Origin | Severn, Maryland, U.S. |
---|---|
Genres | |
Years active | 1989–1998 2010–present |
Labels |
|
Website | www.braxtonfamilychristmas.com |
Members | Toni Braxton Traci Braxton Towanda Braxton Trina Braxton Tamar Braxton |
The Braxtons is an American musical quintet consisting of singer Toni Braxton and her sisters, Traci Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Trina Braxton, and Tamar Braxton. Despite being commercially unsuccessful, the group's first single, 'Good Life', led to oldest sister Toni Braxton's solo career.[1] All five members reunited in 2011 to star in the WE tvreality television series Braxton Family Values alongside their mother, Evelyn Braxton.
In October 2015, the group including Toni, Tamar, Traci, Trina and Towanda, released new material entitled Braxton Family Christmas with five members. The album was released on October 30.[2][3]
- 1History
- 3Discography
History[edit]
Background and early beginnings[edit]
The Braxtons' parents are Rev. Michael Braxton Sr. (born June 26, 1947) and Evelyn Braxton (born January 14, 1948). Toni Michelle Braxton was born on October 7, 1967. Michael Conrad Braxton Jr., the only son, was born on November 17, 1968, then Traci Renee Braxton was born on April 2, 1971. Towanda Chloe Braxton was born on September 18, 1973. The Braxtons' fifth child, Trina Evette Braxton, was born on December 3, 1974. The youngest sibling, Tamar Estine Braxton, was born on March 17, 1977. They are originally from Severn, Maryland.[4]
The sisters began to harmonize together when a then 5 year-old Tamar demanded, 'Somebody get me some toilet paper!' Each sister and brother Michael soon after went in the bathroom and began singing the 'Toilet Paper Song.' The Braxtons credit this incident as their first song-writing experience and the first time that they harmonized as a group.[5] Growing up, they sang in the choir at several churches and toured the East Coast with their religious parents singing at various events.[6]
1989–1991: Good Life and lineup change[edit]
Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar Braxton signed their first record deal with Arista Records in 1989. In 1990, they released their first single, 'Good Life'. It would be their only single as a fivesome. 'Good Life' was not a hit, peaking at No. 79 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. At the time of the single's release, the members' age differences created a problem with marketing. Subsequently, The Braxtons were dropped from Arista Records.
In 1991, during a showcase with Antonio 'L.A.' Reid and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, who were in the process of forming LaFace Records, Toni Braxton, minus her four sisters, was chosen and signed as the label's first female solo artist. At the time, the remaining members were told that LaFace was not looking for another girl group since it had just signed TLC.[7][8]
1992–95: Record deal and Traci's pregnancy[edit]
After Toni's departure from the group in 1991, the remaining Braxtons members became backup singers for Toni's first U.S. tour, music videos, and promotional appearances. Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar were featured in the music video for Toni Braxton's third single, 'Seven Whole Days,” from her debut album.
In 1993, LaFace Records A&R Vice President, Bryant Reid, signed The Braxtons to LaFace. However, the group never released an album or single for the record label. When Reid moved on to work for Atlantic Records, he convinced executives at LaFace to allow him take the group to Atlantic also.[8][9] They signed with Atlantic Records in 1994, with a 3-album deal.
It was reported in Vibe magazine that in 1995, Traci Braxton had left the group to pursue a career as a youth counselor.[10] However, it was not confirmed until 2004 when Towanda Braxton appeared in season 2 of the reality show Starting Over, that Traci was not allowed to sign with Atlantic because of her pregnancy at the time.
1996–97: So Many Ways[edit]
In June 1996, Tamar, Trina, and Towanda returned with a new album entitled So Many Ways, which shared the same title as its lead single. Released on August 13, 1996, the album peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.[11] It became their first and only LP. Atlantic Records A&R VP, Bryant Reid, served as the album's executive producer. At the time of its release, Reid told Billboard Magazine, 'I had a vision for them then that was about young sophistication with sex appeal.' So Many Ways included production from Jermaine Dupri and Daryl Simmons along with Christopher 'Tricky' Stewart and Sean 'Sep' Hall. The album also included a cover of Diana Ross's hit 'The Boss' and Klymaxx's song 'I'd Still Say Yes'.[9]
The Braxtons released a music video in order to promote 'So Many Ways'. It was directed by Cameron Casey and featured upcoming actor Mekhi Phifer.[12] The trio also performed a remixed version of 'So Many Ways' with rapper Jay-Z on September 9, 1996 at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.[13] The single was also used as the opening track for the soundtrack to the comedy film High School High.[14] 'So Many Ways' went on to peak at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1996, No. 22 on the Billboard R&B Charts and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1997.[15]
The album's second single, 'Only Love', was released on January 25, 1997 and peaked at number 52 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. A music video for this song was also released.[11] A Masters At Work remix version of The Braxtons third single The Boss' reached number 1 on Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart in early 1997.[11] 'Slow Flow' was the final single released from So Many Ways. It peaked at No. 26 on the UK Charts in July 1997, becoming their highest charting single in the UK.[16]
The Braxtons also served as the opening act for Toni Braxton on the European Leg of her Secrets Tour in 1997.
1998–1999: Disbandment[edit]
The Braxtons decided to part ways as a group after lead singer Tamar Braxton left to pursue a solo career with DreamWorks Records in 1999.[17] However, the members continued to sing and act in various other projects. There was a lot of drama surrounding the situation, which is part of the reason why Towanda went on Starting Over. Most of the family lost their loyalties with Tamar.
2000-2010: Solo projects[edit]
Trina appeared in the 2004 Tyler Perry play Meet the Browns as Tracy Stevens. She was also part of the play Rise, written by Salt from Salt-n-Pepa and Christopher 'Play' Martin from the rap group Kid 'n Play and starred in an off-Broadway production of Dreamgirls as Deena Jones. In 2004, Trina Braxton appeared in 'The Walk' with Eva Pigford and Vanessa Bell. Additionally, she co-starred in two independent films, including Jail Party, and was host for the unbroadcast Urban Idol for UPN. She also made a cameo in Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself as a member of a band performing with singer Mary J. Blige's character. In 2009, Trina joined the wedding band 'Simply Irresistible' as a lead vocalist.[18] In 2012, Trina left the band to pursue a solo music career, releasing her debut solo single 'Party Or Go Home' in March 2012.
Trina and Tamar performed as background singers and dancers for the entire duration of Toni's Libra Tour in 2006. They also performed in Toni Braxton: Revealed at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino until R&B singer Sparkle and Towanda Braxton replaced them.[19]
Towanda Braxton appeared in season 2 of the reality show Starting Over. She performed and recorded a solo song, 'Here I Am', for the show and conducted a radio interview on the Wendy Williams Experience about her time on Starting Over. Towanda is also a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority and pledged at Bowie State University in 1995.[20] In September 2005, People magazine's website reported that Towanda was pregnant.[21]
Tamar Braxton released her debut solo album Tamar in 2000. She also made a cameo in the music video for 'He Wasn't Man Enough'. She appeared for a short time as Sasha in the stage play version of Madea Goes to Jail in 2005 alongside Tyler Perry and Cassi Davis. Tamar co-wrote several songs and sang background vocals for several of Toni's albums including Snowflakes, More Than a Woman, Libra, and Pulse.[22] In 2012, Tamar released the single 'Love and War', followed by two albums in 2013: a studio album entitled Love and War, followed by a Christmas album entitled Winter Loversland.
