Trina Braxton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Trina Braxton
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Trina Braxton hosting "Sister Circle" in 2020
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Trina Evette Braxton |
| Born | December 3, 1974 Severn, Maryland, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Soltri Entertainment (2012–present) |
Trina Evette Braxton-Scales (born December 3, 1974) is an American singer and a familiar face on television. She is the younger sister of the famous R&B singer Toni Braxton. Trina got her start in music in 1992 as a founding member of the R&B group The Braxtons, which she formed with her sisters.
After two members left, The Braxtons released their only album, So Many Ways, as a trio in 1996. This album included popular songs like "So Many Ways" and "Only Love".
In 2011, Braxton reunited with her sisters for the We TV reality show, Braxton Family Values. This show was a big hit, becoming the most-watched reality show on WE tv. Trina then released her first solo song, "Party or Go Home," in March 2012. From September 2018 to March 2020, Braxton was a co-host on the "Sister Circle" talk show.
Braxton has also acted in several movies and started her own successful hair and bar companies. Many people see Trina Braxton as the business-minded sister, thanks to her many successful projects.
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Trina's Early Life
Trina Evette Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland. Her father, Michael Conrad Braxton Sr., was a Methodist church leader and worked for a power company. Her mother, Evelyn Jackson, was a former opera singer, a cosmetologist, and also a pastor. Trina's grandfather on her mother's side was also a pastor.
Trina has an older brother named Michael Jr., and four sisters: Toni, Towanda, Traci, and Tamar. Trina and her siblings grew up in a very religious home. Her first experience performing was singing in her church choir.
Trina's Music Journey
Starting Out with The Braxtons
In 1989, Toni, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar Braxton signed their first record deal with Arista Records. In 1990, they released their first song, "Good Life". This was the only song they released as a group of five. "Good Life" did not become a big hit, reaching only number 79 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. Because of the age differences among the sisters, it was hard to market the group, and they were later dropped from Arista Records.
In 1991, during a special performance for music producers Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Toni Braxton was chosen to be the first female solo artist for their new company, LaFace Records. At that time, the other sisters were told that LaFace was not looking for another girl group because they had just signed TLC.
After Toni left the group in 1991, the remaining Braxtons sisters became backup singers for Toni's first U.S. tour, her music videos, and other appearances. Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar appeared in the music video for Toni Braxton's song, "Seven Whole Days".
In 1993, a Vice President at LaFace Records, Bryant Reid, signed The Braxtons again. However, the group never released an album or song with LaFace. When Reid moved to Atlantic Records, he convinced LaFace to let him take the group to Atlantic as well.
It was reported that in 1995, Traci Braxton left the group to work as a youth counselor. However, in 2011, it was confirmed that Traci was not allowed to sign with Atlantic Records because she was pregnant at the time.
The Braxtons' Album and Success
In June 1996, Tamar, Trina, and Towanda returned with a new album called So Many Ways. The album was released on August 13, 1996, and reached number 26 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. This was their first and only full album.
So Many Ways included songs produced by Jermaine Dupri and Daryl Simmons. The album also featured a cover of Diana Ross's hit song "The Boss".
The Braxtons made a music video for "So Many Ways," directed by Cameron Casey. The group also performed a special version of "So Many Ways" with rapper Jay-Z in September 1996. The song was also used in the movie High School High. "So Many Ways" reached number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1996 and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1997.
The album's second song, "Only Love", was released in January 1997. A music video was also made for this song. A special remix of "The Boss" by Masters at Work reached number 1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart in early 1997. "Slow Flow" was the last song released from So Many Ways. It reached number 26 on the UK Charts in July 1997, becoming their highest-charting song in the UK.
The Braxtons also opened for Toni Braxton during the European part of her Secrets Tour in 1997. The group decided to go their separate ways after Tamar Braxton left to start her solo career in 1998. However, the sisters continued to sing and act in other projects.
