Toni Braxton

Toni Michele Braxton was born on October 7, 1967, in Severn, Maryland, the eldest of six siblings. Her father, Michael Conrad Braxton Sr., worked as a Methodist clergyman and for a power company, while her mother, Evelyn Jackson, a South Carolina native, had a background in opera singing and cosmetology and also served as a pastor. Braxton's maternal grandfather was likewise a pastor, and she grew up in a strict religious household where her first performing experience came through singing in her church choir. She later attended Bowie State University with the intention of earning a teaching degree. Her path shifted when William E. Pettaway Jr., working as an attendant at an Annapolis service station, recognized her from local performances and expressed interest in producing her. Though initially skeptical, Braxton accepted the opportunity. She has four younger sisters — Traci Renee (1971–2022), Towanda Chloe, Trina Evette, and Tamar Estine — and a younger brother, Michael Jr.

In the late 1980s, Braxton and her sisters began performing together as the Braxtons and signed with Arista Records in 1989. Their debut single, "Good Life," released in 1990, drew the attention of record executive Antonio "L.A." Reid and producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Reid and Babyface recruited Braxton to record "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" for the soundtrack of the film Boomerang, a song originally intended for Anita Baker. Her recording appeared on that soundtrack alongside a duet with Babyface titled "Give U My Heart." She subsequently signed as a solo artist to LaFace Records, Reid and Edmonds' Arista-distributed imprint.

LaFace released Braxton's self-titled debut album in July 1993. Produced primarily by Reid, Babyface, and Daryl Simmons, the album reached number one on the US Billboard 200 and entered the top ten of album charts in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and produced the singles "Another Sad Love Song," which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Breathe Again," which reached the top five of both the Hot 100 and the R&B singles charts. Additional singles from the album included "You Mean the World to Me," "Seven Whole Days," and "I Belong to You/How Many Ways." The album earned Braxton three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and two consecutive awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1994 and 1995, as well as American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist, Favorite New Adult Contemporary Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

Braxton's second studio album, Secrets, arrived in June 1996. She co-produced the record and collaborated with Babyface, R. Kelly, Tony Rich, and David Foster. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and, after 92 weeks on the charts, was certified 8× platinum in the United States, with international sales exceeding 15 million copies. Its lead single, "You're Makin' Me High," became Braxton's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, while the follow-up ballad "Un-Break My Heart," written by Diane Warren, spent eleven consecutive weeks at the top of that chart. The album brought Braxton two additional Grammy Awards — Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Un-Break My Heart" and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "You're Makin' Me High" — along with two American Music Awards. During this period, Braxton filed an unsuccessful lawsuit against Arista and LaFace Records over financial disputes and subsequently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Her third studio album, The Heat, released in 2000, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and produced the top-two single "He Wasn't Man Enough." Subsequent albums — Snowflakes (2001), More Than a Woman (2002), Libra (2005), and Pulse (2010) — were released amid contractual disputes and health issues. In 2014, Braxton and Babyface released the collaborative duet album Love, Marriage & Divorce, which won Best R&B Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Later releases included Sex & Cigarettes (2018) under Def Jam Recordings and Spell My Name (2020) under Island Records. Across her recording career, Braxton has accumulated seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, and seven American Music Awards, among numerous other honors. In 2011, she was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and in 2017 she received the Legend Award at the Soul Train Music Awards.

Braxton's Broadway career spanned from 1994 to 2013 and included appearances in Aida, After Midnight, and The Sleeping Beauty and the Beast. She made her Broadway debut as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, beginning September 9, 1998, replacing Kim Huber in the role. During her run, composer Alan Menken wrote a new song for the production, "A Change in Me," specifically for Braxton, a number that remained part of the musical as late as July 2014. She departed the production on February 28, 1999.

Beyond recording and stage work, Braxton has maintained an active presence in television. She competed in the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars and executive produced and starred in Braxton Family Values, a reality series that aired on We TV from 2011 to 2020. She also served as executive producer of Tamar & Vince, a spinoff series featuring her younger sister Tamar.