The Braxtons

In 1989 the five church-reared Braxton sisters—Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar—secured a recording contract with Arista under the group name the Braxtons. Their first single, “Good Life,” came out in 1990 and climbed no higher than number 79 on the Billboard R&B chart; the label let them go before any follow-up could appear. Toni soon signed with L.A. Reid and Babyface’s LaFace imprint and quickly rose to superstardom. The remaining sisters supported her on tour as background vocalists and were featured in the clip for “Seven Whole Days.”

Towanda, Trina, and Tamar returned in 1996 as the Braxtons on Atlantic with the album So Many Ways. Its title track, also included on the High School High soundtrack, reached number 22 on the R&B chart, while a Masters of Work remix of the Diana Ross cover “The Boss” topped the club chart. Tamar nevertheless chose a solo path, and the group went dormant despite the early seasons of the reality series Braxton Family Values.

All five sisters reconvened in 2015 to issue Braxton Family Christmas on Def Jam. Their only brother, Michael Braxton, Jr., sang lead on “Under My Christmas Tree.” Traci Braxton passed away on March 12, 2022, at age 50 after treatment for esophageal cancer.