Toni Braxton Chasing Rhythm and Blues Legendary
Las Vegas Singing Sensation Takes Her Show on the Road
Oct 25, 2009
Toni Braxton became a famous rhythm and blues chart topping celebrity after her self-titled album Toni Braxton was released by LaFace records in July 1993.
Born Toni Michelle Braxton on October 7, 1968 in Severn, Maryland, the singer and actress is the daughter of Michael and Evelyn Braxton. She and her four sisters and one brother grew up in a strict religious household. Her father was a minister. He also worked at a utility firm. Toni’s mother worked as a cosmetologist.
Toni Braxton Becoming More of Who She Is
It was Toni’s mother’s operatic singing skills that helped to surface her passion and talent for singing. The early stage for Braxton was the church choir. She and her sisters would later form their own singing group, The Braxtons. Talent shows and entertainment contests were venues that offered the sisters chances at public notice.
“The Good Life,” a song recorded by the sisters caught the attention of Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds and Antonio “LA” Reid. Prior to this Toni busied herself working as a court reporter and a secretary. Due to the low sales of “The Good Life,” Toni wasn’t expecting to receive a telephone call from a music executive at the time.
Comparing Toni Braxton and Anita Baker
Edmonds and Reid signed Toni to LaFace Records in 1991. Two years later she released her self-titled album. Listeners appreciated the similarities in Braxton and Anita Baker’s rich, sultry voices. Videos that accompanied hit songs from the album thrust Toni into the spotlight. People wanted to know who the woman with the rich, deep alto voice was. The album went on to land at the number one spot on Billboard Top 200. The album would sell 15 million units and earn Toni three Grammy Awards.
Secrets was Braxton’s second album. She released the album in June 1996 on the heels of her mounting success. “Un-break My Heart,” “You’re Makin’ Me High” and “How Could an Angel Break My Heart” are some of the hit singles from the album that sold 20 million copies worldwide and earned Toni two more Grammy Awards.
Other projects that Braxton worked on included laying down a song for the Waiting to Exhale and Boomerang movie soundtracks. April 2005 Braxton released her third solo project, an album titled The Heat. The album would sell 6 million copies worldwide and earn Toni another Grammy Award.
Money Problems for Toni Braxton
As if she was born to sing and record in the studio, two years later Toni released her third album, More Than a Woman. The album would sell two million units globally. Although the sells weren’t as strong as the soul singers earlier solo projects, they were a welcomed change following the bankruptcy filing Toni submitted to the courts seven years earlier in 1998.
Bankruptcy took Toni back to her earlier commitment to focus on the business side of the music industry. Rather than to stop working, Braxton took on a role in the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast. Her performances were strong and passionate. Her voice was as it had always been, strong and moving.
The Future for Toni Braxton
2001 was a year that saw a lot of personal changes for Toni Braxton. She married Keri Lewis on April 21, 2001. December of that same year she became a mother for the first time when her son, Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis was born. She and her husband, Keri’s, second son, Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis was born on March 31, 2003.
In 2006 Toni began to headline Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Her shows were so widely received that she became the first African American performer with a show in Vegas’ top ten.
Recently, in September 2009, Toni revealed on the Steve Harvey Morning Show that she will release a new solo album titled Pulse in 2010. Her previous album was “Libra” which was released in 2005 by Blackground.
During her feature interview on The Steve Harvey Morning Show in September 2009, Toni also revealed that she is planning a concert tour to promote Pulse. After headlining Las Vegas for the past several years, the move will likely be a natural transition for the soul singer. Music fans can pick up copy of Toni Braxton's earlier or new CD from music and retail stores like FYE, Amazon.com, Tower Records, CD Baby, Target, Walmart, Kmart or Best Buy.
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