The other night, I was watching The Soul Train Music Awards and was captivated by Toni Braxton’s performance with Trey Songz. Being from Atlanta, I have always been a huge Toni fan.
Once, I even contemplated (for 5 minutes) her short cropped “do” she sported in, “Love Shoulda Brought You Home”. Phew….glad that was one idea I put on the backburner. She made that haircut work. I would have just looked like a boy.
She’s had a successful singing career selling over 40 million records worldwide and 6 Grammy’s under her belt. After recording 5 albums, Toni replaced Wayne Newton as the headlining act at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Toni has also dabbled in acting being the first African American woman to play a Disney character leading role as Belle on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast.
It wasn’t an easy road for Toni though. Early in her career she filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy. She’s also had a couple medical scares with a benign tumor removed from her breast and a microvascular angina. She is currently going through a divorce with her husband of 8 years.
She has 2 sons, Denim, 8 years old and Diezel, 6 years old. Her younger son was diagnosed as Autistic. Toni is currently a spokesperson for Autism Speaks as well as the American Heart Association.
I admire her strength and resilience. I’m so glad she is back on the music scene. I look forward to her new album, “Pulse”, which will be released in early 2010.
Keep bringing “The Heat” Toni! 
You’re beautiful, amazing, and such an inspiration.
She is beautiful. I remember when she had got really emotional at one of her Vegas performances and talked about her son being autistic and how the doctors took so long to diagnose him. She was in tears. She is definitely an amazing woman.
Isn’t she in her 40′s? I’m in my early 30′s and I look nothing like that! Go girl!
I heard about that. She was really upset because it was a late diagnosis and she felt like they could have helped him more if they caught it earlier.
I love her sexy sultry style. I wasn’t aware of everything she’s been thru. She’s human. Good luck to her. Keep us posted on her album.
Right now they’re saying new album in Feb 2010, but it could change.
OMG! This was a super hot performance! I like Tony, but i love Trey Songz, he’s so sexy! haha
=)
Yeah, he’s handsome. I’d never really heard him sing before this, besides 1 or 2 songs. I like his voice. Good adlibs too.
Toni, might be sexy, but Trey is super hot! I hope she took that young thang backstage and showed him a thang or two.
Watch out realhotmama! He might have been the one to show her a thing or two. LOL.
Not a huge Toni fan. But, I watched that video twice, and it wasn’t because of Toni. LOL. Also had no idea she had an autistic son. I’m sure that’s not easy on top of a divorce. Hope she keeps doing her thing.