In 2010, The Braxtons, including Traci Braxton, appeared in sister Toni Braxton's music video for her dance single 'Make My Heart'.[23]
2011–present: Braxton Family Values and new album Braxton Family Christmas[edit]
In January 2011, WE tv confirmed that it had signed Toni Braxton and her sisters, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar for a reality series, entitled Braxton Family Values, to be marketed as one of the network's flagship shows.[24] The show looks at the relationship between Toni, her mom, and her sisters along with the interpersonal relationships of each family member. After only four episodes, the series had renewed for a second season. There would be 13 more one-hour episodes of Braxton Family Values on WE tv in 2012, up from 10 during the debut season — which was later upped to a 26 episode second season, including the Reunion Show.[25]
As of the second season finale of Braxton Family Values, it is still unclear whether or not the EP that The Braxtons were working on will be released. During the show's reunion, Toni Braxton stated that she thought The Braxtons should 'feature on [her] record' instead of her completely rejoining the group for a full EP.[26]
The Braxtons posed for the June 2011 VIBE magazine summer swimwear issue. They also presented the 'Best Gospel Artist' award to Mary Mary at the 2011 BET Awards.[27]
In July 2014, a sneak peek of the fourth season of 'Braxton Family Values' was uploaded via YouTube on WE tv's user account of the Braxton sisters discussing on doing a gospel record together.[28] In the same time, Toni, Tamar and Trina guest starred on their sister Traci's music video 'Last Call'.[29]
In October 2015, the group including Toni, Tamar, Traci, Trina and Towanda, released an album titled Braxton Family Christmas as five members. The album was released on October 30 and pre-order on October 16th.[2][3]Braxton Family Christmas debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums,[30] number 10 on the US R&B Chart and number 12 on US Top Holiday Albums on November 21, 2015.[31][32] The album charted at number 1 on the US Heatseekers Albums on December 12, 2015.[33]
Members[edit]
Member | '89 | '90 | '91 | '92 | '93 | '94 | '95 | '96 | '97 | '98 | '10 | '11 | '12 | '15 | '16 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tamar Braxton (Soprano) (1989–1998, 2010–2012, 2015–present) | ||||||||||||||||
Trina Braxton (Mezzo-Soprano) (1989–1998, 2010–2012, 2015–present) | ||||||||||||||||
Towanda Braxton (Contralto) (1989–1998, 2010–2012, 2015–present) | ||||||||||||||||
Traci Braxton (Mezzo-Soprano) (1989–1995, 2010–2012, 2015–present) | ||||||||||||||||
Toni Braxton (Contralto) (1989–1991, 2015–present) |
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Sales | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B | US Heat | CAN | NL [34] | NZ [35] | UK | |||||||
So Many Ways |
| 113 | 26 | 2 | -- | 48 | 17 | -- | -- | ||||
Braxton Family Christmas |
| 144 | 19 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 21,000[37] | |||
'—' denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |
Singles[edit]
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B | US Dance | CAN | NL [34] | NZ [35] | UK | |||||||
'Good Life' | 1990 | -- | 79 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Non-album singles | ||||
'Family' | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||||||
'So Many Ways' | 1996 | 83[38] | 22[39] | -- | -- | -- | 17[40] | 32[41] | So Many Ways | ||||
'Only Love' | 1997 | -- | 52 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | |||||
'The Boss' | -- | -- | 1[42] | -- | 24 | 10 | 31[43] | ||||||
'Slow Flow' | -- | -- | -- | -- | 49[44] | 38[45] | 26[46] | ||||||
'—' denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Fanning, Michael. 'Family Values.' Kontrol. April 1, 2011: 65-69. Print.
- ^ ab'Braxton Family Christmas'. Braxton Sisters to Release Christmas Album. Essence. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ^ ab'The Braxtons – Braxton Family Christmas'. Braxton Family Christmas. Target. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
- ^'Braxton Family Values – Cast'. Wetv.com. 2012-07-20. Archived from the original on 2015-07-05. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^'Breaking, World, US & Local News – nydailynews.com – NY Daily News'. Articles.nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^Leading Women: Toni Braxton. Perf. Braxton, Toni. Viacom International, Inc.: 2009, Film.
- ^'Toni Braxton: From the heart'. Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^ ab'Toni Braxton: The Sunday Conversation – latimes'. Articles.latimes.com. 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^ abReynolds, J.R. 'So Many' Braxtons on Atlantic Label Downplays Link To Famous Sister.' Billboard Magazine. July 6, 1996: 18-19. Print.
- ^Davis, Joyce E. 'The Braxtons: And then there were three.' Vibe Magazine. September 1, 1996: 92. Print.
- ^ abc'The Braxtons – Chart history'. Billboard.com. 1996-10-05. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^Reynolds, J.R. 'So Many Ways.' Billboard Magazine. September 14, 1996: 30. Print.
- ^[1]Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Ira Newborn, Various Artists: High School High: The Soundtrack: Music'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^'BRAXTONS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company'. Theofficialcharts.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^'BRAXTONS | Artist'. Official Charts. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^DeCurtis, Anthony. 'Tamar 'Ridiculous'.' Vibe Magazine. December 1, 1999: 250. Print.
- ^'Simply Irresistible'. Simplyirresistibleband.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^'Now Casting — Trina B. Resume'. Trinab.nowcasting.com. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^Braxton, Towanda. ThaBiz.com. Interview by Dorrie Williams-Wheeler. January 1, 2005. Print. June 14, 2011. Dorrie Williams-Wheeler
- ^'Pregnant celeb spotting: Towanda Braxton – Moms & Babies – Celebrity Babies and Kids – Moms & Babies – People.com'. Celebritybabies.people.com. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^[2]Archived June 2, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Toni Braxton Make My Heart official video on Youtube
- ^[3]Archived January 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Rhett, Starr. ''Braxton Family Values' Renewed For Second Season | News'. BET. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^'Braxton Family Values – WE Tells All: Braxton Season Finale – WE tv'. Wetv.com. 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^Thompson, Kittrina. 'The Braxton's Get Summer Sexy | News'. BET. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^'Braxton Family Values: Season 4 Preview Clip'. YouTube. 2014-07-01. Retrieved 2015-07-08.
- ^'Traci braxton music video Last Call'. tracibraxton.com.
- ^'The Braxtons – Chart history'. Billboard.com. 1996-10-05. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^'The Braxtons – Chart history'. Billboard.com. 1996-10-05. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^'The Braxtons – Chart history'. Billboard.com. 1996-10-05. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^'The Braxtons – Chart History'. The Braxtons. Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ ab[4][dead link]
- ^ ab[5][dead link]
- ^https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/braxton-family-christmas/id1047979047
- ^'Billboard 200 Chart Moves: Foo Fighters Earn Sixth Million-Selling Album, The Braxtons, Braxton Family Christmas – No. 144'. Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^'Billboard Hot 100 October 5, 1996'. Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^'The Braxtons Billboard Chart R&B Songs'. Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^'New Zealand Charts November 24, 1996'. The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^'UK Singles Archive Chart 01.02.1997'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^'Hot Dance Club Songs, Billboard.com, issue date February 1, 1997'. Billboard. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- ^'UK Singles Chart Archive 29.03.1997'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^'THE BRAXTONS – SLOW FLOW Dutch Charts'. Dutch Charts. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^'New Zealand Charts October 12, 1997'. The Official New Zealand Music Chart. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
- ^'UK Singles Chart Archive 19.07.1997'. Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
External links[edit]
- The Braxtons official web site
- Trina Braxton official web site
- The Braxtons at Last.fm
Toni Braxton unbreaks her heart: Singer reveals how she pretended to speak in tongues to survive her parents' cult, fixed her wide nose but regrets not having lipo on her 'Serena Williams thighs'
- Singer Toni Braxton hopes that 'peering back at my past heartbreaks will ultimately lead to healing’ in her new memoir
- As a kid, her parents joined the Pilar of Truth congregation where women had to ‘cover their nakedness’ by wearing full stockings in the summer
- 'I’d always been shaped like a gymnast – size double A breasts and thunder thighs
- Despite five Grammys by the end of 1997, her debts totaled nearly $4 million and she had to file for bankruptcy.She cried and ate Twizzlers and Kit Kats
- Because she used Accutane for her acne, a drug that has since been banned, she had an abortion for fear of birth defects
- When boyfriend New England Patriots running back told her 'We shouldn't touch each other below the neck,' she was 'completely heartbroken'
Published: 12:38 BST, 20 May 2014 | Updated: 18:41 BST, 20 May 2014
Toni Braxton is a survivor. She grew up poor, and her parents' religious cult forced her to speak in tongues. She hated her wide nose and tiny breasts. She’s had to declare bankruptcy twice. She’s divorced, has an autistic son, and has been diagnosed with Lupus, a debilitating chronic inflammatory disease.
