From Rags to Riches

I was searching for some Toni info and stumbled upon this from Marvin Ennis (an artist from Maryland) 

Yes that is indeed a teenage Toni Braxton in the picture above. Toni went from being a teenager singing Anita Baker songs (which the crowd wasn't feeling from her) to a powerhouse multi-platinum selling superstar. 6 Grammy's & 45 million records later. Here's her rags to riches story. 

Courtesy of: Marvin Ennis 

Can you imagine that when we (E.U.) were out in Hollywood getting ready to appear on The Arsenio Hall and Toni Braxton called to say that it was nice to finally see someone from Annapolis "make it." Little did she know that her turn was next. Our own manager Lionel Job passed on Toni Braxton when her original producers Keith Rowel and Al Green, Jr. presented her to him... and he also said she'd never be signed to a major because her voice was too low... Wow!

Toni Braxton Wrote:

To Marvin,


Thanks for all your help and advice. See you at the Grammys...

This is an example of precisely why you cannot give up on your dreams. Prior to her big break with BabyFace Toni was performing in talent shows in and around the Maryland area. Many times the crowds did not accept her covers of Anita Baker songs... She also used to have a phobia about how low her vocal range was... In fact, she once told me she'd never get a record deal because her voice was too low. My last memory of her in person was when she sped away from my house one Sunday afternoon when she didn't get her way... I just remember seeing those old personalized tags that said "TOO CUTE." That was true indeed! She was too cute although the photo above might beg to differ back then... Just joking Toni... lol