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BURT'S TONI BRAXTON PAGE TOP Toni Braxton was born the oldest of five chldren in familly of minister on October 7, 1967 in Severen, Maryland. Because her parents were very religious, Toni grew up singing in the choir at her father's church. She was not allowed to were pants untill high school and forbidden to listen to secular music or watch shows such as Soul Train. Although she was forbidden to listen to secular music. Toni's fondest memories are of "sneaking to watch Soul Train whenever my parents weren't around. " It was these glimpses of secular music that influenced Toni's singing style. It also influenced her skills as a pianist and song writer. Toni graduated from Gien Burnie High School and went on to study teaching at Bowie State University before embarking on her musical career. Toni made her professional music debut in 1992, on the Boomerang soundtrack. Her comtribution was entitled "Give U My Heart", a duet with producer/recording artiet Babyface. The songs' multi-platinum succes was the start of a chart-topping career. Toni's self-topping debut album has won three Grammi Awards, three American Awards, three American music Awards and two Soul Train Awards. Her debut album "Toni Braxton" also contained two #1 Gold singles,and was platinum 9 times. At the beginning of 1995 after a hectic schedue of appearances and performances,Toni began work on her sophomotore album.Her best turneted out to be "Secrets", an album that allows the listener the opportunity to witmess Toni in an array of musical moods and settings. Babyface's "There's No Me without You" one of her personal favorites, has a simple, plaintive acoustic feel. "Why should I Care" has an old school '70' s flavor, while R.Kelly's "I Don't Want To" offers a broody lyrical response to Toni's 1994 hit, "Just Another Sad Love Song". Confirmation that her first album was just the beginning of what promises to be a long-term carrer filled with accomplishment, "Secrets" is a glowing testament to Toni Braxton's status as one of the decade's most vibrant,exciting, soul deep, straight from the heart young artists. WWW.GO.TO/TONIBRAXTON.COM TOP Toni Michele Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland as the oldest of six children. She was raised in a religious family and sung with her sisters in the church choir. Although it was forbidden, they sometimes sneaked to see the Soul Train Show. In 1990, Arista signed the 5 sisters to their label and released the only single The Good Life. Although the single was a flop, the sisters were noticed by producers LA Reid and Babyface. LA and Face had started their own record company and already signed TLC, a female band and were not interested anymore in another female group. A female artist was what they were looking for and Toni was signed, without her sisters, to LaFace records. Toni, together with Babyface, hit the charts with their duet Give U My Heart, one of the many hits on the Boomerang Soundtrack. In 1993, Toni's debut album was released. More hits came from this album: Love Shoulda Brought You Home, Another Sad Love Song, Breathe Again, How Many Ways, and I Belong To You. She won 3 Grammy Awards, 3 American Music Awards and 2 Soul Train Awards. Now, the expectations for her second album, Secrets, were high. The first single You're Makin' Me High, bombed the charts again, a very successful album, including the smash hit Un-Break My Heart, was on it's way. Worldwide, more than 15 million copies are sold of both albums together. Despite Toni's huge succes in music, she filed for bankruptcy in 1998. A nasty fight in court started and Toni wasn't able to record for LaFace or any other label. That's why she decided to play the role of Belle in Disneys Broadway Musical Beauty and the Beast. In that period of 6 months, Toni showed more of her capabilities than only singing. Finally, Toni and LaFace came together and prepared for a third album. After lots of speculations, the release date of her album will be April 25th. And April 21st for Europe. The first single He Wasn't Man Enough already hit some European charts and promises a HEATful summer. WWW.ROLLING STONE.COM  TOP
Behind Toni Braxton's angelic fatade is a prodigious R&B singer who has collaborated with the short list of the who's who in R&B. Born in Severn, Md., Braxton used her natural musical ability to sing in church with her four sisters. Entering and winning local talent contests and sneaking to watch "Soul Train" whenever her parents weren't around inspired her to pursue her dreams, with influences like Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder. While studying at Bowie State University to become a teacher, Braxton's career plans were sidetracked when she became the first female artist to sign with LaFace Records in early 1991. Braxton soared to incredible popularity with her self-titled 1993 debut. Racking up close to 10 million sales worldwide. Toni Braxton earned the sultry-voiced singer three Grammy Awards (including the 1993 Best New Artist Award), three American Music Awards and two Soul Train Music Awards. In all, the album spawned three hit singles: "Another Sad Love Song," "Breathe Again" and "You Mean The World To Me." All these tunes achieved gold status and became Top 5 R&B and Top 10 pop smashes for Braxton. On her second album, the 1996 LaFace Records release Secrets, Braxton worked with such luminaries as Babyface, R. Kelly, David Foster, Keith Crouch, Tony Rich, Soul Shock & Karlin and Bryce Wilson (of Groove Theory) to produce grooves such as "You're Making Me High," "Come On Over Here" and "I Love Me Some Him;" as well as the pop/R&B balladry of "Unbreak My Heart" and "In The Late Of Night." Braxton's long-awaited third CD, The Heat, was released in the spring of 2000.
