The Rise and Fall and Rise of Toni Braxton - Interview

Ebony, Dec, 2000 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

Following a tense multimonth negotiation process, Braxton finalized a new contract with her old record label reportedly worth more than $20 million. "I got a really nice pay raise," she says, laughing. "Like Scarlett O'Hara, I won't be broke again."

She also won't be alone. The bankruptcy process revealed her true friends. "I often felt like I was walking around with this `Scarlet Letter' stitched to my chest from the way that people treated me," she says.

Her relationship with pro football's Curtis Martin ended while she was in court. But her new man, Keri Lewis, was right there for her before, during and after.

"Keri Lewis was definitely there for me, and I will always be grateful and thankful to him for his friendship, because I was in a relationship during this time that didn't work out," she says. "He [the former boyfriend] didn't know the woman that I was. A lot of people choose to judge a person, and that's not necessarily a good thing."

Toni says Lewis saw past the bankruptcy and her glamorous exterior. "Keri saw the woman, he could see past all the dollars and the bankruptcies and he believed in me." Lewis won her heart when he sent her a bowl of tulips, her favorite flower. "That sparked it," she says, "we had been friends for so long and that was so thoughtful."

Because her credit is still shot from the bankruptcy, Lewis has provided her with a platinum credit card. "I love her crazy," he says. "I definitely gave her that card She wants things, and she should have them."

Lewis, who is set to serve as musical director of a UPN variety show, Off Limits, says he met Braxton in 1997 when his band backed her on tour. "We were friends for a long time and we were both in other relationships," he says.

The couple is "talking marriage" he says. "I would love to see it go that way. She's a great woman, very intriguing and very independent." Although some men don't like strong women, Lewis says that's one of her attractive qualities. "You can't feel threatened by the strength. She's very down-to-earth, and we both have a strong family background."

With their busy schedules, marriage will have to wait. In January Braxton will begin touring to support her new CD. "I'm so excited, I love touring. I get so much love and support from the audiences," she says, although she was a little concerned about recording again after four years. "I didn't know if my music still fit or how people would receive me," she says. But she didn't need to worry. The Heat reached the top of the charts and has produced two hit singles, "He Wasn't Man Enough" and "Just Be A Man About It," since its April release.

The album demonstrates many of Toni's talents, including song-writing, production and playing the piano. "People don't believe that I can really do all of these things," she says. "I can really play the piano; I've been playing since I was 14. I played in church." She also wrote and produced on this album. "People will get to see ,all of my talents.'

With heartfelt love songs and rhythms you can take to the bank, Braxton is proving she is more than just a pretty face.