But in spite of all the trials and tribulations, Braxton is considered one of the best R&B singers around, with six Grammy awards under her belt.
Now Braxton has written a memoir describing her tumultuous life, Unbreak My Heart, published by It Books, an imprint of Harper Collins. ‘I’m looking ahead with that ultimate hope - that peering back at my past heartbreaks will ultimately lead to healing’, she writes in her memoir.
Scroll down for video
A star is born: Because of her parents joining the Pillar of Truth congregation, Toni couldn't go roller-skating or go to a movie. That left singing in the choir
Boob job: Toni admits her tiny boobs made her so unhappy she she had a boob job. 'Before I got the breast implants, my stylist would use duct tape beneath my tiny boobs to make it look like I had cleavage', she reveals. She adds that she regrets not getting lipo on her thighs
Toni’s life began in Severn, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, in a two-bedroom trailer with turquoise shutters. Her grandmother was ninety percent Caucasian, and her grandfather, Frances Braxton, half African-American and half Native American, was a descendant of Carter Braxton, the Virginia delegate who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Her father, Michael. was living in Baltimore when he met 15-year old Evelyn Jackson at a YMCA dance in Severn. He was in love and married the young girl from Cayce, South Carolina who had been sent up to live in Severn with an aunt.
Less than a year after the couple tied the knot in 1966, Toni would be the first baby of five daughters and a son.
Her parents didn’t have much money but her mother brought her southern lifestyle up north and grew collard greens and tomatoes in the backyard for her soul food cooking. She also led the family on a spiritual search out of the Baptist faith and into a rigid Apostolic Pentecostal congregation, Pillar of Truth.
Video Source ABC
Meet the Braxtons: Front row from left: Evelyn (Mom), Tamar, Michael Sr. (Dad). Back row from left: Trina, Toni, Towanda, Traci, Michael Jr. (aka Mikey)
Women had to ‘cover their nakedness’ by wearing only skirts or dresses, full stockings even in the summer and no holidays were acknowledged – or ‘You’re going to hell’!
‘I began connecting religion, God and church with judgment, anxiety and guilt’, Toni writes.
Her salvation was singing in the Sunshine Band, the children’s church choir. Yes, Lawd, that child can sang’! the congregation said.
There were so many religious restrictions that it left little else for children to do. Toni couldn’t go roller-skating because that music was evil. Going to a movie was a sin. Drinking was ungodly.
You had to be prepared for rapture to come at any time and the goal was to be ‘saved’ and stay obedient, which required being baptized and speaking in tongues. That was the evidence that you were on your way to heaven.
Oh baby: Toni fell hard for Keri Lewis, a keyboardist and producer. They married in 2001 and she had son Denim eight months later. She had gotten pregnant before but decided to have an abortion because she was taking Accutane for acne, a drug that has since been taken off the market for causing birth defects
At eight years old, Toni faked speaking in tongues and quickly learned that ‘the ties that bound us together became the ties that strangled us’, she writes. ‘Our family had fallen into religious extremism’.
Their spiritual pursuit alientated Toni from other children her age. Her clothes were homely, her mother fixed her hair in a ponytail right on top of her head, and her studies suffered with so many siblings at home. Her parents could not focus on enforcing the children to study
Her parents’ religious journey took them through two more repressive churches before they landed at an organization called Truth Foundation. Despite the repression, the family learned that the girls could sing – Trina, Traci, Tamar, Towanda and Toni -- and they performed at area churches.
Toni became known as the girl who sounded like Anita Baker.
She went through a variety of jobs and onto to college, transferring often because she really didn’t want to be a college student. She wanted to pursue music.
Sister to sister: Toni (center) felt enormous guilt about leaving her four sisters behind as she rode the wave of success. The successful reality show Braxton Family Values helped alleviate her guilt
She hooked up with a fledgling producer by night, gas station attendant by day, Bill Pettaway – who made a demo that lead to the first deal of the singing Braxton sisters in the summer of 1988 with a song, The Good Life.
Pettaway then introduced her to Ernesto Phillips, a singer who also had his own production company. He produced the demo, 'Good Life' and sent it off to Arista Records, the record company that had signed Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow. To their amazement, the girls were signed and their song hit the radio airwaves in 1990.
It was a bomb.
With a decade’s difference in ages and voices of the sisters, the producers did not know how to make the group work so they decided to go with one Braxton – Toni.
Walking away from a family civil war and the admonition of her mother whose mantra was ‘Don’t forget about your sisters’, Toni signed with LaFace Records as a singer/songwriter.
‘For a girl who’d just scored a record deal with two of the biggest names in the business, I actually felt very lonely’. Her mountain of guilt was growing.
With some money in the bank, she got a nose job in 1992.
‘I’d been wanting to change my nose for years – I wanted it to be less broad. But because of the conservative ideas I was raised with, I struggled with the thought of altering my body’.
‘And of course, I later got my boobies done. I’d always been shaped like a gymnast – size double A breasts and thunder thighs. In fact, I wish I would’ve had lipo on my inner thighs. I’ve always hated them’.
Devoted mom: Toni with sons Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis (left) and Diezel Braxton-Lewis. Diezel has been diagnosed with autism
But with her new breasts – ‘I loved how they looked. At last – Homely Toni Braxton had some curves. Before I got the breast implants, my stylist would use duct tape beneath my tiny boobs to make it look like I had cleavage’.
To this day, I am still happy I got that nose job. Yes, I wish I’d gotten it smaller, but the new nose did fit my face so much better’.
‘Now people started asking, ‘Who’s the short girl with the chubby cheeks, the pixie haircut, and the big ol’ butt? I never thought I had a big butt —though I do have Serena Williams thighs’.
Advised by her manager that a little flirting and hanging out with guys might improve her business relationships, she started dating her producer’s (L. A. Reid) brother, Bryant Reid. But it was an empty gesture. She didn’t really like the guy and let the relationship go too far. He was getting more interested and she was angry with herself for hanging in so long.
Driving home one night, they got into an argument and she swerved the car up onto the curb.
‘Never in my life had I wished that another human being would die’. With that surge of rage, she ended it. ‘For the first time in my adult life, I took a stand for myself’, she writes.
