Toni Braxton - “Libra” to “Sex & Cigarettes” Eras

[George]

Toni Braxton and Martin Luther King III to be Honored at the 2010 Winter Ball

Themed Phoenix Rising, CRG will pay tribute to the 2010 honorees, both who have demonstrated resilience and the ability to thrive in challenging times

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PRLog (Press Release) – Nov 18, 2010 – The Collective Renaissance Guild (CRG) in partnership with Ford Motor Company and Perennial Sports and Entertainment will hold its 3rd Annual Winter Ball on Saturday, December 4 at the Delta Air Heritage Museum in Atlanta, GA. Winter Ball 2010: Phoenix Rising, will honor Grammy-Award Winning Artist Toni Braxton for her community service with Autism Speaks and the American Heart Association and Martin Luther King III for his global humanitarian efforts and work as President of the King Center. Phoenix Rising is a tribute to Atlanta as well as the honorees who have all demonstrated resilience and an ability to thrive in challenging times. Hosted by V-103’s Nina Brown, the black-tie gala will begin with cocktails sponsored by Belvedere Intense at 7:00 PM followed by a special presentation at 9:00 PM.

Art enthusiasts, business professionals, political leaders, entertainment executives and community servants will all come together to celebrate our collective achievements as well as those of the 2010 Renaissance Award recipients. Themed, Phoenix Rising, the 2010 Winter Ball is a tribute to all who have demonstrated resilience and the ability to thrive in challenging times, an achievement that both Toni Braxton and Martin Luther King III are towering examples of. “The phoenix rising from the ashes was fitting for this year’s celebration as it is the official symbol of the City of Atlanta” adds CRG Board Chair Christine White. “It was important that we acknowledge the service leadership in our own back yard, especially in difficult times like these.” CEO Terrinee Briggs remarks, “We selected our 2010 honorees because of their story. Both Toni Braxton and Martin Luther King, III have been through many trials and tribulations but have maintained their commitment to the community and their passion to help others…they never gave up, they bounced back and we felt they should be honored for that.”

[George]

Footage of her accepting the Collective Renaissance Guild award:

[George]

Photo Coverage: US singer Toni Braxton performs in Moscow's Kremlin
Tuesday, December 14, 2010

US singer Toni Braxton performs at the State Kremlin Palace during her week-long tour of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.

PICTURES:






VIDEOS:
"Yesterday"


"Un-Break My Heart"

[George]

So a dance remix for No Way has premiered on YouTube. I wonder if Atlantic has plans for another dance single:

[George]

New Years Eve Performance of Un-Break My Heart in Russia:

[George]

Toni Braxton's family in new WE reality series
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer David Bauder, Ap Television Writer – 34 mins ago



NEW YORK – Toni Braxton is the latest celebrity to open her home to reality television cameras.

Braxton, the Grammy-winning singer of "Un-Break My Heart" and "You're Makin' Me High," will appear in "Braxton Family Values" on the WE network starting in April. Braxton's sisters — Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar — are all aspiring singers.

The WE network appeals chiefly to women, and with Oprah Winfrey's new OWN network going on the air last weekend, it is looking to sharpen its focus for viewers. The network said it will emphasize programs that feature families.

WE executives said they will also renew the series "Downsized," about a family struggling through tough economic times. "Staten Island Cakes," which is repetitive of other cable reality programs about high-end bakers, will debut this summer. The show is about a 21-year-old baker whose mother and sister work for him — and who is bossed by them at home.

The dynamic of four women trying to follow the 43-year-old Braxton into show business — with varying levels of success — appealed to WE executives. The network's research indicated that programs about families, often with a humorous touch, is a niche worth exploring.

On Jan. 25, WE is debuting a series about Joan Rivers and daughter, Melissa, along with "A Stand Up Mother," about comedian Tammy Pescatelli trying to balance family and career.

"Our goal is to put on families that are big personalities, who are interesting, entertaining, full of drama and conflict and you can't wait to tune in next week," Kim Martin, the network's president and general manager, said recently.

WE believes family members who are emotionally invested in one another will make for situations that ring truer than reality fare where strangers are forced together in contrived circumstances, said John Miller, the network's programming chief.

"Our goal is not to look at family viewing," Martin said. "Our goal is to show families, because women define themselves by the relationships in their lives."

Viewers relate to the family in "Downsized," particularly the boy who sold his baseball mitt to raise money, Martin said. The show's audience was about twice the size of what WE had previously aired on Saturday nights, she said.

On the Net:
www.wetv.com/
www.tonibraxton.com

[josh]

Has Toni had work done to her face? It looks puffy in a Madonna sort of way.

[Caviar]

She has Lupus

[SHOOTER]

She tweeted about considering taking Playboy up on their offer for a cover shoot.

[CookyMonzta]

Broke, lupus, Playboy...Oy! :'( How much worse can it get?

