The Braxton Sisters: All About Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar

Mar. 15, 2025

Toni Braxton, Tamar Braxton, Evelyn Braxton, Traci Braxton, Towanda Braxton and Trina Braxton at the celebration for the new WE tv series “Braxton Family Values” on April 6, 2011 in West Hollywood, California.Photo:Charley Gallay/Getty

Charley Gallay/Getty

The Braxton sisters —Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina andTamar— have a bond no one can break.

The five women got their first taste of the limelight as The Braxtons, a singing quintet who signed with Arista Records in 1989. Not long after, Toni became a solo artist with her sisters as her backup singers. The eldest Braxton went on to win seven Grammys.

In other ways, however, their time on-screen strengthened their bond. “This show made us very close,” Trina toldNew YorkDaily Newsin 2011. “It made us do a lot of healing.”

Toni toldEssence, “At the end of the day we do love each other. We may fuss and fight but five hours later we’re on the phone talking … We probably talk everyday.”

Their ultra-close bond made it that much harder when Tracidied of esophageal cancerin March 2022. After her death, Tamar posted a touching tribute on Instagram on what would have been her51st birthday. “Someone lied and said ‘it gets easier.’ ” she wrote. “It doesn’t. You just continue to live without,” adding, “Our sisterly bond is unbreakable.”

“[Traci] told us that she wanted us to tell her story. She wanted us to do the show. And this is the first time in history that all the Braxton girls said ‘yes’ so quickly,” Towanda told PEOPLE.

From their childhood to their long careers together, here is everything to know about the Braxton sisters.

They grew up in Maryland

Traci Braxton, Evelyn Braxton, Toni Braxton, Towanda Braxton and Tamar Braxton arrive at the world premiere screening of “Twist Of Faith” on February 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.Araya Doheny/WireImage

Araya Doheny/WireImage

Of her childhood, Toni wrote that the family had modest means.

They started out as a pop quintet

Trina Braxton, Traci Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Tamar Braxton, and Toni Braxton visit BET’s “106 & Park” on April 11, 2011 in New York City.Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Though Toni is best known as a solo artist, she began her musical career as one of five members of the singing quintet The Braxtons. Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina and Tamar first sang together at their childhood church, where their father was a pastor. After signing to Arista Records, they released their first single, “Good Life,” in 1990.

“It was so rewarding because we had worked so hard,” Traci toldYouKnowIGotSoulin 2014. “[Tamar] was only 10, just singing with my sisters and having that harmony and being as one … We as one were the same heartbeat.”

Years after the agreement, Traci said her older sister stayed true to her word. “When Toni signed, she had her sisters singing backgrounds,” Traci told YouKnowIGotSoul. “So it was like we weren’t missing a beat, she was just out front.”

Traci added, “For her to share her spotlight is the ultimate thing. I’m so proud of her because she still doesn’t have to share her spotlight but she does.”

Jason LaVeris/Getty

In 2011, all five Braxton sisters opened up their lives for the debut of their hit reality show,Braxton Family Values. When it first aired, Tamar toldNew YorkDaily Newsthat it was a concept she had kicked around for a while before her sisters accepted.

“I got the idea for this show in 2008. And all my sisters were like, ‘No way,’ ’’ she recalled. “I think we realized we all had stories to tell.”

She added, “We didn’t do this as a career move. It’s something we felt we had to do. We thought that as females, it could make a difference in other people’s lives.”

[Traci] is definitely missed,” Trina told PEOPLE. “But we’ve made sure that we’ve inserted her into the different scenes, like some never-before-seen scenes from our personal lives, from personal videos and personal pictures, just to remind everybody that Traci is still with us.”

Tamar had to convince Toni to be onBraxton Family Values

Trina Braxton, Traci Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Tamar Braxton, and Toni Braxton on ‘Celebrity Family Feud’.Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty

Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty

Toni has been open about the fact that she wasn’t initially on board to do her family’s hit show. As the “Breathe Again” singer told theLos Angeles Timesin 2011, it actually took a high-stakes game of Monopoly — and a bit of perspective — to change her mind.

