Died April 25

by Legacy Staff

Lisa Lopes was known to a generation as Left Eye, the rapping member of the superstar R&B girl group TLC. We remember Lopes’ life today as well as the lives of other notable people who died this day in history.

Lisa Lopes was known to a generation as Left Eye, the rapping member of the superstar R&B girl group TLC. Writing and performing the raps on hit singles including “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg,” “No Scrubs,” and “Waterfalls,” Lopes won four Grammy awards for her work with the band. In addition to recording four platinum albums with TLC, Lopes had a solo recording career and collaborated with other musicians including ‘N Sync and Toni Braxton. We remember Lopes’ life today as well as the lives of other notable people who died this day in history.

Click to discover notable people who were born this day in history including legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.

2019: John Havlicek, legendary Boston Celtics player who won 8 NBA championships with the team, dies at 79.

2013: Virginia Gibson, U.S. actress who was a regular on “The Johnny Carson Show” before Carson hosted “The Tonight Show,” dies at 88.

2012: Paul L. Smith, U.S. character actor whose roles included Bluto in Robert Altman’s “Popeye,” dies at 75.

2010: Dorothy Provine, U.S. actress who had starring roles on two TV series, “The Alaskans” and “The Roaring ’20s,” dies at 75.

2009: Bea Arthur, U.S. actress who was well-known for the TV shows “Maude” and “The Golden Girls,” dies at 86.

Arthur’s TV success began with an appearance on “All in the Family.” The producers loved her so much that they created a new show just for her: “Maude.” The show wasn’t afraid to take on hot-button issues of the day, and Maude always put her own tough-as-nails, feminist spin on them. Read more

2007: Bobby Pickett, U.S. singer who found fame with his novelty song “Monster Mash,” dies at 69.

“Monster Mash” hit the Billboard chart three times: when it debuted in 1962, reaching No. 1 the week before Halloween; again in August 1970; and for a third time in May 1973. The resurrections were appropriate for a song where Pickett gravely intoned the forever-stuck-in-your-head chorus: “He did the monster mash. … It was a graveyard smash.” Read more

2002: Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, U.S. singer and rapper who was well-known as a member of the R&B group TLC, dies in an auto accident in Honduras at 30.

The group made its debut in 1992 with the disc “Ooooooh … On the TLC Tip!” Their unique sound, which paired Tionne Watkins’ and Rozonda Thomas’ vocals with Philadelphia-born Lopes’ fast-paced, squeaky-voiced rhymes, along with their baggy wardrobe with condoms attached, made them an immediate sensation. Lopes’ nickname came from her habit of replacing one lens of her glasses with a condom during performances. Read more

1999: Roger Troutman, U.S. singer and songwriter for the band Zapp, which scored many R&B hits, dies at 47.

1999: Larry Troutman, U.S. percussionist for the band Zapp, dies at 54.

1996: Saul Bass, U.S. graphic designer who created many iconic logos for companies such as United Airlines and General Foods and also designed iconic movie titles including Alfred Hitchcock‘s “Psycho” and “Goodfellas,” dies at 75.

1995: Ginger Rogers, U.S. actress, singer, and dancer known best for her musical films with Fred Astaire, including “Swing Time,” dies at 83.

Anything Astaire threw at her, she handled gracefully, and that impressed the man who was accustomed to reducing other dancers to tears. As Astaire later reflected, “All the girls I ever danced with thought they couldn’t do it, but of course they could. So they always cried. All except Ginger. No, no, Ginger never cried.” Read more

1995: Art Fleming, U.S. actor and game show host known best as the original host of “Jeopardy!”, dies at 70.

1993: Rosita Moreno, Spanish actress who appeared in Hollywood movies with Cary Grant and Noel Coward, dies at 86.

1990: Dexter Gordon, U.S. jazz tenor saxophonist who performed with Lionel Hampton and Charlie Parker and was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in “Round Midnight,” dies at 67.

1989: George Coulouris, English actor who had a key role in “Citizen Kane” and was known to “Doctor Who” fans as Arbitan in the serial “The Keys of Marinus,” dies at 85.

1985: Murray Matheson, Australian actor who was a series regular on the TV series “Banacek” starring George Peppard, dies at 72.

1984: Richard Benedict, U.S. actor who appeared in the movie “Ocean’s 11” and on many TV series including “The Adventures of Superman,” dies at 64.

1982: W.R. Burnett, U.S. author and screenwriter whose works included “Little Caesar” and “Scarface,” dies at 82.

1976: Carol Reed, U.S. director who won an Academy Award for “Oliver!”, dies at 69.

1972: George Sanders, English actor who was in the movie Rebecca and who played the voice of the tiger Shere Khan in Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” dies at 65.

1970: Anita Louise, U.S. actress who was in movies such as “The Little Princess” and also starred as Nell McLaughlin on the TV series “My Friend Flicka,” dies at 55.

1961: Robert Garrett, U.S. athlete who won gold medals in shot put and discus in the first modern Olympics, dies at 85.

1960: Hope Emerson, U.S. actress who was in the movie “Caged” and who had a regular role on the TV series “Peter Gunn,” dies at 62.

1955: Constance Collier, English actress who appeared in “Stage Door” and “Perils of Pauline,” dies at 77.

1944: George Herriman, U.S. cartoonist who created the comic strip “Krazy Kat,” dies at 63.

Click to discover notable people who were born this day in history including legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.

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