Glad she is still touring, though. ;) Keep on...

[Deleted]

Do her young children really need their mother posing for Playboy???

[esoteric76]

Jan 4, 2011 20:56:32 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

Do her young children really need their mother posing for Playboy???

On her DVD video collection, she only shows part of the racy video for "Maybe" and talks about how she didn't want it released for the near nudity. So this kind of does surprise me. She should wait for her TV series to come out and see if that gets her some attention so she doesn't have to do Playboy. Unless she's doing it for reasons other than money.

[George]

Jan 4, 2011 20:05:06 GMT -5 SHOOTER said:

She tweeted about considering taking Playboy up on their offer for a cover shoot.

I hope she doesn't, but if she does, I'd still support her.

I didn't like the idea of her doing Dancing With The Stars at first (since I didn't think her career needed it), but I enjoyed it and got to see her get some renewed exposure.

[SHOOTER]

Maybe she wants to do it while she's still reasonably healthy as a way to celebrate her body before her illnesses take whatever toll they're going to.

[grouper6]

Her sister Tamar tweeted last night that TOni is not broke, still has a roof over her head and won't be doing it. I smell publicity move....whatever Toni~

[George]

Toni Braxton's bankruptcy issues solved: Braxton Family Values on We TV
By April MacIntyre Jan 7, 2011, 22:03 GMT



TCA news as WE tv announced a new show, "Braxton Family Values", starring Toni Braxton. A collaboration with Magical Elves, it is slated to premiere April 12th and will follow Toni and her posse of sisters as they navigate bankruptcy, life and love.

WE tv’s rolling out new 10 episodes, one-hour original series, premiering April 12, 2011 at 9pm ET/PT.

Join the Braxton sisters and their headstrong mother as they take over WE tv with their brand of family love. They’ll battle it out for the spotlight with sibling rivalry, man drama, bankruptcy, a DUI and much more.

Like their famous sister Toni Braxton, Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar were all blessed with the gift of song and shared that gift as a quintet called “The Braxtons,” managed by their mom Evelyn.

Fast forward a few years and two bankruptcies later, Toni Braxton is a mega-star with hit song after hit song and too many accolades to count; Traci has an unexpected pregnancy; Towanda decides to pursue acting; Trina becomes back-up for Toni and a “wedding singer;” and Tamar strikes out on her own to chase her rising star. Mom Evelyn also experienced change when she divorced the love of her life, the girls’ father, for his chronic philandering. With their worlds turned upside-down, and the meteoric rise of Toni’s fame, the family had to dramatically adjust to life after stardom.

Living beyond your means isn't always everything you think it's cracked up to be. The Braxtons are in no short supply of drama, as they deal with sibling envy, resentment, infidelity and bankruptcy.

Here is your cast of characters:

Toni (1st) – The oldest of the sisters, Toni has had her much publicized ups and downs with fame and fortune. After enjoying an enormously successful career in the ‘90’s, she has since had to deal with bankruptcies, a son with autism and medical problems, including a heart condition and Lupus. Add a looming divorce and the fight to restore her career to its former glory, Toni will need her sisters’ support now more than ever.

Traci (2nd) – The second of the girls, who terribly misses the days of performing on a stage with her sisters, has been dealt a tough hand. Her life choices since leaving the band left her with a son suffering with arthritis and a possessive and alleged cheating husband. Traci’s family is devastated that she is dealing with such hardships but understands her need to fight to keep her child healthy; even if it means staying in a truly unstable marriage.

Towanda (3rd) – Third sister Towanda has a peculiar situation. While she considers herself to be Toni’s "assistant," she’s tired of her demands and wants to pursue an acting career and start dating again. But doing so will prove to be challenging, as her soon to be ex-husband has weaseled his way into living in her new home, and her sisters watch closely to see how she plans to pull it off.
Trina (4th) – Fourth of the five is the often misunderstood Trina, who desperately wants her family to support her band, even though they think their song choices are sacrilegious in a church setting. To add to her family’s judgment, Trina was put on probation for a DUI and has been banned from driving; but her plan to do so in spite of the restriction further solidifies her family’s disapproval.

Tamar (5th) – Last of the group is the feisty Tamar. Being the youngest has its advantages, but Tamar sees herself at a severe disadvantage. Sick and tired of playing back-up to Toni’s fame, Tamar is explicit in striking out on her own, including recording an album and performing with Lady Gaga. But the person she loves the most may be standing in the way of her dreams – her husband. And who better to reveal this but her famous sister.

Evelyn (Mom) – Lastly, there’s mom Evelyn, who is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Already having trouble trusting men after her ex-husband’s incessant infidelity, she’s exploring a new love life. Having to deal with her girls’ dislike of her chosen mate, she’s open to dating others to test the waters, but doesn’t really care what the girls think - even if her new man doesn’t return her calls.

