Tamar Braxton

Biography

Tamar Estine Braxton (born March 17, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality.
Braxton began her career in 1990 as a founding member of The Braxtons, an R&B singing group formed with her sisters. The Braxtons released their debut album, So Many Ways, as a trio in 1996, and disbanded shortly afterward. In 2000, Braxton released her debut self-titled album through DreamWorks Records. Following a thirteen-year break, Braxton released her second studio album, Love and War×Love and War3 September 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1The One2:542Tip Toe2:563Stay and Fight4:004Love and War4:015All the Way Home4:236One on One Fun1:557She Did That1:178Hot Sugar3:339Pieces3:4010Where It Hurts3:4611Prettiest Girl4:1012Sound of Love4:0713White Candle4:1514Thank You Lord3:19 (2013), through Epic Records, which reached the number two position on the Billboard 200 chart. She later released her fourth and fifth albums, Calling All Lovers×Calling All Lovers2 October 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Angels & Demons3:062Catfish3:353Simple Things4:204Broken Record4:095Never3:096Circles3:257If I Don’t Have You4:148Raise the Bar3:439I Love You2:2210Makin’ Love3:4511Love It2:3012Must Be Good to You3:1213Free Fallin’3:3714King3:3015S.O.N.3:0516Coming Home4:42 (2015) and Bluebird of Happiness×Bluebird of Happiness29 September 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1My Forever3:322Wanna Love You Boy2:523Run Run2:414Hol’ Up3:595The Makings of You5:036Heart in My Hands3:167Blind5:018My Man4:129Pick Me Up2:4710How I Feel3:4711Empty Boxes3:49 (2017), respectively. Braxton has won a BET Award and three Soul Train Music Awards throughout her career. She has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards.
From 2011 to 2020, Braxton starred in the We TV reality-television series Braxton Family Values alongside her mother and sisters. She also served as a co-host on the Fox syndicated daytime talk show The Real from 2013 until 2016, for which she received two Daytime Emmy Award nominations. In 2019, she won the second season of Celebrity Big Brother.

Early life

Tamar Estine Braxton was born on March 17, 1977, to Michael and Evelyn Braxton, in Severn, Maryland. As the youngest of the Braxtons' six children, she began singing as a toddler. The Braxton children would eventually join the choir at church, where their father, Michael Braxton, was a pastor.

1989–1998: Career beginnings and The Braxtons

Tamar and her sisters Toni, Traci, Towanda, and Trina, signed their first record deal with Arista Records in 1989. In 1990, they released their first single, "Good Life" with little success. In 1991, during a showcase with 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. After Toni's departure from the group, the remaining Braxtons members became backup singers for Toni's first tour, and featured in her music videos including the single, "Seven Whole Days".
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 label. When Reid moved on to work for Atlantic Records, he convinced executives at LaFace to allow him to take the group to Atlantic also. It was reported in Vibe magazine that in 1995, Traci Braxton had left the group to pursue a career as a youth counselor. However, it was not confirmed until a 2011 promotional appearance on The Mo'Nique Show, that Traci was not allowed to sign with Atlantic because of her pregnancy at the time.
In 1996, Tamar, Trina, and Towanda returned with a new album, So Many Ways, which peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. 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." 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. "So Many Ways" peaked at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. The group then served as the opening act for Toni Braxton on the European Leg of her Secrets Tour in 1997. The Braxtons decided to part ways as a group after Tamar left to pursue a solo career with DreamWorks Records in 1998.

