At last! TLC reunion to finally happen... complete with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes hologram

PUBLISHED: 19:29 EST, 30 April 2013 | UPDATED: 01:54 EST, 1 May 2013

It was an announcement that had their fans giddy with delight last year.

And now popular girl band TLC are to reunite for the first time in nearly a decade, complete with a hologram of deceased singer Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes.

The beyond the grave performance comes hot on the heels of Tupac Shakur, who was shot dead in 1996, joining his old buddies Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre at the Coachella Festival in California last year.

Colourful star: Lisa Lopes was regarded as the core performer in TLC by many, now it seems they'll get a chance to see her again

Making a splash: Waterfalls stars TLC are to return along with a Lisa Lopes hologram

The Waterfalls favourites will perform at the 2013 Mixtape Festival at Hersey Park Stadium in Pennsylvania on July 26 and 27.

Announcing their dramatic return on Tuesday, Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas said: 'The hologram is something we talked about and thought about years ago.

'Obviously timing is everything but we're definitely talking about it.'

Talking about the idea last year, Razonda said: 'It will be hard on us but I certainly think our fans would love to see it.

'We would definitely be the first group to do it. It's great but spooky at the same time but we're definitely thinking about it.'

Star power: But Lisa had a volatile temper and addiction to alcohol that overshadowed her talent at times

Bad temper: Lisa's star power was overshadowed at times by her volatile moods and addiction to alcohol

Reunited: Tionne Watkins, Lisa Lopes and Rozonda Thomas at the Grammys in 1996

Like Tupac, who was born less than three weeks after her in 1971, Lopes was immensely talented but lived a chaotic existence.

She became known as the 'crazy' in the Crazy, Sexy, Cool equation of the band, which was also the name of one of their hit albums.

The group shot to fame with hits like No Scrubs, Waterfalls and Unpretty.

Left Eye rocked condom eye-patches and rapped and wrote lyrics like that espoused safe sex and independence, paving the way for acts like Destiny's Child.

But she suffered from a dependence upon alcohol and had a tumultuous relationship with boyfriend Andre Rison, which culminated with her being charged with felony arson after accidentally burning his home down.

Farewell: Lisa's funeral in Atlanta, she was remembered for her generosity and wit as well as the scandals that engulfed her

Farewell: Lisa's funeral in Atlanta, where she was remembered for her wit

She entered rehab and they reunited, and the band clawed their way back - when she died Lopes was starting to rebuild her life, and was working with Suge Knight's label, The Row.

Many marveled at the advanced technology used to create the Tupac hologram.

MTV News' Gil Kaufman caught up with Nick Smith, president of AV Concepts, the company that projected and staged the hologram at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in the Mojave Desert.

'We worked with Dr. Dre on this and it was Dre's vision to bring this back to life,' Smith told MTV News. 'It was his idea from the very beginning and we worked with him and his camp to utilize the technology to make it come to life.'

Incredible: The image of Tupac (right) appeared to interact and rap with Snoop Dogg at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California

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"The group mad a mistake staying idle for so long and now trying to resurrect past glory with a hologram, not cool. I too think they should have auditioned a person to take Lisa's spot. It would have been solidified by now - Lucianne, Over Here, United States"+++++++Are you serious? They can hold auditions all they want, but they'll never be another Left Eye!

- Jemma Bond , London, United Kingdom, 01/5/2013 23:07

Click to rate Rating 5

TMC was one of my favorite groups.So much better than Destiny's Child IMO.

- Tera , MidWest, United States, 01/5/2013 22:17

Click to rate Rating 3

The group mad a mistake staying idle for so long and now trying to resurrect past glory with a hologram, not cool. I too think they should have auditioned a person to take Lisa's spot. It would have been solidified by now.

- Lucianne , Over Here, United States, 01/5/2013 21:39

Click to rate Rating 6

left eye was the best in the whole group! she was one hell of a woman and I personally feel i would love the hologram if i was her family it captures her moves her sound like watching a home movie in 3d

- bazinga , ct, United States, 01/5/2013 19:00

Click to rate Rating 12

A hologram? That's disgusting. Do love "Waterfalls" though.

- LyndaB , Naugatuck USA, 01/5/2013 18:59

Click to rate Rating 11

I dont think its disrespectful to the family, if a member of my family died and they were immortalised in this way, doing what they love with adoring fans, i couldnt be happier!

- Jade , UK, United Kingdom, 01/5/2013 17:51

Click to rate Rating 18

Next we'll be seeing Elvis, Lennon, Al Green, Bob Marley, where will it stop...just weird..

- RMT84015 , Salt Lake City, 01/5/2013 17:24

Click to rate Rating 13

Yeah it's a tacky and disrespectful to her family.

- Craig , London, United Kingdom, 01/5/2013 17:07

Click to rate Rating 15

how weird I was just thinking about Left Eye yesterday her cute little baby voice

- Sheamus , Baltimore, United States, 01/5/2013 15:59

Click to rate Rating 12

T-Boz and Chili should stop trying to exploit Left Eyes death. Before she died she really wasnt active with the group. She had her own tv show on MTV promoting talent way before American Idol and The Voice, she was managing the group Blaque. Things were looking up for her especially since she was infamous for the tub burning incident. I'd rather they replace her with another female rapper than trying to cash in on her death. RIP Lisa Lopes. Your talent, ambition and creativity is missed in the music industry.

- NewMoneyMike , Johns_Creek_Georgia, United States, 01/5/2013 13:47

Click to rate Rating 19

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