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Braxton is the oldest of six
children. She attended elementary school at Quarterfield Elementary
School, and middle school at Corkran Middle School in Glen Burnie,
Maryland. She also attended Glen Burnie High School in Glen Burnie,
Maryland. Her father was a clergyman, and the Braxton children were raised
in a strict religious household. Braxton's first performing experience was
singing in her church choir. She attended Bowie State University to obtain
a teaching degree but decided to pursue a musical career.
Braxton and her four sisters (Traci, Trina, Towanda, and Tamar) began
performing as The Braxtons in the late 1980s and were signed to Arista
Records in 1989. Their first single, "Good Life", was released in 1990.
Though the song was not successful, it attracted the attention of Antonio
"L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
With Braxton's low register sounding similar to that of Anita Baker, Reid
and Babyface recruited her to record a demo of "Love Shoulda Brought You
Home", a song that they had written for Anita Baker for the soundtrack of
Eddie Murphy's film, Boomerang. Baker, who was pregnant at the time,
didn't record the song but suggested that Braxton record it. Her recording
was later included on the soundtrack along with "Give U My Heart" - a duet
by Braxton and Babyface. Braxton, meanwhile, was signed to Reid and
Edmonds' Arista-distributed imprint, LaFace Records, and immediately began
recording her solo debut album.
On July 13, 1993, LaFace Records released Braxton's self-titled debut
album, Toni Braxton. The album, which was primarily produced by Reid,
Babyface, and Daryl Simmons peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200
albums chart. The first single, "Another Sad Love Song", peaked at number
seven and number two on Billboard's Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts
respectively. The album's second single, "Breathe Again" peaked in the top
five of both the Hot 100 and R&B singles charts. More singles from Toni
Braxton were released in 1994, including "You Mean the World to Me",
"Seven Whole Days", and "How Many Ways".
Braxton's debut album won her several awards, including three Grammy
Awards (for "Best New Artist" and two consecutive awards for "Best Female
R&B Vocal Performance" in 1994 and 1995). She also won two American Music
Awards (for "Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist", "Favorite New Adult
Contemporary Artist") in 1994 and another one in 1995 (for "Favorite
Soul/R&B Album"). Toni Braxton was certified 8x Platinum and has sales of
over 15 million worldwide.
In 1998, the five-time Grammy winner filed for Chapter 7 protection from a
reported $3.9 million debt. All of her personal household possessions were
tagged and marked for sale to pay off her creditors, including her
prestigious awards. The humiliating and highly publicized bankruptcy
taught her a lesson, she says. In the middle of the bankruptcy
proceedings, Braxton was able to pursue her acting dreams when she was
offered the role of "Belle" in Disney's musical, Beauty and the Beast, a
role she played on Broadway from September through December 1998. Toni was
the first African American woman to play a disney character leading role
on broadway.
Braxton met musician Keri Lewis in 1997, when the group Mint Condition
(which he was a member of at that time) opened up for her while she was on
tour. On April 21, 2001, they married. On December 2, 2001, she gave birth
to their first child, a son named Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis. The couple's
second son, Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, was born on March 31, 2003. The
couple currently lives in the Southern Highlands Golf Club in Las Vegas.
Braxton attended Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.
In an October 2006 concert at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, it was reported
that Braxton broke down in tears discussing her son, Diezel, who was
recently diagnosed with autism. Braxton has been outspoken regarding her
doctor's failure to diagnose Diezel's condition earlier, contending that
if he had been diagnosed earlier, he could have been helped. As of August
2007 rumors surfaced that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Toni
stated to Access Hollywood that the breast cancer rumors were false and
that her health is in great condition.
Braxton has appeared on two Disney Broadway shows: "Beauty and the Beast"
(as Belle) in 1998 and "Aida" (as Aida) in 2003. Her role in "Beauty and
the Beast" marked the first (and only) time an African American commanded
the leading role of Belle. It also marked the first time an African
American female would star in a Disney musical on Broadway, making Toni
the first African American female to star in a disney musical on Broadway.
In 2001, she made her acting debut in the feature film Kingdom Come. In
August 2005, Braxton announced that she would be shooting a sitcom pilot
for The WB's fall 2006 line-up, though plans to put the show into
full-production fell through when The WB announced it would cease to exist
in fall 2006 (as part of a merger with UPN to form The CW). |
