How much is Toni Braxton worth?
| Net Worth: | $8 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Singer |
| Date of Birth: | October 7, 1967 (age 55) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 5 ft 1 in (1.56 m) |
About Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton is an American singer and songwriter. Her illustrious career in the entertainment business as a solo performer began in the 1990s. Since then, she has released more than 70 million records worldwide, which includes 41 million albums, and many number one hit singles. This accolade alone makes her one of the best-selling artists of all time. Apart from singing and songwriting, she’s also a distinguished actress, pianist, record producer, and television personality.
Known as one of the highest-selling female R&B singers in history, Toni has achieved a ton of success, especially in the music industry. Some of the most prestigious awards that are part of her long list of accolades are nine Billboard Music Awards, seven Grammys, seven American Music Awards, and a couple of inductions in hall of fames. Apart from being an R&B superstar with some classic hits in that genre, Toni also found success in the film industry, having appearances in many films and television series.
Toni Braxton became famous in the 1980s as part of The Braxtons, a musical quintet that consists of Toni and her sisters – Traci, Towanda, and Trina. Toni was born on October 7, 1967, in Severn, Maryland. Her father was a power company worker and Methodist clergymen, while her mother worked as both a cosmetologist, opera singer, and pastor. When she was growing up, Toni and her sisters all began singing as part of the church choir, which inspired them to become singers.
In her early twenties, Braxton attended the Bowie State University, however, she dropped out because she decided to pursue a music career. Around that time, the aspiring singer was found by William E. Pettaway Junior, who heard her singing while pumping gas. After the two met, William offered Toni to become her producer and this is how The Braxtons were formed. The four sisters officially formed the group in the late 1980s and were eventually signed by Artista Records.
The wealthy superstar became rich in the late 20th century, almost immediately after she began singing professionally. The first single ever released by The Braxtons was in 1990 and it was called “Good Life”. Because the song wasn’t very successful, the girls were dropped by the Artista so they began exploring other record labels. Meanwhile, Toni’s incredible vocals caught the attention of record producers Kenneth Edmonds (Babyface) and Antonio Reid (L.A.) just when they were forming their own label LaFace Records. Toni left the group early in 1992 to pursue her career as a singles performer.
Toni Braxton earned millions in the mid-1990s thanks to her prosperous albums and singles, primarily produced by Babyface, Reid, and Daryl Simmons. Her first album, Toni Braxton, was released in mid-July 1993. The album was a phenomenon that not only topped the US Billboard 200 chart but it was a huge hit and entered the top ten in many countries from around the world such as New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. It includes her first single, “Another Sad Love Song”, which was a sensation that is now considered one of the most listened songs from the decade.
The release of her self-titled debut album boosted Toni’s popularity and success followed suit. Even now, this album remains her most acclaimed. Three years later, in June 1996, she released her sophomore album titled Secrets” which was very prosperous and earned gold and platinum certifications in various countries. The album peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and spent 92 weeks in the charts, becoming the talented singer’s second eight million seller.
The lead single of the album, “You’re Making Me High”, became Toni’s first number-one single that topped multiple charts including the Billboard Hot 100. The second on the other hand, “Un-Break My Heart”, remains the biggest hit of Braxton’s career. Her final project with LaFace Records was her third album titled The Heat, released in 2000. A few years earlier in 1997, Toni had a dispute with Artista Records over a potential $39 million dollar contract.
Eventually, it was settled when Braxton signed a contract worth $20 million. In April 2003, after she announcing her departure with Artista, she went on to release seven more successful albums with labels such as Atlantic, Motown, Def Jam, and Island. To further promote her studio projects, Toni has embarked on several national and international tours, with the first one being Secrets from 1996.
Another thing that really helped Toni become so successful is the fact that she did more than music. At the peak of her career, she began acting, producing, and took part in many television series, films, and reality shows. Her first television appearance was on an episode of Roc in 1994, where she appeared as herself for a concert performance.
In 1998, Braxton made her Broadway debut when she starred in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast for which she replaced Kim Huber. Three years later marked her film debut, which was in the comedy Kingdom Come released in April 2001. Among some of the other television productions that she starred in are Mad TV, Blue’s Clues, and Kevin Hall. Since 2011, she’s had a major role in “Braxton Family Values”, a reality that chronicles her life, as well as the lives of her mother and five sisters.
Summing-Up
Toni Braxton is known for her distinguished contralto voice, which is often called “elegant”, “sultry”, and even “sexy”. Besides R&B, she has released many projects in different genres such as hip hop soul, soft rock, and dance music. To this day, the Grammy-award winner remains a fashion icon who is highly-praised for her high splits done while wearing dresses. That’s the main reason why in 2011, she topped the Grammy’s list for best-dressed artist of the decade.
The R&B diva is also a gay icon and with time, some of her songs have quickly become gay anthems — “He Wasn’t Man Enough”, “Make My Heart” and most notably her best hit “Un-Break My Heart”. Toni continues to inspire and has been cited as an influencer by a lot of artists such as Anja Nissen, Beyonce, Billie Godfrey, Leela James, and even her sister Tamar Braxton.