1999–2009: Tamar and label troubles

In 1999, Braxton met Christopher "Tricky" Stewart. She recorded her solo debut album, Ridiculous, so-named for the many different musical styles on the album. The album spawned two buzz singles ("Let Him Go" and "Just Cuz×Just Cuz1999 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Just Cuz3:57A2Just Cuz (instrumental version)4:13A3It's Time4:48A4It's Time (instrumental version)4:47B1Get Mine3:48B2Get Mine (instrumental version)4:11B3Let Him Go4:21B4Let Him Go (instrumental version)4:23") in hopes of garnering attention from the public eye; however, when the songs failed to gain impact on urban radio outlets, the album was pushed back and canceled. That same year, Braxton was featured on Sole's, "4 The Love of You." Instead of shelving the album, DreamWorks Records abandoned 3 old tracks, added new ones, and renamed it Tamar. The lead single "Get None×Get None5 October 1999 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Get None3:492Get None (instrumental)3:493Get None (a cappella)3:494Don’t Cry5:04" was produced by Jermaine "J.D." Dupri and also featured rap verses from him as well as former Jay-Z protégée Amil. The song also included uncredited background vocals and songwriting by R&B singer Mýa. As soon as the song began to pick up airplay, Braxton announced the album would be released in early 2000, alongside a second single, "If You Don't Wanna Love Me×If You Don't Wanna Love Me7 March 2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1If You Don't Wanna Love Me (radio edit)4:052If You Don't Wanna Love Me (instrumental)4:053Can't Nobody4:34". The album featured production from Missy Elliott, Tim & Bob, and Tricky Stewart, and peaked at number 127 on the Billboard 200. When the album's second single failed to gain significant radio airplay, her label dropped her from their roster.
In 2001, Braxton's previously unreleased song "Try Me" appeared on the soundtrack album for the film Kingdom Come. She also began to work alongside her sister Toni Braxton in a number of songs and music video cameos, including the video for "He Wasn't Man Enough". She performed, co-wrote and sang background vocals on songs for Toni's albums, The Heat (2000), Snowflakes (2001), More than a Woman (2002), Libra (2005) and Pulse (2010). When her sister launched her Las Vegas revue Toni Braxton: Revealed, Tamar again sang backup until she was replaced by singer Sparkle.
By 2004, Braxton was signed to Tommy Mottola's reactivated Casablanca Records and had begun work on her second album. A "Grindin'"-influenced single, "I'm Leaving×I'm Leaving2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1I'm Leaving3:402I'm Leaving3:40", was released with a guest appearance from Bump J. alongside promotional remixes featuring Sheek Louch, Styles P. and Ali Vegas.

2010–2013: Television debut and Love and War

In 2010, Braxton signed to Universal Records, where she released a single "The Heart In Me" in July of that year. The song was included on the Adidas 2: The Music compilation. Her momentum with Universal would not rise to a satisfactory level to launch a second album. In January 2010, We TV confirmed that it had signed Braxton and her mother and sisters for a reality television series titled Braxton Family Values. The show premiered on April 12, 2011. On December 15, 2011, it was confirmed that Braxton and her husband Vincent would star in their own reality series centered on her solo career and their married life. In November 2011, Braxton performed "Love Overboard" at the 2011 Soul Train Awards for Lifetime Achievement recipient Gladys Knight. In September 2012, news broke that Braxton had inked a fresh recording contract with Streamline Records, an imprint of Interscope Records founded by Vincent. Later that month, her reality television show Tamar & Vince premiered on We TV.
Braxton was the featured model for the "Front Row Couture" collection during the "ELLE/Style360" NYC Fashion Week event. Braxton was a co-host of Tameka Cottle's late night talk show, Tiny Tonight, on VH1. Basketball Wives star Tami Roman became a co-host after Braxton. Later, she hosted The Culturelist, a show on BET's sister channel Centric. In March 2013, it was revealed that Braxton had signed to Epic Records ahead of the release of her second album, Love and War×Love and War3 September 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1The One2:542Tip Toe2:563Stay and Fight4:004Love and War4:015All the Way Home4:236One on One Fun1:557She Did That1:178Hot Sugar3:339Pieces3:4010Where It Hurts3:4611Prettiest Girl4:1012Sound of Love4:0713White Candle4:1514Thank You Lord3:19. The album's lead single, the title track, was released on December 6, 2012. The song was a commercial success, spending nine weeks at number one on the Adult R&B Songs chart. Although the single reached number one on the US iTunes chart, it peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Braxton released "The One×The One7 May 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1The One2:54" as the second single from Love and War on May 7, 2013; it peaked at number 34 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The third single, "All the Way Home×All the Way Home21 August 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1All the Way Home4:10", was released August 21, 2013; it peaked at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was followed by the release of Love and War on September 3, 2013. The album was a commercial success in the United States, selling 114,000 copies in its opening week; it debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, falling short of the top spot behind Ariana Grande's Yours Truly, and was number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Outside the US, it debuted at number 34 on the UK R&B Albums Chart.
In 2013, Braxton began working alongside Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, and Tamera Mowry, when she became a co-host of the syndicated daytime talk show The Real, which premiered that year on July 15. Braxton's special Listen Up: Tamar Braxton premiered on Centric in September 2013. The second season of Tamar & Vince premiered on September 5, 2013, and is centered on the preparation and birth of the couple's baby, and her launch of Love and War. On November 11, 2013, Braxton's first Christmas album, Winter Loversland×Winter Loversland11 November 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Sleigh Ride1:592Santa Baby3:093Santa Claus Is Coming to Town2:354No Gift4:045Away in a Manger / Little Drummer Boy3:476Merry Christmas Darling3:407The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)1:138She Can Have You3:409Silent Night3:3610Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas2:5711Santa Bring My Man (Winter Loversland)3:3412Watchin' Me (Yep, I Know It)3:28, was released and debuted at number 43 on the Billboard 200 with 8,000 copies sold in its first week. In December 2013, Braxton received three nominations for the 56th Annual Grammy Awards: Best Urban Contemporary Album for Love and War, and Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for its title track.

