Sister 2 Sister Magazine Tribute (Katrina from Egypt Interview) (2002)
Katrina Gibson is a member of Lisa's group, Egypt. She was in Honduras for health, fitness and artist development. Lisa was grooming Egypt. They were being filmed the whole time they were there, sort of a documentary. She was in the truck at the time of the accident when Lisa was killed. Katrina was banged up, but after they were all taken to the hospital and Lisa's body lay in the room next to them, she went in to hold Lisa and thank her for all that Lisa had done for them. Katrina owns one of those angelic voices we heard at the funeral.
Jamie: How are you?
Katrina: I'm okay.
Jamie: Are you feeling better?
Katrina: Yes.
Jamie: How did you and your group, Egypt, meet Lisa?
Katrina: She used to go to our church a long time ago and I knew her family for a long time. My sister and me were babies at that time. We grew up in the same church as Lisa and over the years, we met Kyle, who was helping TLC out. I asked her to be our manager.
Jamie: How long had you been working with Lisa?
Katrina: For like a year.
Jamie: What did you think when she asked you to come down to Honduras?
Katrina: We were excited about it. She wanted us to come down there for artist development
Jamie: What did you learn while you were down there?
Katrina: To eat healthy and exercise.
Jamie: Did you all lose weight?
Katrina: Yeah. We were eating all vegetables; no meat and we were taking herbs.
Jamie: What kind of herbs?
Katrina: The herbs that Dr. Sebi had.
Jamie: Would he meet with you all and talk to you daily or anything like that?
Katrina: No, but we met him one time in Atlanta.
Jamie: What was the day of the accident like?
Katrina: We would usually work out first thing in the morning, but Lisa had put a note under Stephanie's door and said that we were going to let ever ybody sleep in this morning. Lisa was wearing white at that time.
Jamie: Was it hot down there?
Katrina: Yeah. She was wearing black when the accident happened
Jamie: What time were you all getting into the car?
Katrina: Around 4:30 in the afternoon.
Jamie: Why was Lisa driving? Did she normally drive?
Katrina: Yeah, she drove a couple of times, but I don't know why she was drving
Jamie: What was the day plan?
Katrina: She was taking us to Sambo Creek to get more shots of our group. It was like a documentary.
Jamie: Why Sambo Creek?
Katrina: Because it was like the ghetto of La Ceiba
Jamie: There were a lot of Black people that lived there, right?
Katrina: Yeah.
Jamie: What were you all supposed to be doing there?
Katrina: We were probably going to perform, but just to walk around mainly.
Jamie; So you all left. And then what?
Katrina: Lisa was driving and we started driving. Right after that she said something to us about playing games.
Jamie: What kind of games?
Katrina: She said, "We should play some cards tonight, y'all."
Jamie: Was there a long drive to Sambo Creek?
Katrina: No, it was like shortly after we left. We started driving and then it happened.
Jamie: Was Sambo Creek far from La Ceiba?
Katrina: No.
Jamie: So she was just paying attention to the road? She wasn't really talking to anybody
Katrina: She was paying attention to the road. Right after she said something about playing cards, that is when the accident happened,
Jamie: Can you describe the accident?
Katrina: I was in shock, so I don't really remember a lot I remember a car being in front of us. I think that it had bananas on it. I don't know. It made a sudden stop and Lisa tried to drive around it.
Jamie: To the left of it?
Katrina: Yeah. She drove to the left of it. And right when that happened, the car flipped over because it was so heavy.
Jamie: But there was no oncoming car?
Katrina: I think there was another car coming towards us when she made that turn. Then, she had to go into the ditch.
Jamie: So she went to the left and then tried to go to the right?
Katrina: Yeah, Jamie: Were you the one looking at her face as you all went down in the ditch and she seemed to be calm?
Katrina: I didn't see her face. I just remember being in the hospital and I [saw] her laying there with her head to the side. Her eyes were like wide open.
Jamie: Is that when you took her hand and thanked her?
Katrina: Yes.
Jamie: Can you tell me about that?
Katrina: I was just saying thank you for being there for us and how sorry I was that it happened, I didn't want to let her go.
Jamie: I am so sorry,
Katrina. Now right after the accident, you all had to stay by the side of the road until somebody came and took you all away, right?
Katrina: Right.
Jamie: When Lisa's body was lying there right after the accident, did you all go to her? Where were you all?
Katrina: I just remember everybody crying and stuff and saying, "Where's Lisa, where's Lisa?'
Jamie: So you never saw her lying there?
Katrina: The first time that I saw her was inside of the hospital.
Jamie: What were the injuries that you sustained?
Katrina: I broke my collarbone.
Jamie: You are able to walk, right?
Katrina: Yes.
Jamie: Where is T'Melle [another member of Egypt]?
Katrina: She is coming home tonight. She has an 8 o'clock flight.
Jamie: I wonder if she will be able to sit up? Her leg was turned around, right? Her left leg or her right leg?
Katrina: I think it was her left leg.
Jamie: And her hip was broken?
Katrina: Yes. They had to put it back in place.
Jamie: Where was T'Melle sitting in the car? In the second row?
Katrina: Yeah. We were on the second row, It was Joi, T'Melle, me, Sophia [who are the members of Egypt] and[Lisa's sister] Raina
Jamie: Was TMelle on the passenger side or was she behind Lisa?
Katrina: Her and Joi were like behind Lisa. Well, we were like in the middle. Me and T'Melle were in the middle and Joi was right behind Lisa
Jamie: Nobody had on seat belts, huh?
Katrina: Lisa did. Some people probably did.
Jamie: So Lisa did have on a seatbelt? Some people said that she didn't
Katrina: I heard that she did.
Jamie: Phobia told me that she did, too. It's amazing that she was thrown from the car. And the cameramen that were thrown out of the back of the car only had bumps and bruises?
Katrina: Yeah.
Jamie: Well, Katrina, you all have beautiful voices. Is there anything that you want to say to Lisa right now?
Katrina: I want to tell her thank you for just putting her time into us. She really believed in us as a group, all four of us. Just everything that she did for us and how special and creative she was. I want to tell her how much we all love her.
Jamie: Did she cook for you guys?
Katrina: Yeah she cooked for us.
Jamie: All right. Well you get some rest You all have some wonderful voices. We were just blown away when you sang at the funeral.
Katrina: Thank You.
Jamie: I hope to see you all soon. Good luck with your career. Is Uncle Kyle still going to work with you guys?
Katrina: Yeah.
Jamie: You should have gotten a record deal after you all sang that day.
Katrina: [Laughing] The name of our group used to be Angel. I want to thank Lisa for naming our group. She gave us the name because she said that we reminded her of Egypt.
Jamie: Why did you all change it?
Katrina: Because of the other group, Anjel [formed by LeToya and LaTavia, formerly of Destiny's Child]
Jamie: Oh okay. I just saw them [when they sang at Sister 2 Sister's 13th anniversary gala]. How did the group get together? It's you and your sister and the other two. What are their
names?
Katrina: Joi and T'Melle Rawlings. We got together like six years ago. Sophia met Joi in school. Me and Sophia already had a group, but we were looking for more members. It didn't work out with the other girl that was singing with us. A little bit later, we met T"Melle from a talent scout.
Jamie: What is the name of the church that you all attend?
Katrina: Third Eternal Baptist Church
Jamie: This is in Philly?
Katrina: Yes.
Jamie: Okay, precious. I want to be writing about you other than this, okay?
Katrina: Alright. Thank you.
