LELEE LYONS: From 'Destiny' to Destitution

By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

(l-r) 'Sister 2 Sister' magazine publisher Jamie Foster Brown interviews SWV member Leanne In today's glutted media marketplace, it isn't uncommon for former celebrities to recapture their glory with admissions of tawdry transgressions and unknown truths.

This especially works well when said notable is on the comeback trail, embarking on a new project that may pique the interests of their once die hard fan base.

Think Whitney Houston revealing of her drug use with Diane Sawyer – to help promote her last album, 'Just Whitney.'

Well, maybe that's a bad example.

OK. How about Halle Berry on the new cover of 'In Style' (again) talking about men (again) and her failed suicide attempt (again). Her new movie, 'Perfect Stranger' -- which actually looks good – opens on April 13.

Get it?

All in the name of publicity.

In theory, SWV member Leanne "Lelee" Lyons coming clean about being disillusioned, destitute and alluding to being bisexual -- in the April edition of 'Sister 2 Sister' magazine – seemed like a great idea.

But in reality, it may have turned into something else.

I say that to only say that iit s all quite a bit much to stomach.

So much so, I tossed the magazine across the room after reading the intro paragraphs.

Here's an excerpt:

"Lelee shared an amazing story of the hardship she's faced since the trio released its last studio album in 1997. She's a single mother of two living in Atlanta and was given only $25,000 from her label after the group went on their indefinite hiatus. Once the money ran out, she hit the skids. Lelee was homeless and went to gay clubs just to find a place to sleep for the night. She even said that after she attended Taj's wedding, she slept in her car that very night."

In the exclusive interview with the magazine's legendary founder, publisher and editor Jamie Foster Brown, the Bronx born former chart-topper revealed her struggles with being a promiscuous teen, never feeling safe with her living situations, witnessing domestic abuse at the hands of her deadbeat dad and a laundry list of misfortunes.

"I can't speak for all of the girls in the Bronx, but ... it was a struggle and it was about survival."

SWV circa 1993. (l-r) Lelee, Coko and Tak When SWV (an acronym for the New York based hip-hop soul trio Sisters With Voices), consisting of Tamara "Taj" Johnson and lead singer Cheryl "Coko" Gamble, released their debut album 'It's About Time' in 1992, it was the dawning of a new era in R&B – where female artists weren't afraid to bare their street-tinged edge via their music and their image.

Queen of hip-hop soul Mary J. Blige helped usher in an unflinching type of new diva -- with rap swagger and around-the-way appeal.

With hardcore rap groups like Naughty By Nature and Onyx already topping charts with their hip-hop anthems, a new sound of music was being heard across mainstream America.

SWV released a string of hit singles, including 'Right Here,' 'I'm So Into You,' and 'Weak.' Signed to the storied RCA Records label, the group became its biggest R&B act, and crossed over well to the pop charts.

While their success was short-lived, it was quite remarkable.

Well, on paper.

In the interview, Lyons told the oh so common story of the fate of so many other girl groups; bickering, jealousy, financial hardships and eventual disbandment.

As one of the biggest black girl groups of the 1990s, SWV is credited with mentoring (in some form or another) the then-burgeoning R&B quartet Destiny's Child.

"We let them open up for us back in the day, and they were like our little sisters," Lyons reflected. "What people see in [Beyonce] now, I have seen this in her since she was nine years old ... no one sings 'I Get So Weak' in the knees like Beyonce at 12 years old."

In her signature style, Foster Brown prodded the former starlet about her family dynamics (she has no money to send her baby to see her Haitian father), her current day situation (currently touring with SWV) and being realistic about future goals (she plans to start an entertainment company with no financial resources in place).

"It's not enough to get me where I need to go," Lyons said about her new situation with the group. "It's like working a regular job."

Lyons also told of how she would regularly go to gay clubs to pick up girls for the night while her sister took care of her kids.

This is a heart-wrenching story, indeed. To see someone be at the top of their game and fall to the depths so suddenly is a sad thing to bear witness to. Unfortunately it happens a lot in the business of black music.

'Sister 2 Sister' magazine's founder, publisher and editor Jamie Foster Brown "It gives me pain when I see artists who work so hard that you feel that have done well to be cast out like that," Foster Brown told The BV Newswire. "We have to be smarter about our business and artists don't pay attention to that."

The Bowie, Maryland based media maven said that she didn't feel the story was exploitative, but informative and can be used as a cautionary tale.

"This thing really gave me a lot of pause and I put the story in there because I want some of the people who have come up in the business to help her," she said. "I just want people to do better and be better. This industry can be so mean. And I don't think that you're going to get to heaven if you keep doing what you're doing. And it just really, really bothers me. And I want her to be alright."

BV Extras:

-- Read what SWV frontwoman Coko shared with Jawn Murray about this controversial story. Check out THE BUZZ.