Known to fans the world over as one-third of the R&B girlgroup TLC, Tionne Watkins has been known for most of her career as her stage name, T-Boz. The Iowa-born songstress auditioned for the group when she was 21 while working as a hair stylist in Atlanta, and her distinctly low, deep voice made an instant impression. TLC was soon signed to a major label and got to work recording and touring in support of its debut album. Recording and touring would become everyday business for Watkins, as TLC proved to be a huge hit, topping the charts and selling out venues at every turn. It was during a 1996 tour that Watkins had a major health scare, forcing her to publicly confront that she sickle-cell anemia. The blood disorder had threatened her life and well-being for all of her life, and the singer subsequently became a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, striving for education and advocacy for sufferers of the disease.
Watkins' career with TLC lasted until the tragic death of bandmate Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes in 2002, though the act would remain one of the most successful girlgroups in recording history. As the 2000s rolled forward, Watkins weathered marriage, childbirth, and divorce, as well as appearances on-camera as an actress and behind it as an executive producer. She also began working on a solo album and signed with Universal Records.
