Toni Braxton was one of the most popular and commercially successful female
R&B singers of the '90s, thanks to her ability to straddle seemingly opposite
worlds.
Toni Braxton was soulful enough for R&B audiences, but smooth enough for adult
contemporary; sophisticated enough for adults, but sultry enough for younger
listeners; strong enough in the face of heartbreak to appeal to women, but
ravishing enough to nab the fellas. Wielding such broad appeal,
Toni Braxton managed to score not one, but two albums that sold over eight
million copies; naturally, they were accompanied by a long string of hit singles
on the pop and R&B charts, one of which -- "Un-break My Heart" -- ranks among
the longest-running number one pop hits of the rock era.
Toni Braxton was born in Severn, MD, on October 7, 1968. The daughter of a
minister, she was raised mostly in the strict Apostolic faith, which prohibited
not only all popular culture, but also pants in women's wardrobes. Encouraged by
their mother, an operatically trained vocalist,
Toni Braxton and her four sisters began singing in church as girls; although
gospel was the only music permitted in the household, the girls often watched
Soul Train when their parents went shopping.
Toni Braxton's parents later converted to a different faith, and eased their
restrictions on secular music somewhat, allowing
Toni Braxton more leeway to develop her vocal style; because of her husky voice,
she often used male singers like
Luther Vandross,
Stevie Wonder, and
Michael McDonald as models, as well as
Chaka Khan.
Toni Braxton had some success on the local talent-show circuit, continuing to
sing with her sisters, and after high school studied to become a music teacher.
However,
Toni Braxton soon dropped out of college after she was discovered singing to
herself at a gas station by songwriter Bill Pettaway (who co-authored
Milli Vanilli's "Girl You Know It's True"). With Pettaway's help,
Toni Braxton and her sisters signed with Arista Records in 1990 as a group dubbed
simply
the Braxtons.
The Braxtons released a single in 1990 called "The Good Life," and while it
wasn't a hit, it caught the attention of
L.A. Reid and
Babyface, the red-hot songwriting/production team who had just formed their
own label, LaFace (which was associated with Arista).
Toni Braxton became the first female artist signed to LaFace in 1991, and the
following year she was introduced to the listening public with a high-profile
appearance on the soundtrack of
Eddie Murphy's Boomerang. Not only did her solo cut "Love Shoulda Brought
You Home" become a substantial pop and R&B hit, but she also dueted with
Babyface himself on "Give U My Heart." Anticipation for
Toni Braxton's first album ran high, and when her eponymous solo debut was
released in 1993, it was an across-the-board smash, climbing to number one on
both the pop and R&B charts. It spun off hit after hit, including three more Top
Ten singles in "Another Sad Love Song," "Breathe Again," and "You Mean the World
to Me," plus the double-sided R&B hit "I Belong to You"/"How Many Ways." With
eventual sales of over eight million copies, Toni Braxton's run of popularity
lasted well into 1995. By that time,
Toni Braxton had scored Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal
("Another Sad Love Song") in 1994, and tacked on another win in the latter
category for "Breathe Again" in 1995.
To tide fans over until her next album was released,
Toni Braxton contributed "Let It Flow" to the
Whitney Houston-centered soundtrack of Waiting to Exhale in 1995. Again
working heavily with
L.A. Reid and
Babyface,
Toni Braxton released her second album, Secrets, in the summer of 1996, and
predictably, it was another enormous hit. The first single, "You're Makin' Me
High," was
Toni Braxton's most overtly sexual yet, and it became her biggest pop hit to
date; however, its success was soon eclipsed by the follow-up single, the
Diane Warren-penned ballad "Un-break My Heart." "Un-break My Heart" was an
inescapable juggernaut, spending an amazing 11 weeks on top of the pop charts
(and even longer on the adult contemporary charts). Further singles "I Don't
Want To" and "How Could an Angel Break My Heart" weren't quite as successful
(not that that's an indictment), but that didn't really matter; by then Secrets
was well on its way to becoming
Toni Braxton's second straight eight-million-seller. In 1997, she picked up
Grammy awards for Best Female Pop Vocal and Best Female R&B Vocal (for "Un-break
My Heart" and "You're Makin' Me High," respectively).
Toward the end of 1997,
Toni Braxton filed a lawsuit against LaFace Records, attempting to gain release
from a contract she felt was no longer fair or commensurate with her status.
When LaFace countersued,
Toni Braxton filed for bankruptcy, a move that shocked many fans (who wondered
how that could be possible, given her massive sales figures) but actually
afforded her protection from further legal action.
Toni Braxton spent most of 1998 in legal limbo, and passed the time by signing on
to portray Belle in the Broadway production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (a
role originally held by erstwhile teen queen
Deborah Gibson).
Toni Braxton and LaFace finally reached a settlement in early 1999, and the
singer soon began work on her third album. Heat was released in the spring of
2000, and entered the charts at number two, matching the highest position held
by Secrets. Lead single "He Wasn't Man Enough" was a Top Ten hit (and an R&B
chart-topper), although the follow-ups "Just Be a Man About It" (a duet with
Dr. Dre) and "Spanish Guitar" didn't sustain the album's momentum as well as
one might have expected. A brisk seller out of the box, The Heat eventually
cooled off around the two-million mark; a disappointing showing compared to her
previous efforts, despite yet another Grammy win for Best Female R&B Vocal ("He
Wasn't Man Enough").
In 2001,
Toni Braxton made her feature film debut in the ensemble comedy Kingdom Come, and
married
Mint Condition keyboardist
Keri Lewis; by the end of the year, they had a baby boy.
Toni Braxton also released her first holiday album, Snowflakes. In early 2002,
Toni Braxton appeared in the VH1 movie Play'd, and recorded More Than a Woman for
release later that year. The singles "Please" and "That's the Way Love Works
(Trippin')" announced
Toni Braxton's 2005 return with the full-length Libra. ~ Steve Huey, All Music
Guide
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