Toni Braxton
After fronting the sibling group the Braxtons, Toni was discovered by producers L.A. Reid and Babyface and signed to LaFace as a solo artist. Her 1993 self-titled debut topped the Billboard 200 and made her R&B's most distinctive new contralto. In 1996, the ballad 'Un-Break My Heart' from Secrets turned her into a global pop superstar.
Maryland Beginnings
Toni Michele Braxton was born October 7, 1967, in Severn, Maryland, the eldest of six children in a strict religious household. Her first performances came singing in her church choir, where her unusually deep contralto stood out early.
Solo Stardom
After recording with her sisters as the Braxtons, she signed with LaFace as a solo act. Her 1993 debut topped the charts, won her Best New Artist, and established her as one of R&B's defining voices of the decade.
A Global Smash
The 1996 album Secrets and its ballad 'Un-Break My Heart' made Braxton an international superstar. She has since won seven Grammy Awards and sold tens of millions of records over a career spanning three decades.
Career Timeline
- 1967Born in Severn, Maryland, eldest of six
- 1990Records with sisters as the Braxtons
- 1992Signs to LaFace Records as solo artist
- 1993Debut album tops Billboard 200
- 1994Wins Grammy for Best New Artist
- 1996Secrets and 'Un-Break My Heart' released
- 1997Wins two Grammys for 'Un-Break My Heart'
- 2001Marries musician Keri Lewis
- 2010Reveals lupus diagnosis publicly
- 2011Stars in reality series Braxton Family Values
Biggest Hits
- She is the eldest of six siblings; younger sister Tamar Braxton became a singer and TV personality.
- Braxton has openly managed lupus since revealing her 2010 diagnosis, becoming an advocate for awareness.
Portrait: Philip Nelson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons