An iceberg in Greenland off Cape York

Aerial view of icebergs and glaciers at Cape York, Greenland

An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water.^[1][2] It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice. Alternatively, it may come to rest on the seabed in shallower water, causing ice scour (also known as ice gouging) or becoming an ice island.

Etymology[link]

The word "iceberg" is a partial loan translation from Dutch ijsberg, literally meaning ice mountain,^[3] cognate to Danish Isbjerg, German Eisberg, Low Saxon Iesbarg and Swedish Isberg.

Overview[link]

Because the density of pure ice is about 920 kg/m³, and that of sea water about 1025 kg/m³, typically only one-ninth of the volume of an iceberg is above water. The shape of the underwater portion can be difficult to judge by looking at the portion above the surface. This has led to the expression "tip of the iceberg", for a problem or difficulty that is only a small manifestation of a larger problem.

Icebergs generally range from 1 to 75 metres (3.3 to 246 ft) above sea level and weigh 100,000 to 200,000 metric tons (110,000 to 220,000 short tons). The largest known iceberg in the North Atlantic was 168 metres (551 ft) above sea level, reported by the USCG icebreaker East Wind in 1958, making it the height of a 55-storey building. These icebergs originate from the glaciers of western Greenland, and may have an interior temperature of -15 to -20 °C (5 to -4 °F).^[4]

Though usually confined by winds and currents to move close to the coast, the largest icebergs recorded have been calved, or broken off, from the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Iceberg B-15, photographed by satellite in 2000, measured 295 by 37 kilometres (183 by 23 mi), with a surface area of 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi). The mass was estimated around three billion tonnes. The largest iceberg on record was an Antarctic tabular iceberg of over 31,000 square kilometres (12,000 sq mi) [335 by 97 kilometres (208 by 60 mi)] sighted 150 miles (240 km) west of Scott Island, in the South Pacific Ocean, by the USS Glacier on November 12, 1956. This iceberg was larger than Belgium.^[5]

When an iceberg melts, it makes a fizzing sound called "Bergie Seltzer". This sound is made when compressed air bubbles trapped in the iceberg pop. The bubbles come from air trapped in snow layers that later became glacial ice.^[4]

A photomontage visualising what the whole of an iceberg might look like

Classification[link]

Size[link]

Names for various sizes of iceberg are not universal, but usually follow a similar pattern. The size classification in the table below is used by the International Ice Patrol:^[6]

Recent large icebergs[link]

• Iceberg B-15 11,000 km² (4,200 sq mi), 2000
• Iceberg A-38, about 6,900 km² (2,700 sq mi), 1998^[7]
• Iceberg B-15A, 3,100 km² (1,200 sq mi), broke off 2003
• Iceberg C-19, 5,500 km² (2,100 sq mi), 2002
• Iceberg B-9, 5,390 km² (2,080 sq mi), 1987
• Iceberg D-16, 310 km² (120 sq mi), 2006
• Ice sheet, 260 km² (100 sq mi), broken off of Petermann Glacier in northern Greenland on Aug 5, 2010, considered to be largest Arctic iceberg since 1962.^[8] About a month later, this iceberg split into two pieces upon crashing into Joe Island in the Nares Strait next to Greenland.^[9] In June 2011, large fragments of the Petermann Ice Islands were observed off the Labrador coast.^[10]
• Iceberg B-17B 140 km² (54 sq mi), 1999, shipping alert issued December 2009.^[11]

Shape[link]

In addition to size classification, icebergs can also be classified on the basis of their shape. The two basic types of iceberg forms are tabular and non-tabular. Tabular icebergs have steep sides and a flat top, much like a plateau, with a length-to-height ratio of more than 5:1.^[12] This type of iceberg can be quite large, as in the case of Pobeda Ice Island. Antarctic icebergs formed by breaking off from an ice shelf, such as the Ross Ice Shelf or Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, are typically tabular. The largest icebergs in the world are formed this way.

The calving of Iceberg A-38 off Ronne Ice Shelf

Non-tabular icebergs have different shapes, and include:^[13]

• Dome: An iceberg with a rounded top.
• Pinnacle: An iceberg with one or more spires.
• Wedge: An iceberg with a steep edge on one side and a slope on the opposite side.
• Dry-Dock: An iceberg that has eroded to form a slot or channel.
• Blocky: An iceberg with steep, vertical sides and a flat top. It differs from tabular icebergs in that its shape is more like a block than a flat sheet.

Monitoring[link]

Icebergs are monitored worldwide by the U.S. National Ice Center (NIC), established in 1995, which produces analyses and forecasts of Arctic, Antarctic, Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay ice conditions. More than 95% of the data used in its sea ice analyses are derived from the remote sensors on polar-orbiting satellites that survey these remote regions of the Earth.

