She is known as the highly successful R&B singer and songwriter with a distinctive contralto voice. In 1992, she was asked to help fill in for Anita Baker on the film Boomerang and that was another huge moment in her career. Today, Braxton is a multi-award winning performer that has made history as the first black woman to be featured as Belle in the 1998 Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast. Toni is seen with the rest of her beautiful sisters on the reality series, Braxton Family Values (2011 – present).
Date of Birth: October 7, 1967
Zodiac Sign: Libra
The sultry-voiced artist started off in the church like many other secular artists and always sang alongside her siblings. They went for local talent shows together and Toni decided to become a music teacher. The Braxtons released a few singles before Toni was identified for her exceptional talent and embarked on her now famous solo career. Un-Break my Heart is still considered her biggest international single but there are many others that have won the hearts of her fans all over.
Toni Michelle has experienced the ups and downs of life from raising an autistic child to bankruptcy, dealing with lupus and eventually a divorce after 12 years of being married. Through it all, she has a great support system in her family and we’ll be looking into the lives of every member of the lovely family. Enjoy the ride through the Braxtons crew starting from their ever stylish mother.
Toni Braxton parents
Evelyn Braxton (mother)
Date of Birth: January 14, 1948
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Evelyn is unarguably on the list of the very cool celebrity moms in Hollywood. It is hard to believe she is almost seventy as the opera singer like fine wine ages gracefully. When she was 13, she moved to Maryland to live with her aunty who had no child. It was there she met with Michael and the lovers got married when she was only 18. In a few years, she had become the mother to six children and had to resort to life as a full-time mom.
While she stayed at home, Evelyn worked as a pastor and the very dedicated music coach of all her kids. She is the happiest today at the success of her Braxton monarchy seeing she was there since inception and was their manager for a while until their careers became well defined. After the Braxton brood became ‘of age’; Evelyn decided to continue with her life, and she took on a few University courses.
Michael Conrad Braxton Sr (father)
Date of Birth: June 26, 1947
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
He was the strict gas worker and clergyman that prohibited his kids from listening to secular music while they were in his house. The Braxton sisters began singing at his church while they were still really young but as expected, kids wanted to be adventurous and try other kinds of music. Michael eventually eased up a bit and allowed his children the freedom of gaining exposure from other singers and that was how music became a central part of his children’s life especially Toni, the Let It Flow crooner.
Evelyn caught him cheating and they both divorced in 2000 after 35 years of being married. There was nothing more scandalous as a pastor having an affair for nine years and to make it worse, he remarried within 30 days of his divorce from Evelyn. According to his daughters, he forgot about his first family after his second marriage and it still hurts when they think about it. Michael now lives as a retired father with his second wife in Baltimore and there is still some tension between him and his first family.
Toni Braxton siblings
Michael Conrad Braxton Jr. (younger brother from same parents)
Date of Birth: November 17, 1968
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Michael Jr. is the only son and second child in the Braxton family. Like the rest of his siblings, he is also a singer and songwriter who grew up singing in the church choir with his family.
Traci Renee Braxton (younger sister from same parents)
Date of Birth: April 2, 1972
Zodiac Sign: Aries
She was the first one to encourage her sister to take the solo deal when Babyface and L.A. Reid wanted to sign only her. Traci is the most reserved of the Braxton brood though she is a singer and a TV personality. Because of her desire to settle down with her family, she still searches for her rightful place on the entertainment industry but loves her life as a motivational speaker. She champions awareness for societal and health challenges affecting kids and is involved with social work for children with disabilities. She is married to Kevin Surratt and they have a son Kevin (born in 1996) named after his father.
Towanda Chloe Braxton (younger sister from same parents)
Date of Birth: September 18, 1973
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
She served as a personal assistant to her sister Toni for many years. Towanda is also a TV personality, singer, philanthropist and founder of the Secret Squirrel, a training company for personal assistants. She was previously married to Andre Carter from January 2004 till their August 2016 divorce and they have two kids, Braxton and Brooke.
Trina Evette Braxton (younger sister from same parents)
Date of Birth: December 3, 1974
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Trina has grown from the younger singer into a multifaceted entertainer and businesswoman. She is often portrayed as the fun, full of energy lady but beneath her party self is the savvy career woman. Trina owns a fashion boutique in her Atlanta, Georgia hometown where she also raises two boys; Eric and Caleb with former husband Gabe Solis.
Tamar Estine Braxton (younger sister from same parents)
Date of Birth: March 17, 1977
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
She is the youngest and most outspoken of the girl crew and is also in the showbiz line like the rest of her siblings. She was upset when her sister came to them with the news about her being offered an opportunity to be a solo artist. She did not want Toni to accept the deal but the sexy Braxton eventually did.
It was also Tamar who had the idea of them starting their reality TV series, Toni did not get on board initially but eventually agreed and they are better off today for it. Her first marriage was in 2001 to music producer Darrell Allamby but it ended after two years. On November 27, 2008, she got married to Toni’s best friend and super producer Vincent Herbert after dating for five years.
Toni and Tamar
On October 24, 2017, Tamar filed for a divorce from her husband asking for joint custody of their son Logan (born June 6, 2013). Rumor has it that the argument of the couple has been majorly over money but also they have had serious marital issues since she was fired in May 2016 from the reality show The Real (2013 – present). The next season of the couple’s spinoff show Tamar & Vince (2012 – present) is to air in a few weeks and there is no word yet as to whether their separation would affect the show.
Toni Braxton ex-husband
Keri Lewis (former spouse)
Duration of Marriage: April 21, 2001 – July 2013 (12 years)
Date of Birth: February 12, 1971
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Keri is the singer known for his time as a member of the Mint Condition R & B group. He met the multi-time Grammy winner in 1997 while he opened for her at her first solo tour and their chemistry built on from there. While the keyboardist was married to Braxton, he left the R&B band so he could help his wife produce music.
In 2013, after becoming parents to two sons, Toni and Keri separated for reasons they kept personal. It was an amicable split and both ex-lovers decided to continue raising their kids together. Since divorcing Lewis, Toni has been seen severally with Birdman who happens to be her new beau. According to her the fellow music mogul is a very nice man and full of respect whether everyone else agrees or not.
Toni Braxton children
Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis (son with Keri Lewis)
Date of Birth: December 2, 2001
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
He is the first son to the beautiful Toni and is in his own right a celebrity. Denim has garnere3d a sizable social media presence and has over a thousand followers.
Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis (son with Keri Lewis)
Date of Birth: March 31, 2003
Zodiac Sign: Aries
When Diezel was nine months, the soul singer stated that she knew there was something different about her soon as he was not behaving like every other child should at his age. He was finally diagnosed with autism at the young age of three and Toni has since become inspired to actively participate in Autism centred organizations. As of today, she claims her son no longer shows signs of the disease stating that he could begin therapy early enough because he was diagnosed early.
Today, Braxton can boldly speak about the struggles she had when Diezel was still much younger. At first the gifted singer even thought her autistic son was a punishment from God because she aborted a pregnancy in 1999. For someone who was from a highly religious background, it is understandable if she felt God was angry with her for “taking a life” but as her son grew, she eased into the role and is doing very well especially now that he is a ‘social butterfly’ with a chance at living a normal complete life.
Facebook
Twitter