Toni Braxton was born on October 7, 1966, at Severn Maryland, in the United States. She is the oldest of her siblings. Her father was a clergyman and they were raised in a strict Catholic environment. She studied at Glen Burie High School and later obtained a degree in teaching. She always wanted to take up music as a career, so she dropped her teaching career. Her first-ever music performance was with the church choir.

In the late 1980s, Toni Braxton and her sisters, Traci, Trinia, Towanda, and Tamar, began performing together as 'The Braxtons'. The sisters released a single called 'The Good Life' in 1990. Unfortunately, it did not do that well. However, it attracted the attention of producers such as Antonia Reid and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds who were taken in by her voice. Later, they insisted on her recording a demo of 'Love Shoulda Brought You Home'. This worked in her favor as it appeared on the soundtrack of the movie 'Boomerang' and brought her a great deal of attention. Subsequently, she was signed on by LaFace Records to cut her solo album.

Toni Braxton's first album was released on July 13, 1993. From 1993-2005, she has released close to nine albums. In 2003, Toni Braxton signed a record deal with Blackground records. She has six Grammys and seven American Music Awards to her credit and has won the Billboard Music Awards as well. Toni has appeared on two Broadway shows and worked in a movie called 'Kingdom Come'. She is married to musician Keri Lewis and has two sons. In addition, she is a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.