There has been alot of attention on the April 2007 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine, which features an article with SWV ex-member Leanne “Lelee” Lyons.
Lelee talked to Jamie Foster about her life – before, during, and after SWV – where she was very open with her past struggles. Until now, no one really knew anything about her, especially since ex-members Coko and Taj are still in the spotlight one way or another these days.
Lelee discussed everything from having her first child at 15, to the industry screwing her over, and to her being so homeless to the point where she had to stay in gay clubs. Rumors have speculated that Lelee was infact, a lesbian – though she said in the interview she was seeing somebody (male or female – that I don’t know).
But despite all that, it’s pretty sad if RCA only gave the woman $25,000 when SWV dismantled, which ended up going towards her mother’s funeral and burial. As popular as these girls were? RCA could do better than that!
And if you want to show Lelee some love, hit up her myspace that she visits frequently. Here’s a snippet of her latest blog entry:
I realize there are so many people who go through the same shit everyday,Entertainers are not exempt. My story of LIFE is so true and no book told me what to say or how to say it.There are people at this very moment in the media who are making jokes of my “TRUTH” and i expected that. Im so happy that i am at a point in my life where i dont give a shit what people think of me. They dont define who I am by no means.I realize being me is what makes me happy and I chose not to live for people. The only people that I feel i owe anything to is the FANS. The ones who have followed me thru the years,and supported the whole SWV movement, but never got to know Lelee as an individual.Take me or leave me baby. That was my life and I am forever grateful to all that are inspired by my story because it is the truth.And to all that have shared the struggle with me and millions of other people,be encouraged because when obstacles come your way and you’re going THROUGH…… You’re already half way there.On the other side there is an ending which means your job is done.I love you all and be blessed.
AND FOR THE RECORD,”Lelee is notttttttttt homeless. I sleep very well at night(smile).
and that is why i feel bad for lots of people in the industry especially the old school artists…
…..most gets no love & no dough 2 make it worse
stay up Lelee… SWV 2 me were phenomenal when they were out & still are great women today
I miss them…Coko’s album STAY’S on repeat..if u don’t got it…get it!
THAT’S SAD!!!
that is sad.
I guess this Hollywood shit aint all its cracked up to be!! Better get them degrees kids!
DAMN!!!
I guess this Hollywood shit aint all its cracked up to be!!
Better get them degrees kids!
WHO IS SHE????
That’s sad and all, but, um, can she even sing?
The music industry is dirty but when all else fails write a book. If Superhead can get a publishing deal so can she.
This is so messed up and truly sad. There need to be legal consequences strong enough to scare industry people out of doing this type of shit to artists.
oh my this is sad, my heart goes out to her. the music business is brutal & there have been many who have suffered as a result of it. From her ambiguous statements & that picture i would say she is a definite lesbian cos that other broad holding her like “thats my wifey right here”. good luck to them i say. keep ur head up girl
that sounds awful…n i thought i had a hard knock life…she got me beat!
Damn, why is it all ways the old school black singing groups tats eem to get the raw end of the deal.
These peopel sign slave deals just to get in the limelight.
Now y’all know why Bey been working like a horse.
this is sad but it’s much more to this story that she’s not telling..leLee is the reason for her present in more ways than one..hope she can get out of it
Ok,saw this story on another site from what I heard she has four kids with four different men,was a promiscuous lesbian before SWV separated, and was the main reason the group ended up braking up.If all this is true I’m not sorry for her she made her decisions and she had to live with the consequences, but I am happy that she’s done with that part of her life and is now on the right track I hope she stays on the straight and narrow from now on.
I heard they reunited hopefully they’ll put out some new music I loved them back in the day.
LOL…I seriously doubt they broke up because she was a “lesbian”.
And people can hate all they want because if I was famous broads would be sayin they tired of me!!
@ 14
you stans always find a way of getting that name in. even if it has NOTHING to do with the post. i swear u just did that on purpose to start shit because there was no reason for that
Damn that’s messed up, I am a huge fan of SWV!!!!
I saw her on Taj reality show with her husband and I knew she looked rough. Times r hard but the other sisters got them some good husbands. Marry up Biyotch!
dame that just goes to show you this music shit ain’t promise that why you have to have a back up plan. Thats the kind of hard knock life that hollywood likes after hearing this sad shit movie offers are coming yall know how they do it!
My God. My heart goes out to LeLee. I remember damn near every SWV song, well the ones I know that haven’t left my mind. I’m glad to see that see is making her life very well and I hope she becomes stronger.
Yeah I saw her on Taj’s new reality show too (TV One).
Lelee was my favorite member…there was just something I liked about her.
I read this Sister 2 Sister article and she was off the chain when she was younger, she still kind of off the hook talking about she ain’t messing with no man that don’t pay her bills ~*~SMH~*~ …however I’m glad that her situation is now stable and she is living comfortably.