If we start at the beginning Toni was born on October 7th 1967. She was born in Severn, Maryland. She was born the eldest of 4 sisters and 1 brother. She started singing at an early age whilst in the choir of her fathers church. He was an Apostolic minister and also a vocalist. Toni had to live under the strict rules of her family's faith which prevented her and her sisters from wearing pants, makeup and they were not allowed to listen to mainstream music. All was to change when her parents, Michael and Evelyn Braxton joined the United Methodist Church. Toni ended her schooling at Glen Burnie High School and then started at Bowie State University. Toni started studying music with hopes of becoming a music teacher and also took singing lessons to try and improve what was already an incredible voice. Annapolis turned out to be a great town for Toni as when filling up with gas a songwriter helped her make some contacts which helped Toni and her sisters secure a contract with Arista records. The Braxtons were now formed. Their first single "The Good Life" did not do as well as hoped but it brought Toni's voice to the attention of some very influential people. In 1991 Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Antonio "L.A." Reid entered Toni's career, as they were just forming LaFace Records. Both saw tremendous potential in Toni as a female solo singer and promptly signed her to LaFace. Toni ended her studying as her career was about to take off, thanks mainly to Anita Baker's pregnancy! The 1992 Eddie Murphy film "Boomerang" gave Toni her first chance to taste success when Anita Baker had to pull out of the soundtrack. Her duet "Give U My Heart" with Babyface was an instant hit and the second single "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" also hit the Billboard charts. Her selftitled debut album was released in 1993. This was followed up in 1996 by "Secrets" which gave Toni 2 No1 hits. 1997 was a good year for Toni as she won 2 Grammy Awards including the "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for "You're Makin Me High". This year her third album "Heat" was released to much critical acclaim and now Toni plans to move into the movie business in 2001. The movie is called "Kingdom Come" and is expected to be released in April 2001. Toni's character is called Juanita in the movie. The plot is about group of old friends who get together when a despicable family member thankfully dies! The cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, Vivica A. Fox, LL Cool J and Clifton Davis. It is directed by Douglas McHenry who also directed "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" with Martin Lawrence. Toni is planning to tour in March to promote her "Heat" album which has now gone double platinum with sales in excess of 2 million copies. WWW.WALL OF SOUND.COM  TOP
TONI BRAXTON is one of today's hottest divas. Since the then-unknown artist emerged on the 1992 soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, her golden alto voice has become the Midas touch for hit singles, multi-
The Braxton home in Severn, Maryland, adhered to the strict tenets of the Apostolic faith, of which Braxton's father was a minister. Women, for instance, were not allowed to wear pants, sandals, or makeup. And certainly no popular music was allowed. Not that Braxton and her five siblings (four sisters and one brother) were entirely in the dark: "I used to sneak Soul Train when my parents would leave the house to go shopping on Saturday," remembers Braxton, who sang in the church choir from an early age. Her technical skill came from her mother, an amateur opera singer, but watching the biggest R&B stars of the seventies on TV--
Braxton eventually studied teaching at Bowie State University, but singing was her true passion. Her first break came after she and three of her sisters, performing as the Braxtons, signed to Arista Records and hit the low end of the Billboard R&B charts with "The Good Life." The record caught the attention of L.A. and Babyface, who signed Braxton to LaFace in 1991. Then another break: a pregnant Anita Baker bowed out of singing on the Boomerang soundtrack, which the two producers were overseeing. At Baker's suggestion, they threw a couple of tracks to Braxton: "Give U My Heart," a duet with Babyface, hit No. 29 on Billboard, while "Love Shoulda Brought You Home"--
Braxton's self- Her second album, Secrets, took eighteen months to produce and featured a somewhat flashier and sexier Braxton; the song "You're Makin' Me High"--
Besides music, Braxton is often asked about an acting career. She surely has the looks for it: People magazine listed her as one of the most beautiful women in the world. Braxton says acting is a consideration-- |
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WWW.YAHOO.COM 7 October 1968, Severn, Maryland, USA. Braxton, with her four sisters, was signed to Arista Records in 1990 as the Braxtons. It was their 'The Good Life' single that brought them to the attention of producers L.A. And Babyface, who provided her with solo successes such as 'Another Sad Love Song' and 'You Mean The World To Me'. Though she has been widely described as the 'new Whitney Houston' (a fate that befalls many female vocalists), her vocal talent also found an audience in dance music circles, causing her debut album to sell more than two million copies, and she won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1993. Secrets repeated the success of her debut, particularly in her homeland where it spent 92 weeks on the chart. The album also spawned the transatlantic hit singles 'You're Makin' Me High' and 'Un-break My Heart'. She won Female Rhythm & Blues Artist Of The Year at the 1997 Billboard Music Awards. Surprisingly, in light of her previous commercial success, Braxton filed for bankruptcy in January 1998 following litigation with her record company. She returned in style two years later with The Heat which included the Rodney Jerkins-penned Top 5 hit 'He Wasn't Man Enough', and a duet with Dr. Dre on 'Just Be A Man About It'. |
