HONDURAS (Top40 Charts) - Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes died in a place that she loved. For years, the 30-year-old member of the Grammy-winning trio TLC would escape to her condo on Honduras' northern coast, attending a nearby healing village and returning "spiritually cleansed," her publicist said today (April 26).
Lopes was in Honduras most recently with her brother, sister, and several members of a little-known R&B band called Egypt when she was killed yesterday evening. The driver of her rental car lost control and crashed on a highway near Jutiapa, 150 miles north of Tegucigalpa, the capital, and a few miles from her condo. It wasn't clear who was driving.
"The car rolled for reasons that we still don't know, and that are being investigated," police spokesperson Luis Aguilar said.
Lopes was killed instantly, according to her publicist, and the seven others in the car sustained non-life-threatening injuries: three members of the band Egypt; Lopes' brother and sister; and two producers working on a multimedia project with Lopes.
They were taken to a hospital in nearby La Ceiba, and are expected to be released in a few days. Lopes' body was taken to La Ceiba, where it was being prepared to be flown to the U.S.
Lopes often spent weeks or months in Honduras, and had purchased her condo near a healing village that promotes and practices a form of African herbal medicine. "She absolutely loved the country," her publicist said. "She wanted to live there."
She had traveled to Honduras most recently to work on a line of clothing and finish up a book about her life, the publicist noted. She also wanted to introduce members of the band Egypt to the healing village. "It was something very personal to her," the publicist said. "And it was something she liked to share with people. Lisa loved to travel, loved to find new places. She loved cultures that were really truly spiritual."
Friends and fellow recording artists have been speaking about the loss to the music world of R&B star Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes who has died in a car crash. The 30-year-old, who was on holiday in Honduras, was reportedly among seven people in the car and was the only fatality.
Spice Girl Melanie C, who recorded a hit single with the TLC singer, is among those leading the tributes. The pair collaborated on the UK number one hit Never Be the Same Again in 2000. Melanie C said she was very "shocked and upset" following the news and that her thoughts were with her friends and family.
'Crazy'
She added Lopes had been a "delight" to work with. Lopes took the UK by storm when she was invited to host the 2000 Music of Black Origin Awards (Mobo) in London with BBC Radio 1 DJ Trevor Nelson.
Nelson said: "Lisa was part of the most amazing girl group of the '90s. They were a credible crossover band that paved the way for most female groups that followed. "She was the 'crazy' in Crazy Sexy Cool and I had the privilege of presenting the Mobos with her a couple of years ago which was great fun.
"Waterfalls will forever be an R&B classic."
Mobo founder Kanya King admitted she was slightly apprehensive about Lopes hosting the event because of her "notorious reputation".
But she told that as soon as she arrived, complete with bright green wig, the organisers knew they had made the right decision.
Inspiration
"Unfortunately, her press coverage was not about her fantastic musical ability and the inspiration to many people, but that is how we will remember her," said Ms King.
Ms King put Lopes' popularity down to the fact she had the image of standing up to the recording establishment and speaking her mind, becoming an inspiration for her young fans. "She was a gifted, talented artist with a colourful style and personality that will be remembered forever," she added.
Rising R'n'B star Tweet, who is currently collaborating with top R'n'B producer and singer Missy Elliot, paid tribute to her contemporary. "I was totally in shock the whole morning because it takes me back to Aaliyah," she told. "(Lopes) was one a kind, she definitely had her own style, way of dressing and rapping, the way she was one of a kind."
Lopes is the second young R&B superstar to die suddenly in the past year.
Singer and actress Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash in the Bahamas in August 2001.