May God continue to bless her…
I remember watching some show with Ed Lover on there and apparently they used to date and he was basically saying she was a nutcase!
you better do like beyonce and find a rapper or ball player to eat off of when the going gets tough
I heard rumors that she was the messing with K-Ci the same time he was messing with Mary J back in the day. I don’t know. Only God should judge people, it is not for us to do. It appears that she “reeped what she sowed” one way or another. This is just so sad to say the least.
Uhh, this is kind of mean but….WHO CARES!…NEXT!
I’ll try not to be mean like Tam, but there are a million holes in this story! lol Sorry Lelee, but you gotta come cleaner than that if you want my tears! You call your story the truth, but all I hear is a plea for pity! You started making the big decisions at age 15 and never looked back! Now, you blame the media and industry for your swift prime time! Lelee had three lean years to get it together! I know some folks who only had 15 seconds of fame and they still going strong!
There is nothing wrong with the music industry, only the people in it! Its easy to let the success go to your head…not realizing that the windows of opportunity close very fast and you end up in the hall of fame or the hall of shame!
I agree with you Meatloaf. Why is she telling this story now? Does she have an album coming out?
Other than that, I cant imagine why she thinks we care. She’s definitely had time to rebound from the bull the label gave her. Coco and Taj did.
I’ll pass on my invite to the pity party.
As long as DUMB NIGGAS continue to embrace the fast life, BLING, and fame they will get SCREWED. Niggas get sold dreams DAILY; for some bullshit at that, but are sooo caught up in having a little something so they can floss, they lose the big picture.
The result, a F–K JOB! And no I do not feel sorry.
Next dumb nigga up!!
I scanned the article in the bookstore over the weekend. To me, it did seem like she was a lesbian because she mentioned that she would go to gay clubs and go home with women at night.
I really feel bad for her situation because SWV was the absolute shit!!!!
However, I got to mention that when I interviewed them in college, Lelee was nasty as hell to me.
Thats sad what about Royalties? I guess thats why old school artists get on reality shows like Surreal life and stuff.
They performed at PRIDE in NYC last year.
IF ANYTHING COKO AND TAJ SHOULD BE THERE FOR HER SMH…
I MUST AGREE WITH #29!!! SHE’S BEEN GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE SO LET’S SEE WHAT SHE DOES WITH IT.
Meatloaf, I don’t think she wants pity or is trying to draw attention to herself. I think that she is just trying to tell her story, and 25 Gs that RCA gave her is pitiful in the music industry.
But to each their own in opinions…
If you happen to get TV ONE (yeah, the Black channel) and tuned in this past Sunday, then you might have caught the preview for “Married to a Baller,” which stars Taj from SWV.
On this preview, we get to mingle with Taj, Coko and Lelee as they prepare for a 90s REUNITED concert with Bobby Brown, Teena Marie and cameos by Superhead (Karrine Steffans) and Shanice (“I like your smile”).
This was one inspiring reality show. Lelee kept it so real and she was so funny. Taj is so beautiful and speaks to her childhood turmoil. It was nice to see SWV back together again. If you are a SWV fan, you have to check this out.
If she is a lesbian then that is her business. Can she not have lesbian friends or be a LGBTTQ supporter?
Why are you people so hung up on orientation and speak of it such static terms?
when you’re young you trust people to take care of your finances and look out for you, but they tryin to get paid too, thats y u need to learn the business side of things as well
it’s a sad situation,
as far as her bein lesbian she probably is or maybe bi, who else goes to gay clubs to meet folks go u have a place to stay, women are probably more open and understanding but still….i guess that was her way of coming out
anyway I’m glad she hasn’t let her past hold her down and she decided to tell her story to give hope to those down on their luck
“all that glitters ain’t gold”
@38
Thanks for that info. I would like to check this show out. If you are not from a certain era you would not know who SWV is. They were out at a time when there was such a thing as R & B music. They had great voices and I continue to listen to their music. Brownstone is also in rotation.
LeLee needs to keep her head up. If she did have four kids from four baby daddies then that is her fault for being so reckless.
