Pebbles (musician)
A pop-R&B hitmaker turned music mogul who shaped the sound of the 90s and launched the career of TLC.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: August 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born Perri Arlette Reid, the artist known as Pebbles arrived in the late 80s with a polished, confident sound that dominated urban and pop charts. Her singles, like the sleek 'Mercedes Boy,' defined an era of crossover success. But her legacy extends far beyond her own microphone. With sharp business instincts, she founded her own label, Pebbitone, and became the architect behind the meteoric rise of TLC, signing and developing the group that would become a cultural phenomenon. This dual role as performer and executive made her a formidable force in the industry. In a profound personal shift, she later stepped away from the music business entirely, finding a new calling as a minister in Atlanta, where she now leads a congregation.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Pebbles was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Pebbles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Pebbles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored multiple top-ten R&B and pop hits in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including 'Girlfriend' and 'Mercedes Boy.'
- Founded the production company and label Pebbitone Inc., which managed and developed new artists.
- Discovered and signed the groundbreaking girl group TLC, producing their multi-platinum debut album 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip.'
- Her self-titled debut album was certified platinum by the RIAA.
Did You Know?
She is married to record producer L.A. Reid, the former chairman of Epic Records.
She was a backing vocalist for the group Con Funk Shun before launching her solo career.
Her stage name was inspired by the cartoon character Pebbles Flintstone.
She left the music industry in the late 1990s to pursue Christian ministry.
“I'm not a businesswoman, I'm a business, woman.”
