Toni Braxton

The daughter of an Apostolic minister, she had to sneak glimpses of secular musicians when her parents were not at home. Her church choir provided ample training for her natural talent, however, and she soon found herself recording The Good Life (1990) with her sisters as The Braxtons. She embarked on a solo career and her self-titled debut album (1993), which has sold 9.5 million copies and earned her three Grammy Awards, three American Music Awards, and two Soul Train Awards. She released Secrets (1996) under the LaFace label . Contract negotiations between Braxton, Arista, and LaFace broke down in late 1996, and she filed for bankruptcy protection in 1997. Some say the bankruptcy was a ruse to abrogate her contractual obligations, but the judge in the case sided with Braxton and agreed to dissolve the contracts. The disputes were ultimately resolved and she released The Heat in 2000 with the same label. Her latest album is Libra (2005). She married musician Keri Lewis in 2001 and they have two children.