2014–2019: Calling All Lovers, Dancing with the Stars and Bluebird of Happiness

On February 25, 2014, the remix of Robin Thicke's single "For the Rest of My Life" which features Braxton, was released as a digital single. Season 3 of Tamar & Vince premiered in October 2014, and it consisted of 10 episodes just like the previous seasons. On October 6, Braxton's new single "Let Me Know×Let Me Know7 October 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Let Me Know3:58" featuring rapper Future peaked at number two on the Billboard Trending 140 chart, less than an hour after its premiere on Braxton's official SoundCloud account and eventually reached number one on October 7. Billboard.com gave the song 4 out of 5 stars in its review of "The Best and Worst Singles of the Week" for the second week of October.
On May 27, 2015, the single "If I Don't Have You×If I Don't Have You27 May 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1If I Don't Have You4:13" was released. The song peaked at number 6 on the US Adult R&B Songs chart. On October 2, 2015, Braxton's new album, Calling All Lovers×Calling All Lovers2 October 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Angels & Demons3:062Catfish3:353Simple Things4:204Broken Record4:095Never3:096Circles3:257If I Don’t Have You4:148Raise the Bar3:439I Love You2:2210Makin’ Love3:4511Love It2:3012Must Be Good to You3:1213Free Fallin’3:3714King3:3015S.O.N.3:0516Coming Home4:42, was released, peaking at number two on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. On September 2, 2015, she was revealed as one of the celebrities who would be competing on the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars. She was paired with reigning champion, Valentin Chmerkovskiy. On November 11, Braxton revealed that she would have to withdraw from the competition due to health problems. Braxton and Chmerkovskiy finished in fifth place overall.
In October 2015, the group The Braxtons, including all five Braxton sisters, released a holiday album titled Braxton Family Christmas. On November 21, Braxton Family Christmas debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, number 10 on the US R&B Chart and number 12 on US Top Holiday Albums on November 21, 2015. The album charted at number 4 on the US Heatseekers Albums on December 12. On December 7, 2015, Braxton received one Grammy nomination for "If I Don't Have You" at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards: Best R&B Performance from her latest album titled Calling All Lovers.
In May 2016, Braxton departed from The Real. The following month, it was announced on The Steve Harvey Morning Show that Steve Harvey had signed Braxton to produce her own talk show and television series with East 112th Street Productions. In April 2017, it was announced that Braxton left Epic Records to sign with Entertainment One for a $1 million deal with the label. On April 27, Braxton released "My Man×My Man27 April 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1My Man (radio edit)3:48" from her fifth album, Bluebird of Happiness×Bluebird of Happiness29 September 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1My Forever3:322Wanna Love You Boy2:523Run Run2:414Hol’ Up3:595The Makings of You5:036Heart in My Hands3:167Blind5:018My Man4:129Pick Me Up2:4710How I Feel3:4711Empty Boxes3:49. The song peaked at number three on the US Adult R&B Songs Billboard. Bluebird of Happiness was released on September 29, 2017, through Logan Land Records and Entertainment One, with "Blind×Blind22 September 2017 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Blind5:00" released as its second single. The album reached the top of the Billboard independent chart.
On March 23, 2018, Braxton and sister, Towanda, guest-starred in their sister Toni's music video "Long as I Live". In the same year, Braxton appeared on Hip Hop Squares. On March 28, 2018, Braxton was featured on Todrick Hall's song "National Anthem", from his album Forbidden. That same year, Braxton co-starred in the stage play Redemption of a Dogg opposite Snoop Dogg. In Parallel, she was featured on the song "Lions And Tigers And Bears", from the Todrick Hall musical Straight Outta Oz.
In 2019, Braxton appeared as a contestant in the second season of the American reality television series Celebrity Big Brother. The show premiered on CBS on January 21, 2019, and concluded on February 13, 2019. Braxton won the competition, becoming the first African-American person to win a season of Big Brother in the United States. In Big Brother tradition, she appeared on the American television soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful, portraying a character named Chef Chambre. Braxton taped her episode on February 20, 2019, and it aired on March 29, 2019.

