for his single "Nothing On You".
In 2013, Thomas became a member of "Team Guy" on the second season of Food Network's Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off . She appeared naked in a PETA anti-circus ad campaign. [21] Thomas also appeared on episode 14 of WWE Countdown where she spoke about The Rock. [22] Thomas was later a judge for truTV's reality series Fake Off, which premiered on October 27, 2014. [23]
In 2017, she portrayed Zora Neale Hurston in Marshall , a biographical film about the life of Thurgood Marshall. [24]
At age 20, Thomas became pregnant by producer Dallas Austin; due to career aspirations and outside pressures, she aborted the pregnancy. She later revealed that she regretted the decision. Thomas and Austin continued their relationship and later had a son, Tron Austin (born June 2, 1997). [25]
In 2001, Thomas began dating Usher, after she starred in his music videos for "U Remind Me", "U Got It Bad", and "U Don't Have to Call". Their relationship ended in 2003. [26]
In late 2022, Thomas began dating actor Matthew Lawrence. The pair went public with their relationship in January 2023. [27] [28]
She is a member of the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church. [29] [30]
Thomas and the other members of TLC were big proponents of encouraging safe sex. For the music video of the song, "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" Thomas and her band members wore condoms on their clothing. In 2003, Thomas and Watkins teamed up with Agouron Pharmaceuticals to create a national education program about HIV/AIDS. The program supplied people with information about HIV/AIDS, including prevention and treatment. [31]
In 2012, Thomas started a non-profit organization called Chilli's Crew. The organization is an Atlanta-based program targeted at helping girls between the ages of 13 and 17 build healthy levels of self-esteem. [32]
In 2013, Thomas took a stand against cyberbullying after her son Tron was a victim. The gossip site MediaTakeOut.com targeted Thomas's son because of his apparel and questioned his sexuality. In response, Thomas created a petition through change.org to get the article deleted from the site and to stop staff members from gossiping about minors entirely. In her petition, she described what cyberbullying is and statistics about some of the victims. The site ended up removing the article and issuing an apology to her son. [33]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | House Party 3 | Sex As A Weapon | Credited as TLC |
| 1997 | Hav Plenty | Kris | |
| 2000 | Snow Day | Mona | |
| Love Song | House Director | TV movie | |
| A Diva's Christmas Carol | Marli Jacob | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Ticker | Lilly McCutcheon | |
| 2017 | Marshall | Zora Neale Hurston | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | 1st Rapper as TLC | Episode: "Words Up!" |
| Out All Night | Herself as TLC | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Showtime at the Apollo | Herself as TLC | Episode: "#6.12" | |
| 1995 | Living Single | Herself | Episode: "The Following Is a Sponsored Program" |
| 1999 | Ultra Sound | Herself (as TLC) | Episode: "TLC: You've Got Mail" |
| Behind the Music | Herself | Episode: "TLC" | |
| 2001 | Top Ten | Herself | Episode: "Girl Bands" |
| 2003 | That '70s Show | Hot Nurse | Episode: "You Shook Me" |
| Born to Diva | Judge | TV series | |
| 2004 | The Parkers | Kai | Episode: "She's Positive" |
| Strong Medicine | Amber Steele | Episode: "Touched by an Idol" | |
| Behind the Music | Herself | Episode: "TLC: The Final Chapter" | |
| 2005 | R U the Girl | Herself/hostess | TV series |
| 2009 | Black to the Future | Herself | Segment: The Most Groovetastic Songs |
| 2010 | Undateable | Herself | Episode: "Hour 2" & "Hour 5" |
| 2010-11 | What Chilli Wants | Herself | Main cast |
| 2011-12 | Single Ladies | Herself | Recurring cast: season 1, guest: season 2 |
| 2013 | Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off | Herself / Contestant | Main cast: season 2 |
| Guy's Big Bite | Herself | Episode: "Soup's On, Chill Out" | |
| 2016 | Lip Sync Battle | Herself as TLC | Episode: "Zoe Saldana vs. Zachary Quinto" |
| 2017 | Party Legends | Herself | Episode: "Beating Arsenion Hall in the Chest Repeatedly" |
| 2018 | Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party | Herself | Episode: "Spicing it Up" |
| 2019 | Girls Cruise | Herself | Main cast |
Lisa Nicole Lopes, better known by her stage name Left Eye, was an American rapper and singer. She was a member of the R&B girl group TLC, alongside Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Besides rapping and singing on TLC recordings, Lopes was the creative force behind the group, receiving more co-writing credits than the other members. She also designed some of their outfits and the stage for their FanMail Tour and contributed to the group's image, album titles, artworks, and music videos. Through her work with TLC, Lopes won four Grammy Awards.
TLC is an American girl group formed in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia. The group's best-known line-up was composed of Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. The group enjoyed success during the 1990s, with nine top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four number-one singles: "Creep", "Waterfalls", "No Scrubs", and "Unpretty". The group also recorded four multi-platinum albums, including CrazySexyCool (1994), which received a diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). TLC became the first R&B group in history to receive the million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for FanMail (1999).
CrazySexyCool is the second studio album by American girl group TLC, released on November 15, 1994, by LaFace and Arista Records. Following the group's record deal, they released their debut album Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip in 1992 to positive reviews and commercial success. The group began working on a follow-up in 1993 but experienced an unproductive recording process due to personal issues, notably those of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who was struggling with alcoholism and her volatile relationship with football player Andre Rison. The album's recording lasted until September 1994, with Lopes' role diminished while she was in rehab.