The colorful Braxtons: Their reality show, Braxton Family Values, has been renewed for a fourth season by WE network
Life was changing fast. In 1993, she was the newest R&B artist getting buzz for her talent and she received a Soul Train Music Award – ‘from the show that first inspired me to dream’.
Her producer bought her a baby-blue Porsche. ‘My private life was pretty ordinary, but whenever I went out in public, I suddenly felt like I was living the glamorous life’.
That didn’t last long before her guilt resurfaced when she thought about her accomplishments that excluded her sisters. But winning Grammys and jumping into stardom was her consolation.
She experimented with marijuana when someone passed her a blunt. She took it home and put it away in a shoebbox until a couple of nights later and decided to smoke the entire joint at one sitting. She loved it – ‘at least the first few times I smoked.
‘I would watch the Chinese channel and think I actually understood what the actors were saying’! She continued to smoke weed until a panic attack made her decide to finally quit.
Her first big financial payday came in 1996 with an advance on future recordings that came to a whopping $1.6 million before paying taxes, agents, lawyers, managers – which left her $600,000. So she started spending.
She bought a house, a mahogany Schimmel piano, leased a Jeep Cherokee. She began sleeping in the double suite penthouse at the Four Seasons in New York. ‘My only regret was having no one to share the room with me’.
Pass: Toni was getting serious with Curtis Martin, a running back for the New England Patriots and they shared religious beliefs. But when Curtis wanted no touching below the neck Toni was heartbroken and called it quits
Clive Davis, the famed record producer and music industry executive, wanted her to go out on tour with saxophonist Kenny G. so she could develop the same crossover appeal as Whitney Houston and develop a white audience.
But she needed to work with black promoters as well.
She tried backing out of the tour but it was too late; tickets were being sold. When the tour ended, she had to borrow a million dollars from Arista to pay for the band, the sets, lights, background singers and dancers, wardrobe.
During the tour, she hooked up with Curtis Martin, a football running back who played for the New England Patriots. He was just coming into a religious awakening and they shared a mutual bizarre spiritual connection.
Several weeks in the relationship, Curtis asked her how she felt about waiting. They had only been kissing and hugging.
'For me, sex is for when you get married', he said. 'I can't wait to make love to my wife one day'.
In early 1998, around the time of her first bankruptcy, Curtis was very supportive 'but then things started to get weird in other ways', she writes. He had new restriction on touching and started saying 'We shouldn't touch each other below the neck'.
Helping hand: Toni didn't get much help at home with her schoolwork, but she makes sure to give her son Diezel the support he needs
'We'd be making out, and all of a sudden, he'd just stop. 'That could lead to other things', he'd say.' But Toni needed some physical consolation and they were sleeping in the same bed.
When she flew into Pittsburgh to spent time with him, he announced that 'Jesus told me we had to break up. God told me that we shouldn't be together anymore. I can best serve you as your friend'.
'Huh? We're friends now', she protested. 'We're not lovers - we haven't even been intimate'!
'I flew back to Los Angeles feeling numb and confused. I was completely heartbroken..'
'Once home, I curled up in my bedroom and cried like a little kid..'
Nothing was going right. She couldn’t keep up with payments she owed Arista. She sold her home in Atlanta and moved to LA but she still needed to borrow more money to pay for the tour.
After Arista deducted their costs and production of the album that was selling with the hit Un-Break My Heart, her royalty check was $2000.
Despite five Grammys, five American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards at the end of 1997, her debts totaled nearly $4 million.
She had to sue her producer and Arista and file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. She had signed a bad contract that allowed the record company to collect marketing costs of her albums from her instead of underwriting the expenses themselves.
‘Even though I was trying to act strong, I felt broken.’ She cried her way through her depression and ate Twizzlers and Kit Kats.
She finally reached an agreement with the label and Toni received $20 million. But then there were agents, managers, and attorneys to pay, along with taxes. She moved back to Atlanta.
Music to our ears: The sonstress has won five Billboard Music Awards, six Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards
Love was in the cards this time and she fell hard for Keri Lewis, a keyboardist and producer. She got pregnant but decided that the baby should be aborted because she was taking Accutane for acne, a drug that has since been taken off the market.
She had signed a waiver at the time she got the prescription, saying she understood possible catastrophic side effects of deformation of a fetus for up to two years after ceasing to take the drug.
3d home designer free download. Toni had an abortion and another wave of guilt consumed her. ‘In my heart, I believed I had taken a life – an action that I thought God might one day punish me for’.
Keri proposed at the same time Toni’s father was divorcing her mother and marrying the company secretary at Baltimore Gas and Electric. Keri and Toni married in 2001 and eight months later had a baby boy, Denim. Two years later, she would have a second baby boy, Diezel.
Breaking out of just recording albums, Toni took the leading role in Aida on Broadway after playing in Beauty and the Beast. The work was exhausting. She fainted on stage and thought it was simply exhaustion.
Her doctor diagnosed it as periocarditis, an inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart. He also told her he believed her periocarditis was caused by lupus, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack healthy tissue. She didn’t believe him. Enough tests didn’t validate that diagnosis – so she thought.
Braxton signed on to do a show in Vegas and enrolled her boys in school in Sin City. She was in the midst of a rehearsal at the Flamingo Hotel when she got a call from the school that something was wrong with her youngest son, Diezel.
After weeks of testing, he was diagnosed with autism. Symptoms appeared within weeks after having an MMR vaccine, an immunization against measles, mumps and rubells – now a controversial issue as to whether or not the vaccine contributes to autism.
Unboken: 'I'm looking ahead with that ultimate hope -- that peering back at my past heartbreaks will ultimately lead to healing¿, Toni Braxton writes in her new memoir Unbreak My Heart
‘I have sometimes wondered whether God was punishing me for the abortion I had years ago by allowing my son to have autism. Or by giving me so many health issues’, she writes.
Her health kept deteriorating with the pressure to perform and stress over her deteriorating marriage.
Toni needed weekly iron transfusions but she was still exhausted. She was rushed to the hospital with symptoms of a heart attack.
Two weeks later, the diagnosis was in --- lupus, and it was attacking her heart. That was the underlying cause of the exhaustion she’d experienced for years.
Divorce was inevitable, she writes, but Toni and her ex have but remained friends. A second Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing was also inevitable.
She was now being sued to cover the cost of the cancelled shows at the Flamingo. She was the producer and the insurance company was not going to pick up the cost because she failed to list her health conditions. She had also taken out a personal loan for millions to launch the Vegas show
She lost her home in Vegas. The bank foreclosed on her home in Atlanta and she moved into a rented home in LA.
Following the diagnosis of lupus, she thought it best not to disclose her condition thinking people wouldn’t hire her or want to be associated with her. ‘But carrying such a big secret is a form of bondage – and above all else, I want to be free’, Toni declares.
She’s now on the drug Kenalog, a steroid for the lupus. She also gets shots that cause her face to balloon up.
To work out her guilt over leaving her sisters behind years ago, she agreed to do the reality show, Braxton Family Values with her sisters in 2011 and is still on the air going strong.
‘My job is done. Braxton Family Values is the final punctuation mark on a sentence of guilt that has gone on for too many years—since that day in 1991 when my mother told me, “Don’t forget your sisters”.’
Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton and published by It Books, an imprint of Harper Collins is available on Amazon today
Darryl Braxton | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Home and Away character | |||||||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Steve Peacocke | ||||||||||||||||
Duration | 2011–2016 | ||||||||||||||||
First appearance | 16 February 2011 | ||||||||||||||||
Last appearance | 7 June 2016 | ||||||||||||||||
Introduced by | Cameron Welsh | ||||||||||||||||
Book appearances | Home and Away: New Beginnings[1] | ||||||||||||||||
Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
Profile | |||||||||||||||||
Occupation | Businessman[2] | ||||||||||||||||
Home | Sydney | ||||||||||||||||
|
Kara Braxton Dad
Darryl 'Brax' Braxton is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Steve Peacocke. He made his first screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 16 February 2011. The character was created and introduced along with his two brothers; Heath (Dan Ewing) and half-brother, Casey (Lincoln Younes). The trio were nicknamed The River Boys and were inspired by the real life Bra Boys group. When Peacocke learnt about the role of Brax, he initially thought he would not suit the part as he is from the country. However, after learning more about the character, Peacocke successfully auditioned for the role. Peacocke's departure was announced on 1 February 2015 and Brax made a temporary exit on 10 June 2015, before returning on 9 December. He made his final appearance on 7 June 2016.
Before the character's arrival on screen, Debbie Schipp of The Daily Telegraph described him as being a 'beach bum' with a reputation for being an 'awesome' surfer. Brax is a feared member of the River Boys, a surfie group from Mangrove River, and he commands a respect from them. However, Brax has always wanted to make something of himself and Peacocke revealed that he wanted a successful family life. Brax storylines often revolved around his long-running relationship with Charlie Buckton (Esther Anderson) until her death. Brax dealt with his grief by cage-fighting, which he started doing to pay off a debt. Brax later had relationships with Natalie Davison (Catherine Mack) and Ricky Sharpe (Bonnie Sveen), who also gave birth to Brax's son. For his portrayal of Brax, Peacocke has won the Logie Awards for Most Popular New Male Talent and Most Popular Actor.
- 2Development
- 4Reception
Creation and casting[edit]
In 2010, Network Seven began running teaser trailers for a new trio of characters known as The River Boys.[3] Said to be a 'bad-boy surf gang with dodgy reputations', The River Boys initially consisted of three brothers – Casey, Heath and Darryl 'Brax' Braxton.[3] Kristy Kelly of Digital Spy reported Koby Abberton and his gang, known as the Bra Boys, were the inspiration for The River Boys.[4] Steve Peacocke was cast as eldest Braxton brother, Darryl.[5] He heard about the role from his agent and he was initially unsure he would suit the part as he is from the country.[5] Once Peacocke understood what type of person Darryl was, he believed he could offer something to the role.[5] Peacocke said the audition process was 'a lot of fun' and during a call back, he got to work with Esther Anderson, which made him less nervous.[5] Peacocke made his on screen debut as Brax on 16 February 2011.[6]
On 9 May 2013, it was announced that Peacocke would be taking a break from Home and Away, so he could film a role in Hercules: The Thracian Wars.[7] The actor thanked the show's producers and the network for allowing him the time off from the soap and producer Lucy Addario said 'Steve is a truly great actor so it is no surprise that Hollywood has come calling. We are thrilled to be able to give Steve this short break from Home and Away and support him as he takes up this amazing opportunity.'[7] Peacocke returned to Home and Away in September.[7]
Development[edit]
Characterisation[edit]
Upon the character's announcement, Debbie Schipp of The Daily Telegraph reported Darryl was a 'beach bum' who has an awesome reputation as a surfer.[3] Amy Edwards of the Newcastle Herald stated that he is the most revered of the Braxton brothers and a 'reckless and feared member of the River Boys.'[6] Peacocke said the character was first described to him as the leader of an outlaw surfie gang, which made him think of all the men he had met who play sport and are feared, but able to lead their teams at the same time.[5] Peacocke explained to Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy that he had learnt a lot from playing Darryl, as he comes from a completely different background to him.[5] When Darryl was twelve, his father walked out on his mother, Cheryl (Suzi Dougherty) and his two brothers, Heath (Dan Ewing) and Casey (Lincoln Younes).[8] Darryl became the man of the house and he tried to keep his younger brothers out of trouble. Despite developing a friends with benefits relationship with Tegan Callahan (Saskia Burmeister), Darryl had never been in love before coming to Summer Bay.[8]
A Channel Seven website writer described Darryl as having a 'dodgy reputation and a chip on his shoulder.'[8] He is a surfing legend in his home town of Mangrove River because he was one of the first surfers to take on the rip tides at Wilson's Beach and develop his own surfing style.[9] The Seven writer explained that because Darryl is fearless, he commands a respect from the rest of the surfers that he finds useful.[8] However, Darryl is a 'reluctant hero' and a reporter from Channel 5's Home and Away website commented that he became determined to leave Mangrove River, so he could forge a career as a legitimate business owner.[9] Peacocke backed this statement up, saying Darryl wanted to make something of himself and escape the way of life associated with the River Boys.[5] He later explained 'He's a bloke who wants to escape his upbringing. He has been pigeon-holed in Summer Bay because of his looks but he wants a legitimate life. He doesn't want riches. At the end of the day he just wants a successful family life.'[10] Peacocke spends an hour in make-up every day getting The River Boy's trademark 'Blood and Sand' tattoos painted on his body.[11][12] The actor revealed the most uncomfortable aspect of playing Darryl was having to take his shirt off. He called it a 'show pony thing to do' and was embarrassed by it.[6]
Relationship with Charlie Buckton[edit]
Schipp from The Daily Telegraph said Brax was set to get to know Charlie Buckton (played by Anderson) in a future storyline.[3] Brax meets Charlie after she comes to ask him to keep his surf gang under control. During his interview with Digital Spy, Peacocke was asked if Brax likes Charlie romantically and he said, 'For a bloke like Brax, Charlie is pretty ideal – she's smart, sexy and is strong enough to take him on. He's all about testing himself and he knows he'll be running a gauntlet if he pursues her. She's got that X-factor he can't ignore.'[5] When a fight breaks out at the Surf Club, Charlie arrives to investigate and she asks Brax to step outside, so they can talk.[13] Brax misinterprets the situation and believes Charlie just wants to be alone with him, so he kisses her.[13] Charlie is horrified by his actions and she arrests him for assaulting a police officer.[13] After Brax's arrest, things began to develop 'dangerously' between him and Charlie and Peacoke believed that viewers would find it tense to watch.[5]
Charlie comes under pressure from the community to find a more serious crime to charge Brax with. She starts to believe that he is selling stolen alcohol to Angelo Rosetta (Luke Jacobz), but everything checks out and Brax realises the kiss has 'sparked something' in her.[13]The Daily Telegraph's Colin Vickery proclaimed that Brax had turned Charlie's safe world upside down.[14] While Anderson told him 'What is wonderful about this relationship is that it is forbidden love. There is this element of danger that brings excitement along with it. It is quite different for Charlie. In all her previous relationships she has been hesitant and held back physically and with her feelings.'[14] The actress branded the relationship 'quite fun and flirty.'[14] Just as Charlie starts to trust Brax, his ex-girlfriend, Tegan, arrives in the Bay.[15] Peacocke revealed that Tegan comes to do his mother's bidding. After Brax clashes with Cheryl, she contacts Tegan and gets her to work out what has been going on with him.[16]
Tegan tries to win Brax back, but is shocked to find he has moved on with Charlie.[15] Even though they share a history, Brax does not trust Tegan and when he learns she has threatened Charlie, he order her to leave town.[17] A show spokesperson said 'Brax tells Tegan he wants nothing to do with her. As far as he's concerned, she's very much in his past and he has no interest in her any more. She's devastated when he tells her to leave. But there really is nothing worse than a woman scorned.'[17] Peacocke thought Brax and Charlie's relationship would not be 'smooth sailing' until Tegan was gone.[16] Charlie suspects Brax has been involved in a drugs operation and breaks up with him.[18] Brax is 'gutted' when she ends their relationship and wants her back.[18] He 'puts his heart on the line' and begs her to try again, but she puts her duties as a policewoman first.[18] After he is rejected, Brax has sex with Tegan and Charlie finds them together.[18] Peacocke thought it was hard to say if Brax and Charlie would get back together, while Vickery quipped that it was obvious Charlie cannot stay away from Brax for long.[14][18]
