Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton is a Grammy Award winning artist who has sold over 40 million records. She will appear on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars along with her partner Alec Mazo.
Toni was born on October 7, 1967 in Severn, Maryland. Her father was a minister, so she and her four sisters were raised in a religious household. Toni got her first singing experience in her church choir, but she and her sisters Traci, Trina, Towanda, and Tamar, began singing as The Braxtons in the late Eighties. They were signed to Arista Records and released a single. It wasn’t very successful, but did catch the attention of Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Her debut self-titled album was released in 1993. It reached #1 on the Billboard charts and produced five successful singles, including “Another Sad Love Song” and “Breathe Again.” That album won Toni three Grammy Awards as well as two American Music Awards. Since its release, it has sold over 15 million copies.
Toni’s second album, Secrets, was more successful than her debut album. The second single, “Un-break My Heart,” remains not only Toni’s biggest hit, but also the second biggest single by a female artist ever. Secrets has been certified 8 times platinum and has sold more than 20 million copies. Despite her success, Toni had to file for bankruptcy in 1998. She decided to pursue acting during this time and became the first African American woman to play a Disney character on Broadway when she played Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
Toni’s third album, The Heat, was released in 2000 and certified 2 times platinum. That same year, Toni performed at the Super Bowl halftime show with Christina Aguilera and Enrique Iglesias. After two not as successful albums, Toni left Arista Records after fourteen years. Her next album, Libra, was released by Blackground Records and debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The album was eventually certified gold. In 2007, Toni sued her former manager Barry Hankerson for “fraud, deception, and double dealing.” The suit was eventually settled with Toni returning an advance to Hankerson and him releasing her from her contract.
Toni recorded “The Time of Our Lives” with Il Divo in 2006. The song became the official song of the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the artists performed the song at the opening and closing ceremonies. In June 2008, she announced on the Montel Williams Show that she was planning to release a new album soon.
On August 3, 2006, Toni replaced music icon Wayne Newton as the headliner at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The show, titled Toni Braxton: Revealed, ran six nights a week for a year. Toni had decided to extend the show another year, but in April 2008, she was hospitalized and the show was cancelled to allow Toni to focus on her health.
Toni married musician Keri Lewis in April 2001. That December, she gave birth to the couple’s first child, Denim Cole. They welcomed son Diezel Ky in March 2003. Diezel was diagnosed with autism and Toni now serves as the spokeswoman for Autism Speaks. Due to her own health problems with pericarditis, which was diagnosed right after the birth of Diezel, Toni also serves as the spokeswoman for The American Heart Association.
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