[Caviar]

I smell a hot mess coming...

[colson]

She has a beautiful family.

[Resident_Evil]

I love her (God knows that) but i think she has successfully managed to kill off her career. The playboy move will prove to be the last nail cuz after that no one is going to take her seriously. Sadly all i can do is light a candle in memory of a mismanaged music career :(

[Sir Benji]

I'm so watching the show it'll be quite the mess.

[stunnedout]

Jan 11, 2011 12:33:47 GMT -5 Resident_Evil said:

I love her (God knows that) but i think she has successfully managed to kill off her career. The playboy move will prove to be the last nail cuz after that no one is going to take her seriously. Sadly all i can do is light a candle in memory of a mismanaged music career :(

I think she is a prime example of someone just not knowing what to do with themselves. I think the first 9 or 10 years of her career she had so much guidance that when she didn't have that anymore, she didnt know what to do with herself. She has made a lot of bad mistakes over the years. I thnk it can be repaired but she needs someone good like Benny Medina to mak things hapen for her at this point.

The reality show should be good but I wish it was on a larger network like Bravo, VH1 or E. No sure who is really checking for WE tv.

[Deleted]

Toni has basically been irrelevant for the past 10 years. She hasnt even had a top 10 R&B hit in the past 10 years. At this point it is a huge success for her when she goes top 10 urban adult like she did with Hands Tied and that wasnt even easy for her. Her two singles before that didnt even go top 10 there. The chances of her reaching her 90s relevance after that period of struggling, when shes in her 40s, and when the style of music that is big in the mainstream is so far removed from what Toni does, are slim to none. They should be (and should have been as soon as More than a Woman flopped) focused on at least getting her back to relevance with the urban adult crowd so that she's not "struggling" to even go top 10 at that format. Putting out an adult contemporary pop album like Pulse just made NO sense.

[stunnedout]

Part of her problem is self realization. She needs to realize she will never be as big as she was in the 90s but I think a Maxwell type of R&B success is possible for her with the right material and backing. She just makes these horrible mistakes that make her look even more washed up than she is.

[SHOOTER]

Jan 11, 2011 14:59:45 GMT -5 stunnedout said:

I think a Maxwell type of R&B success is possible for her with the right material and backing.

[George]

She won!

The Winners of the 5th Annual UBG Honors Are...



The votes for the 5th Annual UBG Honors have been calculated! All winners were selected solely by the votes placed on UrbanBridgez.com! Nominees were chosen from artists whose singles or albums were released from September 2010 to October 2010. Voting started on December 21st 2009 & ended on January 8th 2011!

Most Slept on Album of 2010 - Pulse | Toni Braxton

[Deleted]

Jan 11, 2011 14:59:45 GMT -5 stunnedout said:

Part of her problem is self realization. She needs to realize she will never be as big as she was in the 90s but I think a Maxwell type of R&B success is possible for her with the right material and backing. She just makes these horrible mistakes that make her look even more washed up than she is.

I could even hear her singing Trey Songz recent singles (Cant Be Friends, Love Faces). Not saying she would experience the same success with them though. Theres something very different about a woman in her 40s singing a sexy slow jam and an attractive male in his 20s singing a sexy slow jam. Theres more of an appeal for the young male. Its a double standard but it makes sense

[hidizzyguy]

Yeah, but Toni has sex appeal in her 40's that some girls don't even have in her 20's. She's got it. And not just her own personality - but it's her voice that excudes that same sensuality. Hence why Hands Tied did so well for her (relatively speaking).

[stunnedout]

"Hands Tied" was her best single since "He Wasnt Man Enough. I ADORE that song.

[Deleted]

Jan 14, 2011 12:58:41 GMT -5 hidizzyguy said:

Yeah, but Toni has sex appeal in her 40's that some girls don't even have in her 20's. She's got it. And not just her own personality - but it's her voice that excudes that same sensuality. Hence why Hands Tied did so well for her (relatively speaking).

Yeah but I am saying there are a lot of young women that will get more into a song like Love Faces because of who is singing it. Not as many people are going to get turned on by a woman in her 40s singing the same song regardless of what she looks like. Its like having your friends mom try to seduce you

[cjay]

Jan 14, 2011 13:01:00 GMT -5 @jazzysoul47 said:

Jan 14, 2011 12:58:41 GMT -5 hidizzyguy said:

Yeah, but Toni has sex appeal in her 40's that some girls don't even have in her 20's. She's got it. And not just her own personality - but it's her voice that excudes that same sensuality. Hence why Hands Tied did so well for her (relatively speaking).

Yeah but I am saying there are a lot of young women that will get more into a song like Love Faces because of who is singing it. Not as many people are going to get turned on by a woman in her 40s singing the same song regardless of what she looks like. Its like having your friends mom try to seduce you

it could be one man's fantasy ;) LOL