“This is a true story. We were playing Monopoly. [Tamar] had Park Place and I lost. I owed her like $2,800,” Toni recalled. “And she said, ‘If you do [Braxton Family Values], I won’t make you pay the money you owe.’ And she held me to it.”

They have one brother who is also a musician

Towanda Braxton with her family as she promotes her WE television series “Braxton Family Values” on February 14, 2017 in New York City.Bruce Glikas/Getty

Bruce Glikas/Getty

While the Braxton sisters have largely lived in the public eye, their sole brother, Michael Conrad Braxton Jr., is far more private.

He shares his sisters’ passion for music, however, and wrote a song for Traci’s 2014 albumCrash & Burn.

“The song my brother wrote was supposed to be for Toni, it’s called ‘Reasons,’ ” Traci told YouKnowIGotSoul. “He gave it to my sister a long time ago when my mom and dad went through their divorce. Toni never used the song and I was like ‘Hey I would like to use this song, I love this song!’ "

Toni’s sisters made an album without her

Tamar Braxton, Traci Braxton, Trina Braxton and Towanda Braxton visit the Carol’s Daughter Pop Up Store on July 2, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.Johnny Nunez/Getty

Johnny Nunez/Getty

The “Let It Flow” singer told theLos Angeles Timesthat after she broke out as a solo artist, Towanda, Trina and Tamar released a record of their own calledSo Many Waysthat was moderately successful overseas.

“I got my sisters a record deal on LaFace Records two years after I signed, and the person who signed them went to Atlantic Records; he took them with him,” Toni said. “[Their record] did pretty well abroad, especially in Asia.”

Traci went viral when she met Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama speaks during her Black History Month program.Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Getty

Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Getty

Traci’s greeting, which consisted of her yelling, “Hey Michelle!” across the room, exploded on the internet after the commander-in-chief himself addressed it in his opening remarks. “We know it is Black History Month when you hear somebody say: ‘Hey, Michelle. Girlllll!’ ” he joked.

The singer explained her viral moment on a 2016 episode ofThe Real, which her sister Tamar co-hosted at the time. “When they walked out, she acknowledged us,” Traci said of Michelle. “She waved, like, ‘Hi!’ Like, you know, ‘Hey girl!’ I’m like, ‘Hey, Michelle! Hey girl! We’re friends now!”

They’ve dealt with a lot of adversity

Tamar Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Traci Braxton, Trina Braxton, and Evelyn Braxton celebrate the premiere of “Braxton Family Values” on April 02, 2019 in West Hollywood, California.Earl Gibson III/Getty

Earl Gibson III/Getty

Toni was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune condition in which the body attacks healthy tissues and causes inflammation, in 2008. Complications from her disease forced the singer to undergo what she called a“traumatic” heart procedurein September 2022.

The youngest Braxton sister, Tamar, has also had several health scares. In 2015, she was forced to drop out ofDancing with the Starsdue to blood clotsin both of her lungs. “I went back to the hospital … only to find out that I don’t have pneumonia but … several P.E.’s (blood clots in both sides of my lungs),” she wrote on Instagram at the time, adding, “My health is my current obstacle.”

In July 2020, Tamar was rushed to the hospital afterbeing found unresponsivein her hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton following a suicide attempt. The talk show host later told PEOPLE in 2021 that she was still dealing with pain she had never properly addressed after being molested as a child.

“I thought I had successfully buried that part of me, but it was manifesting in different ways,” she said. “I didn’t see how I was going to come out on the other side. I didn’t even know that there was another side. ButI chose to change my life.”

The Braxton sisters have also experienced loss. Michael’s 24-year-old daughter Lauren Braxtondied of a heroin overdosein 2019, and in 2022, Traci died of esophageal cancer.