(LIL’BOOSTIE #1 FAN)
WHATEVA, I UNDERSTAND HER STRUGGLE, BUT YOU DO NOT SEE EVERYDAY PEOPLE WRITING ABOUT THEIR UNTOLD STORIES. YEA, YOU FELL OFF ACCEPT IT AND MOVE ON,BUT I THINK MARY J. BLIGE HAVE EXPLAINED ENOUGH FOR THE SISTA’S AND NO SHE CAN’T SANG TO ME. UMMMM, MAYBE THATS WHY SHE DID NOT MAKE IT AND OF COURSE BABY, ALWAYS HAVE BACK-UP BOO. GO TO SCHOOL, GET A JOB, GET A CAREER, OR MAKE A BUSINESS FOR YOURSELF. GOD ALWAYS MAKE A WAY OUT OF NO WAY. JUST BELIEVE AND HAVE FAITH. SHE SOUND MAD, CUSSING IN THE INTERVIEW, HELL IT AINT NOBODY FAULT YOU WAS HOMELESS. I CAN SEE IF SHE CAME ALONG SAYING WHAT GOD PROVIDED FOR HER, BUT SHE DON’T SEEM TO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT GOD BROUGHT HER THROUGH. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT LELE EVALUATE HERSELF AGAIN. YOU NOT READY. AND WHO WAS TALKING ABOUT YOU. WHO CARES. NOBODY, BUT YOU. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF HER UNTIL NOW.
“…so homeless…” What? Come on people-Grammer?
Co-Co was the only one who could sing! I remember watching their performances on Video Soul, etc. to see if Lee-lee and Taj even had decent background voices. I still don’t know till this day.
Who cares about Taj anyway? The only reason she got that TV1 show is b/c of who she’s married to. And he’s ugly! Would she have the show if she’d married a car salesman or a garbage man?
Who cares about Leelee either? Except for those 5 chull’ins she got? She’s homeless and the only place she could find to sleep in was at a gay club?
Hmmmmm….. I remember my brother and his friends thought she was the finest one. Freakiest one is more like it!
Wow
I always wonder what happen to her
Why didn’t the other SWV group member help her and her child?…SMH.. You wouldn’t had to ask me twice to help someone out when down. It make me question SWV’s character. Well the lack of.. I guess I’m a different type of person.
25,000 dollar…WTF? SWV were huge in the 90′s
I am happy to read she’s doing ok
37. MJ (RNB) said: “Meatloaf, I don’t think she wants pity or is trying to draw attention to herself. I think that she is just trying to tell her story, and 25 Gs that RCA gave her is pitiful in the music industry.
But to each their own in opinions…
——————————————————
I agree that she’s trying to tell her story, but I don’t believe she’s telling the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth! Its like MC Hammer blaming his entourage for his drug habit and bankruptcy!
Come on Lelee, tell the truth and shame the devil! She never mentions the drugs and wild lesbo parties! How can her story be so clean and unfortunate at the same time? Coco has always shown class!
I hate it when these celebs give their version of the story that everybody did them wrong! Come on Michael, you’re the one who set up Neverland for kids! Don’t ask us to hear you out!
And, $25,000 free dollars in 1990, was a lot of money if RCA had no contract or obligation to give her anything! The music industry ain’t the welfare! RCA probably paid her off to protect Coco’s image!
Coco nem must of had a reason for turning their backs on Lelee! Tough love is a mofo! Here’s one lesbian who put her libido before her 401k!!!
YOURE AN IDIOT!!! SHE GOT DA PAY OUT IN 97 WHEN THEY BROKE UP, NOT 1990 THEY WERENT EVEN OUT THEN YOU DORK!!!!!!
She did not sleep in gay club Tianna, she said she would go to them and find somebody to go home with so that should could have a safe place to sleep at night. Read the article carefully!!
@ #38 TheBoyAboutTown(?), I saw that show Sunday also. Aren’t they supposed to be getting back together? It’s a shame that people like SWV, Teena Marie and Shanice are having trouble with the music industry.
I am a SWV fan to heart. As a matter of fact, I have their song “Weak” as my ringtone. *singing I don’t know what it is that you’ve done to me…
but it’s caused me to act in such a crazy way.”
#47 Samatha, whether its sleeping in the gay club or going home with a gay strangers…same difference! The “blind” bi-celeb (Halle) last week had the same problem! White Hollywood sent her on fake dates to cover her bi-sexual habits! The music industry knows what negative press can do to your stardum, so RCA and Coco had to put some distance between them and Lelee, the gay club-hopper!
Lelee was just foul! And five kids, all by different daddy’s!!! WTF??? Didn’t she have a mother to go home too??? Tell the whole story and move on…Jezebel!
She’s mad because the record company gave her $25,000 in 1990? That’s a large down-payment on a really nice house back then! She had no reason to be homeless, other than dope! She owed her kids a place to live… I bet they never got to stay at the homes of the people she met in the gay clubs, unlike their mom. Trust me y’all, if the record company gave her $25,000, its because they owed her just that OR LESS. Any attorney, including myself, would take a contract case (on contingency) where someone was clearly getting screwed — its easy money. The record company cannot be expected to just hand money out to former artists to make them go away when they don’t deserve it. Lelee is lucky — she never could sing, and she had no business getting in a group anyway. God helped her out, and she squandered it. Sorry, but when God provides, you gotta run with the ball instead of dropping it. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is too real not to say.
