Toni Michelle Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland, on October 7, 1967. She comes from a musical and religious family. Her parents, Michael and Evelyn, were clergymen and pastors at their local Methodist church. Braxton’s father was also employed by the electricity business. Her mother was an opera singer who also worked at a beauty shop. Toni’s maternal grandpa was a minister as well. She is the oldest of six sisters and brothers, with one brother (Michael, 1968) and four younger sisters. Braxton’s first appearance as a singer was in her church choir. She enrolled at Maryland’s Bowie State University with the idea of becoming a teacher. However, after hearing her sing to herself while pumping gas, composer and producer William Pettaway Jr. persuaded her to pursue a singing career.
Personal Life
Toni Braxton met musician Keri Lewis while on tour with his band Mint Condition. On April 21, 2001, they married. Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis, their son, was born the same year. She became pregnant with her second kid in 2002 and was placed on bed rest. Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, her second son, was born in March 2003. Toni is the International Spokesperson for Autism Speaks, and Diezel is autistic. Lewis and Braxton divorced in July 2013.
In May 2016, Braxton began dating rapper Birdman. In February 2018, they announced their engagement. The pair called off their engagement in January 2019. In April 2019, however, both Braxton and Birdman acknowledged that they were still together.
Career
Braxton and her sisters formed The Braxtons in the late 1980s and landed a deal with Arista Records in 1989. The group’s debut hit, “Good Life,” was released in 1990. The song didn’t catch on on the radio, but it piqued the interest of producers Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Toni was requested to make a demo recording of their song “Love Shoulda Brought You Home,” which they created for Anita Baker to sing on the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy’s film “Boomerang.” Baker proposed that Braxton instead sing it. Toni’s rendition, as well as a duet between Braxton and Edmonds, was featured on the final soundtrack. L.A. and Babyface signed Braxton to LaFace Records and immediately began production on her debut solo album.
“Toni Braxton” debuted at number one on the albums chart in July 1993. Toni’s debut hit, “Another Sad Love Song,” was the very first number-one song on the then-new Adult R&B charts. Braxton’s debut album yielded five hits and earned her three Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist and two consecutive nominations for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Braxton’s second album, “Secrets,” was released in the summer of 1996. It is her most commercially successful album to date. Braxton’s first number-one hit on the Hot 100 charts was “You’re Makin’ Me High.” The second single, “Un-Break My Heart,” went on to become Braxton’s biggest hit, owing in part to Diane Warren’s excellent songwriting and composition. The song topped the Hot Dance Singles chart for 11 weeks.
“More Than a Woman” in 2002, “Libra” in 2005, and “Pulse” in 2010 were all published during a period of health concerns and contract disputes for Braxton. “Love, Marriage, & Divorce” by Braxton and Babyface was released in 2014. In 2015, the album earned them the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Braxton’s ninth studio album, “Sex & Cigarettes,” was released in 2018.
Braxton made her Broadway debut as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” in 1998. Alan Menken penned a new song for the legendary musical, “A Change in Me,” specifically for Braxton. Toni quit the “Beauty and the Beast” production in 1999.
Braxton has also dabbled in reality television with “Braxton Family Values,” which has been airing on WeTV since 2011, and “Tamar and Vince,” which stars her younger sister Tamar.
In 2006, Braxton headlined “Toni Braxton: Revealed” at the Flamingo Las Vegas. Six evenings a week, she performed. Because the performance was so successful, it was extended until August 2008. The show’s following dates, however, were cancelled after Braxton was diagnosed with a cardiac issue.
Toni Braxton Bankruptcy and Financial Problems
Toni has a lengthy history of financial difficulties, despite her economic success. She declared bankruptcy for the first time in 1998 when she owed $5 million. Toni’s financial status improved after she launched her smash album The Heat in 2000, which sold over two million copies. Toni was unfortunately obliged to file for bankruptcy again in October 2010. Toni was allegedly up to $50 million in debt in her filing.
She owed money to several creditors, including the IRS, Tiffany & Co, AT&T, and Neiman Marcus, to mention a few. In less than two years, she allegedly spent $2.5 million on cosmetics, clothes, and hair. Toni lost the rights to 27 of her most renowned songs, including “You’re Making Me High,” “Always,” and “How Many Ways,” as part of her continuing bankruptcy proceedings in July 2013. That implies she is no longer entitled to the lion’s share of royalties from her own song sales.
Toni also does not earn major royalties from her biggest song, “Un-Break My Heart,” because Diane Warren wrote it. Fortunately, Ms Braxton remains a popular live performer, particularly in Europe. Her annual earnings from live concerts and personal appearances, including her reality show Braxton Family Values, are between $750,000 and $1 million. Toni’s debt was eventually discharged by a bankruptcy court, so maybe she can keep her money clean this time.
Net Worth
Braxton paid $2.9 million for a 5,323-square-foot property in Calabasas, California’s The Oaks community in the fall of 2014. The four en-suite bedroom home, built in 2006, was deemed a “affordable” property for someone wishing to relocate into this sought area. She sold it for $3.4 million in 2016.
Toni Braxton is a $10 million dollar net-worth American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actor, television personality, and philanthropist. Braxton’s recordings have sold over 67 million copies globally. She is one of the most successful female R&B performers of all time. Braxton has received several Grammy nominations.
Health Concerns
Rumours began to surface in late summer 2007 that Braxton had been diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time, she denied it. She had a benign lump removed from her breast in 2008. Braxton was temporarily hospitalized on April 8, 2008, and the remaining dates of her Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas engagement were cancelled. She later revealed on Season 7 of “Dancing with the Stars” that she had been diagnosed with microvascular angina.
Braxton disclosed to CBS News on November 18, 2010, that she had been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a potentially fatal autoimmune condition.
Facts
| Net Worth: | $10 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Oct 7, 1967 (55 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Severn |
| Gender: | Female |
| Height: | 5 ft 1 in (1.562 m) |
| Profession: | Singer, Actor, Singer-songwriter, Artist, Record producer, Pianist, TV Personality, Musician, Music artist |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