They rallied around Traci in her final moments

Evelyn Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Trina Braxton and Traci Braxton visit the SiriusXM Studios on March 22, 2018 in New York City.Cindy Ord/Getty

Cindy Ord/Getty

In Traci’s final months, the Braxton family came together for her in a big way.

“We got to savor that moment with her and talk and laugh and giggle,” Toni told Tamron Hall in 2022. “All my sisters and I, my parents, we all rallied together, my brother,” she said.

According to theUnbreak My Heartauthor, the Braxtons were even present for Traci’s final moments. “We were just there all the time,” she recalled. “We got to see her take her last breath.”

Tamar was married to Toni’s former manager

Tamar Braxton and Vincent Herbert attend ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 21 on October 5, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.David Livingston/Getty

David Livingston/Getty

Eventually, Toni decided to find new management as a result of her sister’s relationship with Herbert. “I thought it was a conflict of interest,” she toldEssencein 2020. “There’s a little bit of truth to the idea that you shouldn’t mix business with family. You can’t separate when it’s family or business. If something goes wrong, I can call my manager and yell and cuss. I can’t do that to my brother-in-law, that’s not cool.”

While Toni told the outlet that her younger sibling was “disappointed” over her decision, Tamar and Herbert ultimately went their separate ways, too. Tamar’s rep confirmed news of her split from Herbert to PEOPLE in October 2017, and they finalized their divorce in 2020.

Tamar is currently engaged toQueen’s Courtalum Jeremy “JR” Robinson.

Toni and Tamar have 18 Grammy nominations between them

Tamar Braxton and Toni Braxton attend the MARCELL VON BERLIN Spring/Summer 2022 Runway Fashion Show on September 16, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.Frazer Harrison/Getty

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Though all of the Braxton sisters are vocally talented, the oldest and the youngest among them have both been recognized withGrammynominations — 14 for Toni and four for Tamar.

Toni also has seven Grammy wins under her belt, including nods for best new artist in 1994 and best R&B album in 2015.

Toni is jealous of her sisters’ height

Tamar Braxton, Towanda Braxton, Toni Braxton, and Trina Braxton attend the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards on March 7, 1997.Vinnie Zuffante/Getty

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty

While Toni has dispelled rumors of professional jealousy among her siblings, she has admitted to being envious of them in another way. “I do have height envy,” she toldEssence. “I’m 5 foot 1 inch and my sisters are giants, so I do have height envy.”

Tamar and Traci have also opened up on the topic of sibling rivalry. “I’m still introduced as [Toni’s] sister," Tamar told theCape Cod Timesin 2013. “Which is fine. I am her sister. And she’s an icon. Am I that full of myself that I don’t want to be Toni Braxton’s little sister? That’s who I am."

Traci, meanwhile, expressed her desire to be heard as an individual. “People would be like, ‘You are Toni’s sister, can you sound like her?’ I’m like ‘I’m Traci Braxton, I’m not Toni Braxton, give me a chance, I have my own distinct sound,’ ” she told YouKnowIGotSoul.

Toni dedicated a movie to her late sister Traci

Trina Braxton, Toni Braxton and Traci Braxton attend the 10th Annual Lupus LA Hollywood Bag Ladies Luncheon on November 1, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California.David Livingston/Getty

Toni toldTamron Hallin 2022 that she formally dedicated her filmFallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die Forto Traci following her death earlier that year.

As she explained, the film reminded her of her sister. “I would talk to her every day, a couple times of day,” Toni said. “I would ask her about my character, and talk to her about Hollis and read my lines with her."

Toni concluded, “When I look at this project, I think of her with a smile on my face.”

Toni believes Traci is “watching over” her

On an episode ofThe Braxtons, Toni revealed that shenearly suffered a widowmaker heart attackbefore doctors intervened and placed a stint in her heart.

“Doctors caught it just before it happened,” she told her sisters. “If I had a heart attack I wouldn’t have survived, I wouldn’t be here right now. They told me your sister was watching over you. You should not be alive.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.

source: people.com