“It’s a shame that people like SWV, Teena Marie and Shanice are having trouble with the music industry.”
@48, It’s because most of today’s female R&B artists don’t have to be able to hold a note. If you look decent, and can shake that ass real good or you’ve slept with the right person, you may be able to produce a few hits.
@ 51
As an attorney you need to get your facts str8 especially b4 you talk trash as you will get BENCH SLAPPED by some judge (you hear me?), she was given 25,000 when the group went on an indefinite hiatus, which was well AFTER 1990. You have completely misinterpreted the text and I would not hire you to represent the rats in a subway.
The details of the contract are not clear from the reading, so how do you know what they were entitled? This appears to be part of their arrangement not hush money.
Correction: the show I mentioned earlier is “I Married a Baller” not “Married to a Baller.”
I knew Lelee we clubbed together and hang out a mutual friends house in the BX… I knew she was going to be a star she had drive and determination. I had no Idea that she was going threw this. The death of her mother was hard because her mom was always there for her… She was always a nice girl and yes most Celebes ego’s inflate when they are successful.. SWV should have tolerated one another to make that money. they had two albums and that was it.. well I know in the industry you need about 5 to make enough money to secure you through life (and that depends on what type of deal RCA gave them if the deal stipulated the SWV do at least 5 albums under them then after selling big on the charts they could have negotiated up on points) to become a millionaire off of records alone they would have needed to do at least 10 albums all selling double or triple platinum which was not hard during the 90′s (no internet) .. Most Celebes make money from tours, endorsements and movies.. I could go on and on but will make it short and sweet. LeLee went through some things but how do you use your celebrity with to make money by telling all the dirt on yourself for free.. we can all speculate about what happened to her but she holds the cards to this story and I see people are interested in this story.. She still is a celeb and has a fan base.. there is a way for her to focus on making long-term money to live well enough without hitting the stage (as a job). The corperation is not the way to do it right now (thats a vision for long term goals after the long term money is made).
The people who commented on the having a degree and getting a career something to fall back on. As much as I agree about educating oneself at least to H.S. I don’t think that finding a job is that great of an option Ether. The competition in the “real world” (work force) is just as fierce as in the industry especially for African Americans which Lelee is by the way… I don’t care how many degrees a person has there are still no guarantees.. she could have used her status back then (as she is doing now). but when a person is lost it doesn’t matter if they had a law degree from Harvard they will still not be successful as a person who has there head on straight. I believe in education but I believe more in learning your craft and the business that surrounds it, the rest is irrelevant. She followed her path to success and she worked really long hard doing to reach her goals (all of the group members). When they started out the contract was not the best but it was not the worst breaking the contract with RCA is the act that gave them only 25G’s. When working on a job most people if the have a BA with no work experience negotiate to a starting salary of about 25G’s a year. Them more experience gained the more money you make. As time continues the salary requirements advance. The same with the music industry the bigger you fan base the more albums you sell the better negotiations you can make with the record companies and then the endorsements start coming in (they quit the game to soon).
#50 CalieSQ, if her story don’t fit…it just don’t fit!!! Why did she have to hook up at the club…over drinks?? Why not go home with a lesbian from church?? There are plenty of gays in the church to hitch a ride home with and spend the night!
All she had to do was come before the church crying with her five kids and who ever hugged her the longest and didn’t mind her tears getting on their chior unifor is the one to follow home! hehe!
But nooo! She had to look for help at the club! That’s the M.O. of pimps and hoes! Players and divas! Strippers and tippers! Lelee told on herself with that gay club stans!
And yes, there are some good folks in the church! Not all are immoral, but her story would have seemed more believable from the stand point of pitification! lol!
Pitification = Jade’s word!
@ 54
They actually had three studio albums.
Yes, competition is hella fierce in the job market. You have to bring it or be prepared to get chewed and stomped. A degree from even the most prestigious institutions does not guarantee you anything.
I feel kinda bad for her, The other girls are always on TV and still trying to do they thing why don’t they help her out. Sh*t they see she struggling, that is really f*cked up. I would help out my homegirl if she was down and out. But if she is that desperate she would do what she gotta do, I eat at McDonalds a lot and they always got a hiring sign up. She better go get her ass a job.
SWV had two studio albums…. Three albums released one of the released albums was a completely remixed of the debut album…. They learned that from Puffy
Studio Albums:
1)It’s About Time- 1992
2)New Beginning- 1996
3)Release Some Tension- 1997
Other:
SWV “The Remixes”- 1994
Greatest Hits- 1999
Platinum and Gold Collection- 2003
Any questions?
Yours,
The Boy About Town
This music industry is rough. How the hell do u pay a woman whose group made somewhat of R&B history only $25,000???
LET GO AND LET GOD
////////////////AGREES WITH #42//////////////////