Trina's Solo Work and Acting
In 2004, Braxton appeared in the Tyler Perry play Meet the Browns. She was also in the play Rise and starred in an off-Broadway show of Dreamgirls. In 2004, Trina Braxton appeared in "The Walk" and co-starred in two independent films. She also hosted a show called Urban Idol for UPN, which was not broadcast. Trina and Tamar sang and danced as background performers for Toni's Libra Tour in 2006.
In 2009, Trina became a lead singer for the wedding band "Simply Irresistible." She also made a brief appearance in Tyler Perry's movie I Can Do Bad All By Myself, performing with Mary J. Blige.
In 2011, Braxton reunited with her sisters for the WE tv reality show, Braxton Family Values. Trina and her sister Towanda also worked as backup dancers for their older sister Toni. In 2012, Trina began her solo music career after signing with Soltri Entertainment. Her first solo song, "Party or Go Home," was released on March 22, 2012. Trina also appeared with her sister Tamar on the TV show The Soul Man.
In 2013, she released the song Game Time. That same year, she sang on the song The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) with her sister Tamar. In 2014, she got a role in the TV movie Where's The Love. Braxton and her sisters Toni and Towanda also appeared in their sister Traci's music video "Last Call."
Recent Projects and Shows
The group, including Toni, Tamar, Traci, Trina, and Towanda, released a Christmas album called Braxton Family Christmas on October 30, 2015. This album did well on the music charts.
In April 2018, Trina, Towanda, and Toni were featured on their sister Traci's song "Broken Things."
From September 2018 to March 2020, Braxton was a co-host of the "Sister Circle" talk show. She also starred in the stage play Head Over Heels in October 2018. In November 2019, she starred in the BET Christmas movie Hip Hop Holiday. In May 2021, she acted in the movie Sisters and the Shrink 2.
Trina's Business Ventures
Besides her artistic career, Trina is a co-owner of a recording studio called The Bass Mint in Atlanta. This studio has facilities for recording music and making films, TV shows, and music videos. She also started her own production company named Soltri Entertainment. In 2014, she launched her first hair product line. She also started her own bar company called Bar-Chix.
Trina's Family Life
Trina has two sons, Eric and Caleb Mojica.
In 2003, she married Gabriel "Gabe" Solis, who was an Air Force veteran and software developer. He also appeared on the reality show. They separated in 2013 and officially divorced in 2015. Sadly, Solis passed away in December 2018 at the age of 43.
Before the sixth season of Braxton Family Values began, Trina got engaged to her boyfriend Von Scales while they were in Napa Valley. They got married in December 2019. In May 2024, it was announced that Trina would be an Executive Producer and cast member in a new reality show reboot called The Braxtons. In June 2021, Trina became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
Trina's Music
Solo Songs
- 2012: "Party or Go Home"
- 2013: "Game Time"
- 2013: "All Over the World" (with J. Ahmad, VaShawn Mitchell, Anthony David, Terrell Carter, Casme, Lisa Denise & Artia Lockett)
Other Songs She's Featured On
- 2013: The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) (a duet with Tamar Braxton)
- 2018: Broken Things (by Traci Braxton featuring Toni Braxton, Towanda Braxton and Trina Braxton)
Trina's Acting Roles
Movies
- 2004: Meet the Browns as Tracey
- 2005: Jail Party as Kiana
- 2005: The Walk as Dawn
- 2009: I Can Do Bad All by Myself (brief appearance)
- 2014: Where's the Love? as Kendra (TV movie)
- 2015: Side Piece as herself
- 2019: Hip Hop Holiday as Karen Corvey
- 2021: Sisters and the Shrink 2 as First Lady
TV Shows
- 2011–2020: Braxton Family Values (as herself)
- 2018: Iyanla: Fix My Life (as herself)
- 2018–2020: Sister Circle (co-host, as herself)
- 2024-present: The Braxtons (as herself)
Stage Plays
- 2004: Dreamgirls as Deena Jones
- 2004: Meet the Browns as Tracy Stevens
- 2018: Head Over Heels