2020–present: Television ventures, films and return to music

Braxton starred alongside Vivica A. Fox and Darius McCrary in the film True To The Game 2, which premiered on April 10, 2020. In support of the film, she debuted a new song, "Crazy Kind of Love", which was produced by Hitmaka and officially released on March 20, 2020.
In April 2020, it was announced that Braxton would be hosting a reality television series for VH1, titled To Catch A Beautician; the series premiered in June 2020. In July 2020, Braxton and We TV parted ways, with the network stating that it "will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network." Braxton's podcast, Under Construction w/ Tamar Braxton, premiered on streaming services in November 2020, and was nominated at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast.
The We TV docu-series Tamar Braxton: Get Ya Life!, in which she starred, premiered in September 2020. In early 2021, Braxton announced that she had begun recording music again (after announcing retirement in 2017) and would be releasing two albums back-to-back, with the first album's release slated for early 2022. She has since been featured on several songs for other artists, such as Mr.P and Elijah Blake.
On November 30, 2022, Braxton starred in the Jamie Foxx-produced Christmas TV movie Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding, alongside Keri Hilson, Ne-Yo, Terrence J, MC Lyte, Redman, and Cassie Ventura.
On March 17, 2023, Braxton released the single "Changed×Changed17 March 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1Changed3:16", which samples SWV's "Rain". "Changed" was one of the top 10 R&B songs of that year and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales chart. The song peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales chart. It also peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Adult R&B Airplay chart. On July 23, 2023, she starred in the TV movie A Mother’s Intuition. On September 21, 2023, she voiced the character Star in the acclaimed animated series Young Love for seven episodes. On November 9, 2023, she acted in the BET Christmas TV movie Christmas Angel. On March 15, 2024, Tamar released "Notice Me×Notice Me15 March 2024 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Notice Me3:28". Upon release, the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales chart and No. 10 on R&B/Hip Hop Digital Song Sales chart.

Artistry

Braxton possesses a five-octave soprano vocal range. She is also able to sing in a whistle register.
She lists Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Kim Burrell, and her eldest sister, Toni, as some of her musical influences.

Personal life

On an episode of The Real, in 2012, Braxton revealed that she suffers from vitiligo. In November 2015, Braxton discovered that she had several pulmonary emboli in her lungs, which forced her to withdraw from her work on Dancing with the Stars. During an interview in October 2020, Braxton stated that she had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
In 2001, Braxton married her first husband, Darrell "Delite" Allamby, a songwriter and producer who worked with his frequent songwriting partner Lincoln "Link" Browder, as well as Silk, Busta Rhymes and Gerald Levert. The couple met while Allamby worked on Braxton's 2000 debut album's tracks "Money Can't Buy Me Love" and "Once Again". They divorced in 2003 after two years of marriage.
In 2003, she began dating Vincent Herbert, a record executive whom she met through her sister, Toni. Braxton and Herbert married on November 27, 2008. On June 6, 2013, she gave birth to their son, Logan Vincent. In October 2017, Braxton filed for divorce from Herbert, citing "irreconcilable differences" and seeking joint custody of their son. Their divorce was finalized in July 2019.
Braxton dated financial adviser David Adefeso from 2018 to 2020. On July 16, 2020, Braxton was hospitalized following a suicide attempt. In September 2020, Adefeso filed a restraining order against Braxton for domestic violence.