Toni Braxton

Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7, 1968 in Severn, Maryland) is a six-time Grammy Award winning African American R&B singer. She is most notable for her dark, deep, thick contralto vocals, which are low even by contralto standards. On April 21, 2001, Braxton married Mint Condition keyboardist Keri Lewis. That same year, she had her first child, a son named Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis. Braxton's second son, Diezel Ky Braxton-Lewis, was born in 2003.

Secrets

Braxton entered the studio in 1995 to start recording her sophomore album, Secrets. The album, released in 1996, is her most successful work to date. Braxton, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Antonio "L.A." Reid stuck to the same formula with this album but added more soul to the music. Braxton has said about the album, "The motivation for this album was to include a little bit of everything. Our aim was to come up with material that would have a familiar 'feel' to the people who bought the first album without being musically redundant." Along with Babyface, Braxton also worked with R. Kelly, Tony Rich, and David Foster on the album. Braxton was the co-executive producer of the album and co-wrote two of its songs, including the 1997 single "How Could An Angel Break My Heart" which was also later included on a Princess Diana memorial album.

Related Topics:
1995 - Secrets - 1996 - Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds - Antonio "L.A." Reid - R. Kelly - David Foster - 1997 - Princess Diana

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With help from the first single from the album, "You're Makin' Me High", which became Braxton's first number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the album debuted at number-two on the Billboard 200. "You're Makin' Me High" also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart for two weeks.

Related Topics:
Billboard Hot 100 - Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks

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The second single from the album, Braxton's signature ballad "Un-Break My Heart" written by Diane Warren, spent eleven weeks at number-one on the Hot 100 chart and also topped the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart for eleven weeks and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart for four weeks.

Related Topics:
Un-Break My Heart - Diane Warren - Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales - Hot Dance Music/Club Play

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Other singles from the album included "I Don't Want To" (which also topped the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart), "I Love Me Some Him", and the above-mentioned "How Could An Angel Break My Heart" which featured Kenny G, who Braxton later toured with.

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During this era, Braxton also took a turn at modeling when she participated in the "Fashion Week" shows in New York City and became a temporary runway model for the designs of Mark Bower.

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Braxton topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top Hot 100 Singles Artist - Female, Top R&B Artist - Female (singles & albums), Top Hot R&B Singles Artist - Female, Top Hot Dance Club Play Artist, Top Hot Adult Contemporary Artist, and with the Top Hot Dance Club Play Single and Top Hot Adult Contemporary Track ("Un-Break My Heart"). She was also nominated for two American Music Awards for Favorite Female Artist Rock/Pop and Favorite Female Artist Soul/R&B.

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