Brax is linked to an armed robbery, but Charlie, who is investigating the crime, believes Brax is innocent from the start.[19] She decides to interfere with police evidence, but feels guilty about what she has done and goes away to a cabin for a few days with a friend.[19] Brax later turns up and while he and Charlie are talking, he reveals that he still loves her.[19] They get back together, but on the way home they crash into Liam Murphy (Axle Whitehead) on his motorbike.[19] Realising Charlie and Brax should be seen together, Heath tells the police that he hit Liam. Charlie then decides to leave the police force.[19] Brax and Charlie decide to move to the city, accompanied by her daughter Ruby (Rebecca Breeds) and Casey.[20] Peacocke stated 'Brax is now with the one he loves. Charlie's left her job and her career for him, and he's left the brotherhood and the River Boys for her. They both realise what they had in Summer Bay is no longer there, so it's time for a fresh start somewhere completely new.'[20] However, Charlie is shot and critically injured by Jake Pirovic (Fletcher Humphrys).[21][22] When they learn that there is nothing more the doctors can do for her, Ruby and Brax make the decision to turn off Charlie's ventilator.[23] Anderson knew some fans would be disappointed that Brax and Charlie did not end up together, but the series producer had told her that after investing so much in the couple, killing Charlie off was the best option.[24]
Cage fighting[edit]
On 13 February 2012, it was announced that Brax would take part in a cage fighting storyline.[25] He decides to take part in the sport to raise some quick money to pay back Leah Patterson-Baker (Ada Nicodemou), who gave money to Geoffrey King (Geoff Morrell) on his behalf.[25] Peacocke revealed that Brax is angry with Leah for paying his debt off and 'coming to his rescue'.[25] Peacocke spent weeks rehearsing the choreography for the fight scenes with a stunt coordinator.[10]The Daily Telegraph's Colin Vickery reported that the actor was often hurt during the training and he was left with cuts and grazes over his back.[10] Vickery revealed that the cage fighting helped Brax with his grief over Charlie's death, while Peacocke told him 'Every bloke has been through a tough time and you just want to punish yourself. There are plenty of blokes out there that can't deal with things emotionally and don't want to talk to anyone about it and they just want to put themselves in harm's way. Brax wants to feel some pain. For him, it is cathartic.'[10]
Brax is knocked unconscious during a robbery at his restaurant, but decides to go ahead with a cage fight.[26] Despite knowing he is not fit to fight, Brax 'puts himself in danger by taking part in another tough battle'.[26] Leah tries to talk him out of it, but Brax ignores her pleas and goes ahead with the fight.[26] Brax is risking his own health and things soon take a turn for the worse.[26] Peacocke explained 'He wins the fight, but he's taken so many blows to the head - and that, coupled with the mugging, tips him over the edge and he passes out and has a fit.'[26] Brax is taken to the hospital, which is difficult for him because it is where Charlie died.[27] He struggles with his grief and Leah tries to help him. When Leah puts her hand on his, Brax then realises that she has feelings for him.[27] Speaking to TV Week's Erin McWhirter, Peacocke revealed that his character is shocked by it and did not see it coming.[27] In his interview with Digital Spy's Kilkelly, the actor called the cage fighting storyline 'awesome' and he expressed his wishes to return to it in the future.[28]
Relationship with Natalie Davison[edit]
—Peacocke on whether Brax's relationship with Natalie would be serious. (2012)
In June 2012, it was revealed that school counsellor Natalie Davison (Catherine Mack) would become Brax's new love interest.[29] Some Home and Away fans voiced their 'outrage' at Brax's new romance on social networking sites, while others thought he should date Leah instead.[29] Peacocke told Kilkelly 'The reaction has been mixed, mostly because people miss the whole Charlie and Brax storyline. But the new relationship has been equally exciting to play and is taking a new direction. I think fans are really starting to see it as something new and enjoying it.'[28] Mack told a TV Week writer that Natalie finds Brax interesting, while Brax respects her for trying to help Casey.[29][30] He likes that she brings out a new side in himself.[30] Peacocke thought Natalie was a 'good fit' for his character and hoped he could offload some of his baggage, so he could move forward with her.[30] Mack told TV Week's Gavin Scott that Natalie finds Brax attractive, but he is not at the front of her mind because she is focused on helping Casey through his issues.[30] However, to help Casey, she must go through Brax and learn more about their situation.[30] Brax and Natalie arrange to have a drink together, but he is forced to cancel so he can deal with a family emergency.[30]
Brax and Natalie later have a one-night stand.[31] Brax runs into Natalie shortly after making a drug deal to raise some money. She is suspicious and annoyed that he has not been in contact with her, just as they were starting to build up a relationship to help Casey.[31] Peacocke told Scott that Brax does not want Natalie thinking he is a drug dealing criminal because he has spent time with her trying to prove that he is not, so he shuts down.[31] Mack said 'She can see through his act. She believes with her whole heart he's a good person. She will not stop until she makes him realise that.'[31] At that moment, Brax and Natalie connect and share 'an intense kiss', which leads to them spending the night together.[31] Mack stated that 'caution is thrown to the wind' and neither Brax or Natalie think about what they are doing.[31] Peacocke revealed that the next day Brax starts rethinking and regretting, while Natalie wonders if she has crossed a line.[31] The couple decide to put their romance on hold, so Natalie can continue to counsel Casey without anything getting in the way.[32] Brax agrees with the plan, even though Casey insists they should put their relationship first.[32] Mack revealed that Natalie and Brax would share more scenes together, saying 'Their attraction to each other is undeniable, and even though it's not the key focus, they can't help but continue to be around each other and be attracted to each other.'[32]
Departure and return[edit]
On 1 February 2015, Jonathon Moran of The Daily Telegraph reported that Peacocke had quit Home and Away to pursue new acting roles in Hollywood.[33] Peacocke filmed his final scenes in December 2014.[33] Of his departure, he stated 'It wasn't something I was looking forward to because I love the show and the people I work with so much. But I think the key to any good TV series or any good storytelling is to leave the audience at the right point, and where we got to with Brax, we hit a point where it was the best point for him to exit the show. It was just the perfect time I guess.'[33] Brax was the last of the original three Braxton brothers to leave the show.[33] His exit storyline saw the car transferring him to jail run off the road and plunge into a lake. David Knox from TV Tonight commented that storyliners would have left the door open for Peacocke to return in the future.[34] Brax departed on 10 June.[35]
On 22 August 2015, Moran announced that Peacocke had returned to Home and Away to shoot scenes for episodes that would air in late 2015.[36] Of his return, Peacocke commented 'It is a nice little surprise. It was a good story the producers put to me, so I thought it is a nice way to see everyone for a bit. It will be an interesting little twist. While Brax is in the Bay it will spice things up a bit, I think.'[36] Peacocke's return storyline was kept top-secret, and was not revealed until his episodes were broadcast.[36] Ahead of Brax's final appearance, Home and Away aired their first two-hander episode on 15 February 2016. The episode featured Brax and Ricky discussing their relationship and his decision to fake his death.[37] The character made his final appearance on 7 June 2016, where he reunited with Ricky and his son.[38]
Storylines[edit]
Brax and the River Boys go along to a singles night at Angelo's restaurant. They start a brawl and Brax's brother, Heath, punches Miles Copeland (Josh Quong Tart). The following day, Brax tries to smooth things over and visits Angelo Rosetta with a case of alcohol to make up for what happened in his restaurant. Angelo accepts the apology and Brax makes him an offer to supply the restaurant with some cheap alcohol. The River Boys start causing trouble around the town and local policewoman Charlie Buckton keeps an eye on them. Brax starts making suggestions on how to improve Angelo's restaurant and goes into partnership with him. He later uses the restaurant for money laundering. Brax takes Leah Patterson-Baker out to lunch in order to ask her more about Charlie. When trouble with the River Boys escalates, Charlie is called to the Surf Club to sort it out. She takes Brax outside to talk, but he kisses her and is arrested. However, Brax's lawyer gets him released. Charlie later comes to Brax and asks him to keep his younger brother, Casey, away from her daughter, Ruby. During an argument, Brax kisses Charlie and they have sex. Charlie later tells him it was a mistake, however she starts to feel that she misjudged him and they begin a secret relationship.
