Toni Braxton opens up about late sister Traci: "It's difficult trying to live with a broken heart"
9 May 2024, 13:49
'Unbreak My Heart' is no doubt her signature song.
It's a song that's resonated with listeners worldwide, as we've all been through painful break-ups and pleaded for a partner to return before having to find love again.
But 'Unbreak My Heart' has taken on a new meaning for Toni Braxton, the voice behind the soulful ballad.
The Grammy Award-winning singer lost her younger sister Traci Braxton on 12th March 2022 at the age of just 50, after losing her private battle with cancer.
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Like anyone who suffers a loss so great, it hasn't been an easy couple of years for Toni.
"She's always with me. I miss her every day. I can't even explain to you how I miss her," she told People magazine in a new interview.
Currently in the middle of her Las Vegas residency with Cedric The Entertainer, Toni continues to think about her beloved sister and holds her memory close when she takes to the stage.
"I miss her, but I know she's with me. I know she's holding my hand and talking to me and giving me the courage to get up here and have a good time and entertain you guys, 'cause this is what I love doing as a performer," she said to the audience on the night.
Toni and her other sisters Towanda, Trina, and Tamar as well as their mum Dr. Evelyn Braxton are preparing to appear in a new reality television series, aptly titled The Braxtons.
The 'Breathe Again' singer says the series will delve into the family's experience of "dealing with grief and loss - and how I like to say, it's difficult trying to live with a broken heart."
Production for the upcoming series is "going well" according to Toni. "We just started, so we're just in the fundamental stages."
"We miss Traci, we can't deny that, but it's fun, us sisters getting together and reminiscing, but it's going to be a different show [to their previous series Braxton Family Values]."
Traci and Toni were in a girl group together (The Braxtons) along with their sisters Tamar, Trina, and Towanda, before Toni left to pursue a solo career throughout the nineties.
It was Toni who announced the news of Traci's passing in 2022, taking to her Instagram to reveal the family's tragedy.
"It is with the utmost regret that we inform you of the passing of our sister, Traci," the caption read alongside a black-and-white image of herself and her sisters side-by-side.
"Needless to say, she was a bright light, a wonderful daughter, an amazing sister, a loving mother, wife, grandmother and a respected performer. We will miss her dearly," Toni continued.
"Traci passed this morning as the snow was falling, our angel is now a snowflake. We ask that you respect our privacy as we plan to send her home with love, celebrating her life. We are family forever."
Her husband, Kevin Surratt, also shared news of Traci's private battle, having undergone treatment for Esophageal cancer for over a year before her death.
"We have come to a time where we must inform the public that after a year of privately undergoing a series of treatments for Esophageal cancer our beloved Traci Braxton has gone on to glory," Surratt said at the time.