Here is a really good article I found at the LA TIMES web site.
In an interview, Braxton, who has homes in Los Angeles and Atlanta, speaks about the new album and
Question: What is this about you being discovered at a gas station?
Answer: That's a true story. No one believes me!
Q: So what was he doing working at a gas station?
A: Working. But he owns the gas station now. He
Q: When did you really know that you had made it?
A: Probably when I won my first Grammy for best new artist. . . . I was sitting there doodling,
Q: You said you couldn't afford the full serve at
A: The first thing? I bought myself a piano. I've
Q: What was the concept behind the new album, and
A: This album is a combination of the first and
Q: Faster songs?
A: Yeah, those faster songs. And I have the
Q: Is it from personal experience?
A: Yes. I was angry on this album a little bit,
Q: Speaking of unhappiness . . . you had a little
A: A leeeetle bit, yeah. [laughs]
Q: What happened?
A: Well. [laughs] You know, essentially, how
Q: Was it just that you were so young when you
A: I can't say that. I think when I first signed
Q: Talk a little bit about your current single,
A: Thanks. Rodney Jerkins wrote the song. It was
Q: What artists do you admire?
A: I'm a huge Celine Dion fan. I really admire
Q: How in control of your image are you?
A: A lot. So a lot of the things I do I come up
Q: Right. The pictures. I read that some people
A: You're talking about the [old] cover of Vibe.
Q: Yes. Some seem to think you have a responsibility
A: I've heard that one too. I would say that I
Q: Is it fair to expect you to have to be a role model?
A: I chose to be in this business. It's what I
Q: You mentioned that you're responsible to
A: Absolutely. Oh yeah. Yeah. For me. I'm not
Q: What's a P.K.?
A: Oh! Preacher's kid! I'm sorry. [laughs] There
Q: Has anything happened recently?
A: I think everything that happened with the
Q: That's hard? Even for Toni Braxton?
A: Very hard. The platinum one is hard to get
Q: Uh, Toni? Who is your gentleman friend?
A: His name is Cary Lewis. He's in the group Mint
Q: Is it serious?
A: Weeell. I can't tell yet. You know, every time
Q: Who would dump you?
A: I'm human.
Q: Fair enough. So after Broadway, you plan to do any acting?
A: I have some good offers. I'm looking forward
Q: So when you think of yourself 10 years from now, what do you see?
A: Whoo. Ten years from now. In movies, or on
Q: Think it'll be hard to follow your own amazing act with this record?
A: Yes. It's really, really hard. But this is
Q: Does it feel good to be back?
A: Yeah. It does. It really does.
her personal life, which is also back in order after several traumatic episodes.
They think it's just a marketing thing. I was at this Amoco station, and I was getting gas and this
attendant comes up to me and says, "Do you sing?" And I'm like, oh God, what a line. . . . I'm looking
at him, and he's the attendant. And he's not servicing me because I can't afford the full service.
[laughs] So he says, "I do demos, I would love for you to come to my house," and I said, uh,
well, OK. And I took my friend, just in case he was crazy. And it turned out to be legit. His name is
William Pettaway, and he was the guy who co-wrote "Girl You Know It's True" by Milli Vanilli that
was on Arista.
actually was one of the smarter ones, because he said I need to work as well as be in the music
business.
playing with my rings or something, and they said the winner is Toni Braxton and I kind of paused, and
the camera's on me, and they're like "Get up, get up!" So it was, yeah, emotional.
the gas station. What was the first major purchase you made for yourself once you started making money?
been playing piano since I was 14. I haven't really shown it a lot in my music. I played in church
for the choir and for my sisters. I can really play the piano. On this new album there were some
songs that I played the piano on--it says, "Keyboards by Toni Braxton."
is it different from anything you've done before?
second album. The second album had things like "You're Making Me High," and I have a few more of
those type of songs.
classic Toni Braxton songs, ballads. But what I
really was trying to do with this album is to be the spokesperson musically for women, like the
Lifetime channel is. I was trying to be there for women. Romantic, sexy, strong woman songs.
personally. My personal life was not--I wasn't as happy as I wanted to be. But I'm so happy
now. So happy.
problem with your label and finances a few years back.
could I sum this up? I asked for a raise. And they didn't give it to me at first. So I had to fight to
get it. I mean, I was blessed, I'm one of the lucky artists who got their raise at the end.
got into your original contract that you didn't know what to ask for?
my contract it was definitely fair. But if you sell a lot of records and you prove yourself, you
should get a raise. In the corporate world, women have been fighting longer for being treated
fairly, and I think in the music industry that is just starting to be seen. I think it's just for women.
I don't think it's necessarily being a newer or older artist. I just think women have to
fight a little harder than men do in this business to get paid.
"He Wasn't Man Enough." Great song. Great video.
one of the last songs on the album. I think he was inspired by Jerry Springer or something
like that, you know. Kind of, women fighting almost over a guy. [laughs] But in the end we come together and
realize he's just a dog. Not that all men are dogs, but in this song he's a dog.
Mariah Carey. I think she's so underrated, because she's a great producer, a wonderful writer,
and no one gives her props for that. They always say, "Oh look, did you see what she had on?"
And this and that. I'm like, she's 30 years old, she's not 70 with breasts hanging like chickens! She's
young, she's beautiful, she has a great body! I just think she's wonderful, and I think people
beat her up a little too much.
with myself. No one makes me take the pictures, I take them.
have been very critical of you posing nude somewhere?
as a black woman not to be out there like that.
wasn't naked. I had on underwear, but they erased that out. [laughs] I purposely went after doing
something sexy. . . . I will say that me first coming out, my image was the girl next door, and
it was too soon in my career to find myself in a situation doing pictures like that. I can understand
why people have said the things they said.
dreamed of. And there are a lot of things that go along with it. I wouldn't say I have a
responsibility to anyone else but myself and God. However, there are kids and people who like my music,
and I have to be cognizant of that.
yourself and God. Do you think God had a plan in putting you in the right place and the right time at
that gas station?
trying to push my beliefs on anyone else. But for me, being a P.K., my dad's a minister, I'm just very
spiritual.
are lots of us. We have our own vocabulary. I sang in church all my life. I think when I was
younger my spiritual beliefs were religious because it was what my parents told me it was or
should be. But as I've gotten older I'm definitely more spiritual. I think everything happens because
it's planned. I think you have choices in life. And even those are the plan. And I think God plans them
all.
bankruptcy. It put me on Broadway. It gave me a fresh start in life. It gave me a fresh start financially.
I'm still trying to fight to get that American Express back. [laughs]
back. My gentleman friend got me a gold card.
Condition. I don't know if you've heard of them. He's the guy in my new video.
I talk about my relationships they never work. I get dumped.
to entering another world. I love the music, that's my heart, that's my No. 1 love. But I've
been doing it almost 10 years now. Sometimes, I fought so hard to get it back, ugh, let me add
something else.
television. Probably married, with a kid or two. Oh yeah. I'm not 19.
really important because I've been gone for so long. It kind of validates myself.