FanMail is the third studio album by American girl group TLC, released on February 23, 1999, by LaFace and Arista Records. The album title is a tribute to TLC's fans who sent them fan mail during their hiatus. FanMail debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 318,000 copies in its first week of release, and spent five weeks at number one.
Tionne Tenese Watkins, better known by her stage name T-Boz, is an American singer and actress. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Watkins rose to fame in the early 1990s as a member of the girl-group TLC. She has won four Grammy Awards for her work with TLC.
"Waterfalls" is a song by American hip-hop group TLC, released by LaFace and Arista as the third single from their second album, CrazySexyCool (1994), on May 22, 1995 in the United States, followed by a United Kingdom release on July 24, 1995.
3D is the fourth studio album by American girl group TLC, released on October 10, 2002, by Arista Records. Recorded from May 2001 to July 2002, much of the album was finalized after the death of member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, with her unreleased material that she had recorded for her solo albums Supernova and N.I.N.A. being reworked into new songs. Remaining group members Rozonda Thomas and Tionne Watkins enlisted Dallas Austin, Babyface, Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes, Raphael Saadiq, Missy Elliott and Timbaland to work on the album.
"No Scrubs" is a song recorded by American girl group TLC as the lead single from their third studio album, FanMail, released on February 2, 1999, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The song was written by producer Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, former Xscape members Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. The song lyrics describe the role of a man in a relationship. Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas sings the lead vocals for the first time on a TLC single.
"Girl Talk" is a song by American group TLC. It was written by band members Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins along with Anita McLoud, Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement, and Kandi Burruss for the group's fourth studio album, 3D (2002). Recorded a few days before Lopes' death in April 2002, production on the song was helmed by Clement. Lyrically, "Girl Talk" has the protagonist warning men that if they lack in the bedroom, it will spread on the street amongst the women.
"Creep" is a song recorded by American singing group TLC for their second studio album, CrazySexyCool (1994). Dallas Austin, who tried to write the track from a "female perspective", wrote and produced it. It is based on member Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins's experience with infidelity. The lyrics portray the singers as women who cheat on their unfaithful lovers for "some affection". This context was controversial within the group, and strongly opposed by member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, who threatened to wear black tape over her mouth on its accompanying music video.
R U the Girl is an American reality television music competition series that aired on UPN in 2005. The series featured Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, the remaining members of the all-girl R&B group TLC whose former member, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, died in a car crash in Honduras in 2002. Initially promoted by the network as a contest to replace Lopes 3 years after her death, both Watkins and Thomas clarified that the winner of the contest would not be joining TLC full-time and would not be a full-time replacement member; the winner would only provide guest vocals on a new single by the duo.
"Dear Lie" is a song by American group TLC. It was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and band member Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins for the trio's third studio album FanMail (1999), featuring production by Edmonds. The song was released as the album's third and final single on December 6, 1999, peaking at number 51 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and reaching the top 40 in several other countries. "Dear Lie" is included on the group's 2009 compilation album, We Love TLC.
The FanMail Tour is the debut headlining tour by American group TLC. The tour support their third studio album, FanMail. The tour visited North America with dates later planned for Japan and Europe. However, the international dates after the second North American leg were cancelled.
"Hands Up" a song by American girl group TLC. It was written and produced by both Babyface and Daryl Simmons for the band's fourth studio album, 3D (2002). A sensual mid-tempo song that deals with romantic betrayal, it was selected and released as the album's second single in the United States in November 2002, following lead single "Girl Talk" (2002). Arista Records consulted several producers to remix the song for its single release, including Richard X, LaMarquis Jefferson, and Jermaine Dupri.
"Let's Just Do It" is a posthumous single by American rapper Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, and is the lead single from her posthumous album, Eye Legacy. Originally recorded by Lopes and her TLC groupmate Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins in 1998 for the group's third studio album FanMail, the track was shelved until 2009, when it was remixed to feature new vocals from fellow member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and rapper Missy Elliott.
"Come Get Some" is a song by American recording group TLC. It was written by band members Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas along with Kandi Burruss, Craig Love, Sean P of YoungBloodZ and Lil' Jon for their 2003 greatest hits album, Now and Forever: The Hits. Lil Jon produced the song and also appears with Sean P. of Youngbloodz as guest vocalists.
"Kick Your Game" is a song recorded by the American group TLC for their second studio album, CrazySexyCool (1994). The "funky" R&B-dance track was written by frequent group collaborator Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal and member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. On August 26, 1995 it was picked by LaFace and Arista Records for release as a promotional airplay single from the album. In the song's lyrics, TLC teaches boys who flirt in a club "the proper way to approach a lady"; Lopes' rap verses reportedly referred to then-boyfriend Andre Rison, whose house she burned down during the making of CrazySexyCool.
Totally T-Boz is an American reality documentary miniseries on TLC. The four-episode series premiered on January 1, 2013. Filmed in October 2012, Totally T-Boz follows Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins as she works on her new music career. As a member of TLC, the series also sheds light on Watkins working on 20th Anniversary plans with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas and healing from the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Watkins has stated via Twitter that she has no interest in continuing the series.
CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story is a 2013 American biographical television film about the R&B and hip hop musical trio TLC. It derives its title from the title of the group's second album, CrazySexyCool. The film stars Keke Palmer as Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Niatia "Lil Mama" Kirkland as Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Drew Sidora as Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins. The film was directed by Charles Stone III and written by Kate Lanier. Thomas and Watkins also served as executive producers of the film.
The TLC 2016 Tour was a concert tour of American group TLC. The tour covered the United States, Canada, Japan, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. The set list of the shows in 2016 included songs from all four studio albums of TLC's career. The tour comes as the duo plan to release a new album - their first in more than 14 years.
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