TLC fans have been loving the It’s Iconic tour this summer, but recent shows have looked a little different. Tionne“T-Boz”Watkins was forced to miss several dates on the tour after being hospitalized with an acute sickle cell crisis. The group released a statement confirming that T-Boz, who has lived with sickle cell disease since childhood, is now recovering at home and improving daily. They added that her condition is not life-threatening and called her health and recovery their“highest priority.”
While T-Boz recovers, her longtime bandmate Rozonda“Chilli”Thomas has been carrying the show solo. At an August 28 stop in Connecticut, Chilli addressed the situation directly from the stage, sharing,“Obviously my sister is not here right now. She has sickle cell.”She assured fans that T-Boz is doing much better and asked the audience to help“hold her down”during the performance. It was a genuine moment that showed the decades-deep bond between the two surviving members of TLC.
The tour is set to resume on September 8 in Chicago and will continue through an October 11 date in California. With September also being Sickle Cell Awareness Month, TLC is using the moment to encourage fans to educate themselves on the disease or consider donating blood. It is a reminder that even when the spotlight is on a health scare, there is a bigger conversation happening.
Do you think T-Boz will make it back for the Chicago show, or should the group give her more time to heal? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.