Angelo discovers the Braxton's have a marijuana crop in the National Park and Heath knocks him out. Brax tells Charlie that he has nothing to do with the crop and gets a member of their gang to drop Angelo off at the hospital. Brax realises Brodie Upton (Guy Edmonds) has stolen drugs from him and he sets him up to be arrested. However, Brodie avoids the police and threatens Brax with a gun. He finds out about Brax and Charlie's relationship, before Brax manages to get him out of town. Charlie decides to publicly reveal her romance with Brax, but Morag Bellingham (Cornelia Frances) warns them both against it. Angelo also discovers the relationship and blackmails Brax into buying his half of the restaurant. Brax finds out Casey has quit school, but he manages to get him to change his mind. This causes Cheryl to throw Casey out of their home and he and Brax stay in a motel. Tegan Callahan arrives in town and tries to get back with Brax. She discovers his new relationship with Charlie and Brax orders her to leave. Heath challenges Brax's leadership of the River Boys and Brax decides to leave the group. Heath plans to raid Jake Pirovic drug crop and Tegan tells Brax that Jake is going to ambush him. Charlie arrests both Heath and Jake following the raid.
When Brax does not deny he is involved with the drug dealing, Charlie breaks up with him. Tegan reveals that Jake asked her to hide some drugs for him and Heath and Brax help her. Brax and Tegan have a one-night stand, which Charlie finds out about. Jake is released and he demands his drugs back. He takes Ruby and Casey hostage, until Brax hands the drugs over. A fight breaks out and Brax is stabbed. Charlie finds him and takes him to hospital. Tegan states that her daughter, Darcy (Alea O'Shea), is Brax's and he tries to bond with her. However, Tegan later reveals that Darcy is actually Heath's daughter. Brax and Charlie get back together and Heath finds out about them, forcing Charlie to reveal the truth to her superior. A gang war breaks out and Jake's brother, Hammer (Benedict Samuel), has Heath beaten up. Tegan is injured in a car accident and she tells Brax that she revealed his relationship with Charlie to Hammer, before dying. Brax learns Casey burnt Jake's place down and tries to cover up the crime. Hammer kidnaps Charlie and lures Brax to a container to kill him. A fight breaks out and Charlie shoots Hammer dead. Casey is found guilty of the arson attack at Jake's place and sent to juvie. Brax begins dating Hayley O'Connor (Alyssa McClelland).
Brax is linked to an armed robbery and learns he has been set up on Jake's orders. He admits to the police that he was in bed with Hayley at the time of the robbery, but she refuses to confirm his story. Charlie informs Brax that she and a fellow officer are moving the evidence against him and tells him where they will be stopping, allowing Brax to steal it. Brax joins Charlie at a cabin and on the way home they crash into Liam Murphy. Heath and Bianca Scott (Lisa Gormley) tell the police they hit Liam to protect Brax and Charlie. When Charlie quits the police, she and Brax decide to move to the city with Ruby and Casey. However, Jake returns to the Bay and shoots Charlie. Brax finds her and she is rushed to the hospital, where he and Ruby are told that Charlie is brain dead. Brax initially refuses to give up on Charlie, but he eventually decides to let her ventilator be turned off. Ruby accuses Brax of being responsible for Charlie's death and he starts drinking. Brax becomes angry with Heath for accepting stolen alcohol from Geoffrey King and returns it. However, Geoffrey demands $30,000 or the restaurant. Leah stops Brax from burning Angelo's down and he becomes furious when she pays Geoffrey off. To pay her back, Brax begins cage fighting.
One night, Brax is knocked unconscious when someone robs the restaurant. He refuses to pull out of his next fight and he collapses shortly after winning. Brax is taken to hospital to recover and Leah stays with him. Brax then realises she has feelings for him. When Leah gets drunk, Brax takes her home and she tries to kiss him. Brax learns Heath has hired Hayley as his lawyer and he takes her to a clifftop, where he blames her for getting Jake out of jail. Hayley hits him with a rock and dares him to kill her, but Brax lets her go. Brax learns Heath is trying to get their father, Danny (Andy McPhee), out of jail and warns him against it. Brax visits Danny and remains convinced that he has not changed. Casey questions Brax about Danny and he reveals that he used to take him out of the house when Danny got angry and that he once put Heath in hospital. Brax is unhappy when Casey visits Danny and gets on well with him. He also dislikes it when school counsellor Natalie Davison tries to talk to him about Casey's feelings and shuts the door on her when she mentions Charlie. Danny is freed from prison and he moves into the Caravan Park. Brax manages to get his mother to leave town and tells Danny that his money that he left behind is gone.
Toni Braxton's Father's New Wife
Danny demands that Brax pay back his money and Brax agrees. He is later knocked out and left out in the bush to die, but Sid Walker (Robert Mammone) finds him and takes him back home. Brax then realises Danny ordered the attack. To get some money to pay his father back, Brax organises a drugs deal, which goes wrong when the police turn up. However, Brax successfully hides the drugs away and completes the deal. When he runs into Natalie, he pushes her away. However, she tells him she is not scared of him and they have sex. Casey admits to Brax that he is spending time with Danny, so he can stay one step ahead and stop him from targeting Ruby and her money. Brax learns Casey has gone off with Danny, who has been planning to rob a local pub. Brax and Natalie get to the pub just as a shot rings out. They find Casey has shot Danny and he later dies. Brax tries to intimidate the only witness into going along with a fabricated story, but Casey confesses to the crime. He struggles to cope with what he has done, so Brax and Natalie decide to put their relationship on hold to help him. Brax realises Casey is hurting and they decide to spend some time together in the forest. After going to get some food, Brax returns to the camp to find Casey gone. He and Natalie drive out to the desert to find Casey and learn that he has been kidnapped by Kyle Bennett (Nic Westaway), Casey and Brax's half-brother.
Reception[edit]
Accolades[edit]
For his portrayal of Brax, Peacocke was nominated for Best Male Performance at the 2011 AACTA Television Awards.[39] He went on to win the Logie Award for Most Popular New Male Talent in 2012.[40] Peacocke was also nominated for Best Daytime Star at the 2012 Inside Soap Awards.[28] In 2013, Peacocke won the Most Popular Actor Logie Award.[41] He was also nominated for Most Popular Personality On Australian TV.[42] That same year, Peacocke also won Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards.[43] In 2014, Peacocke received nominations for Most Popular Actor and Most Popular Personality on TV at the Logie Awards.[44] He was nominated in the same categories the following year, and won Most Popular Actor.[45][46] Peacocke won three awards at the 2015 TV Week and Soap Extra #OMGAwards for Favourite Couple between Brax and Ricky, Best Abs, and Best Storyline for Brax's fake death/escape.[47] Peacocke earned a nomination for Best Actor at the 2016 Logie Awards.[48]
Critical response[edit]
When Inside Soap ran a poll asking readers which Braxton brother they liked the most, Darryl came in first place with 44% of the vote.[49] In March 2011, Tristan Swanwick and Nathanael Cooper of The Courier-Mail reported that fans of the Braxton brothers had set up Facebook pages for the three actors and used personal photos of them.[50] The accounts attracted many fan messages and friend requests.[50] Swanwick and Cooper commented 'One would have thought the difficulty of being cast as a 'River Boy' on Home and Away would be the ever-present threat of a Bra Boy taking offence to a storyline.'[50] Andrew Mercado writing for TV Week said that Home and Away was ignoring its core value of families and foster children in favour of the River Boys and he wanted to see less of them on-screen.[51] While they were a success story and ratings wise, he noted that there were viewer concerns about the accompanying violence.[51] He also predicted that the 'tattooed surfie boys' would not be around forever because the actors would want to try their luck in Hollywood.[51] Channel 5 included the arrival of the Braxtons in their 'Top 20 Aussie Soap Moments of 2011' program, with the storyline came fourth overall.[52]
A writer for the Inside Soap Yearbook proclaimed the character's screen debut was one of 'The Best Bits of March 2011.[53] A Western Mail reporter commented 'Ever since the Braxtons sauntered into the Bay, they've been nothing but trouble.'[54] During the Geoffrey King plot, the Daily Mail's Jaci Stephen bemoaned that Home and Away had turned into 'a bad gangster drama' and wrote 'Oh, go away, Brax!'[55] While talking about axing soap characters, Stephen included Brax on her hit list.[56] Carena Crawford from All About Soap blamed Brax for Charlie's death and commented 'Bad boys are trouble. And despite all Brax's claims that he was going straight, he'd still angered enough people in the past to get his girlfriend killed.'[57] In 2012, TV Week readers voted Charlie and Brax their most popular Home and Away couple of all time.[58] They received fifty per cent of the vote and Peacocke said 'I think fans enjoyed the drama, but they're disappointed Charlie is gone and there isn't the opportunity for her to return.'[58] In 2015, Laura Withers of Inside Soap commented 'Brax may be prime Summer Bay beef, but he hasn't got an ounce of common sense!'[59]
References[edit]
- ^'Home and Away: New Beginnings by Sophie Green'. Hachette Book Group. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
- ^'The crazy world of Darryl Braxton'. Inside Soap (25): 44–45. 22–28 June 2013.
- ^ abcdSchipp, Debbie (9 January 2011). 'Bay surf gang making waves'. The Daily Telegraph. News Limited. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
- ^Kelly, Kristy (25 February 2011). ''Real River Boy' discusses 'H&A' gang'. Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ abcdefghiKilkelly, Daniel (15 March 2011). 'Steve Peacocke (Brax, 'Home and Away')'. Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ abcEdwards, Amy (16 February 2011). 'Blushing actor gets it off his chest'. Newcastle Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
- ^ abcKilkelly, Daniel (9 May 2013). ''Home and Away' Steve Peacocke: 'I'm grateful for soap break''. Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
- ^ abcd'Darryl 'Brax' Braxton'. Home and Away. Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
- ^ ab'Darryl 'Brax' Braxton'. Channel 5. Northern & Shell. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
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External links[edit]
- Darryl Braxton at the Official AU Home and Away website
- Darryl Braxton at the Official UK Home and Away website
Toni Braxton reveals her 'shame' at abortion before 2001 wedding and fear that youngest son's autism was a 'punishment' for her actions
Published: 22:46 BST, 18 May 2014 | Updated: 22:54 BST, 18 May 2014
She has two children Denim, 12 and 11-year-old Diezel but now Toni Braxton has revealed she had a secret abortion before they were born.
The 46-year-old singer fell pregnant with her then-boyfriend, (now ex-husband) Keri Lewis' child before they married in April 2001 and decided to terminate the baby as she was taking Accutane, a prescription acne treatment which can have serious side-effects for unborn babies.
And while Toni tells Entertainment Tonight 'I am more ashamed of myself for doing that', in a new interview airing on Monday, she admitted in her autobiography that she would have had the abortion anyway. But she was left devastated when her second son was diagnosed with autism and believed she was being punished for terminating her pregnancy.
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Emotional: Toni Braxton reveals all about her secret abortion in a new interview on Entertainment Tonight
Shame: Toni Braxton has admitted that she had an abortion before her 2001 wedding and opened up about feeling ashamed of what she did
The New York Daily News quotes Braxton in her Unbreak My Heart autobiography where she wrote 'Is God punishing me for that abortion?'.
She added that she 'believed that God’s payback was to give my son autism.'
And for weeks after the abortion, she was full of guilt over what she had done.
Last July, Braxton officially ended her 12-year marriage with the father of her two sons.
The Unbreak My Heart performer admitted said in her VH1 Behind the Music special in 2012 that the split with Lewis in 2009 took a toll on her.
'I had to figure out a plan for my life that had nothing to do with him,' she said.
Punishment? Toni admitted she worried she was being punished for the abortion when her second son Diezel was diagnosed with autism
'I was angry with everybody. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I felt that I was a person dealing with a lot of struggles and here comes another one.' Serial keys.
The singer has endured trouble times in recent years.
In 2010 she was diagnosed with lupus while she has had to battle financial problems, filing for bankruptcy twice.
She also settled a bankruptcy case last year after claiming she had run up debts of between $10million and $50million.
Split: Toni and Keri Lewis split in 2009 (the same year as this picture was taken) and finalised their divorce last year
Braxton, who filed for Chapter 7 in 2010, agreed to pay $150,000 to settle the case, according to TMZ.
The singer previously filed for bankruptcy in 1998 for debts of $3.9million.
However, things are looking up and it's been a successful few months for the singer who released her smash hit collaboration album: Love, Marriage & Divorce, with fellow Grammy winner Kenny Babyface Edmonds.
The pair also completed a stint on the Broadway show After Midnight which came to an end in March.
Earlier this year, Toni also announced the release of Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir set to hit stores on May 20.
Baring her secrets! Braxton will be releasing her highly-anticipated memoir in just a few weeks
Toni Braxton and her sisters are about to get a step-dad. A source close to the family told Sister 2 Sister that family matriarch, Evelyn Braxton, will be tying the knot again in February.
The matriarch of the family Evelyn, is getting married in February. This season, mama Ev was set up with a man nearly half her age. It seems she has finally found the real deal. The source also reveals that Evelyn plans to look fabulous for her upcoming nuptials.
“She will be working out at the gym to be over-the-top fabulous,” said the source, who described Evelyn as “excited.” The mother of six was previously married to her children’s father, a pastor who was unfaithful to her and is now remarried. No word yet on who the lucky man is, but it’s possible his identity may be revealed on the current season of the show.
Congrats to Evelyn!
Mama Ev: “Where Is His Daddy For God’s Sake?”, “Braxton Family Values” [RECAP]
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