Iceberg A22A in the South Atlantic Ocean

The NIC is the only organization that names and tracks all Antarctic Icebergs. It assigns each iceberg larger than 10 nautical miles (19 km) along at least one axis a name composed of a letter indicating its point of origin and a running number. The letters used are as follows:^[14]

• A – longitude 0° to 90° W (Bellingshausen Sea, Weddell Sea)
• B – longitude 90° W to 180° (Amundsen Sea, Eastern Ross Sea)
• C – longitude 90° E to 180° (Western Ross Sea, Wilkes Land)
• D – longitude 0° to 90° E (Amery Ice Shelf, Eastern Weddell Sea)

Iceberg B15 calved from the Ross Ice Shelf in 2000 and initially had an area of 11,000 square kilometres (4,200 sq mi). It broke apart in November 2002. The largest remaining piece of it, Iceberg B-15A, with an area of 3,000 square kilometres (1,200 sq mi), was still the largest iceberg on Earth until it ran aground and split into several pieces October 27, 2005. It has been determined that the cause of the breakup was an ocean swell generated by an Alaskan storm 6 days earlier and 13,500 kilometres (8,400 mi) away.^[15]

History[link]

In the 20th century, several scientific bodies were established to study and monitor the icebergs. The International Ice Patrol, formed in 1914 in response to the Titanic disaster, monitors iceberg dangers near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and provides the "limits of all known ice" in that vicinity to the maritime community.

Technology history[link]

The iceberg suspected of sinking the RMS Titanic; a smudge of red paint much like the Titanic's stripe was seen near the base.

Before April 1912 there was no system in place to track icebergs to guard ships against collisions. The sinking of the RMS Titanic, which caused the deaths of 1,514 of its 2,223 passengers, created the demand for a system to observe icebergs. For the remainder of the ice season of that year, the United States Navy patrolled the waters and monitored ice flow. In November 1913, the International Conference on the Safety of Life at Sea met in London to devise a more permanent system of observing icebergs. Within three months the participating maritime nations had formed the International Ice Patrol (IIP). The goal of the IIP was to collect data on meteorology and oceanography in order to measure currents, ice-flow, ocean temperature, and salinity levels. They published their first records in 1921, which allowed for a year-by-year comparison of iceberg movement.

New technologies monitor icebergs. Aerial surveillance of the seas in the early 1930s allowed for the development of charter systems that could accurately detail the ocean currents and iceberg locations. In 1945, experiments tested the effectiveness of radar in detecting icebergs. A decade later, oceanographic monitoring outposts were established for the purpose of collecting data; these outposts continue to serve in environmental study. A computer was first installed on a ship for the purpose of oceanographic monitoring in 1964, which allowed for a faster evaluation of data. By the 1970s, icebreaking ships were equipped with automatic transmissions of satellite photographs of ice in Antarctica. Systems for optical satellites had been developed, but were still limited by weather conditions. In the 1980s, drifting buoys were used in Antarctic waters for oceanographic and climate research. They are equipped with sensors that measure ocean temperature and currents. Side-Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) made it possible to acquire images regardless of weather conditions. On November 4, 1995, Canada launched RADARSAT-1. Developed by the Canadian Space Agency, it provides images of Earth for both scientific and commercial purposes. This system was the first to use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which sends microwave energy to the ocean surface and records the reflections to track icebergs. The European Space Agency launched ENVISAT (an observation satellite that orbits the Earth's poles)^[16] on March 1, 2002. ENVISAT employs Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) technology, which can detect changes in surface height accurately. The Canadian Space Agency launched RADARSAT-2 in December in the year of 2007, which uses SAR and multipolarization modes and follows the same orbit path as RADARSAT-1.^[17]

An iceberg in Greenland

One important iceberg in history was the one that hit the RMS Titanic on the 14th of April 1912. It struck the right side of the Titanic, leaving shards of ice on the deck near the bow. Icebergs had been reported by other ships in the vicinity in the days leading up to the accident and yet the crew of the Titanic only saw the one that sunk them when they were almost on top of it. The night was clear and there was no moon out to illuminate the iceberg. The seas were unusually calm and the lack of wave action and spray around the waterline of the iceberg made it practically invisible that night. The sinking of the Titanic resulted in the death of 1,517 of the 2,200 passengers who were on board. An RMS Titanic survivor said "When the dawn rose I was stunned to see that we were surrounded by a veritable mountain range of icebergs. In the dark, they had been completely invisible. But in the rising dawn, they were everywhere. For objects so lethal, they were also majestic. And almost beautiful, in a horrid way." After the sinking of the Titanic, rules were introduced to ensure there were enough lifeboats to accommodate all passengers and crew of sea-going vessels. Monitoring of ice fields also began, in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the Titanic disaster.

See also[link]

• Drift ice station
• Ice calving
• Ice drift
• Polar ice cap
• Polar ice packs
• Polynya
• Sea ice
• Shelf ice

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Iceberg

• Iceberg Finder Service for east coast of Canada
• Icebergs of The Arctic and Antarctic
•  "Iceberg". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. 

Robert Beck (August 4, 1918 – April 28, 1992), also known as Iceberg Slim, was a reformed pimp and American author of urban fiction.

Early life[link]

Born Robert Lee Maupin, in Chicago on August 4, 1918, he spent his childhood in Milwaukee and Rockford, Illinois until he returned to Chicago. His mother left his father to run a beauty shop and worked as a domestic to support both of them in Milwaukee. ^[1]

Pimping[link]

Taking "Iceberg Slim" as an assumed name, Robert started pimping at 18, and continued until age 42, when he decided against it in 1960, after a final 10-month prison stretch in solitary confinement.^[2] At that point, he decided to write about his past instead. Slim moved to California in the 1960s to pursue writing under the Iceberg Slim pen-name, but in normal life, changed his name to Robert Beck, taking the last name of the man his mother was married to at the time.

Writing[link]

In 1969, his first autobiographical novel was Pimp: The Story of My Life, published by Holloway House.

Reviews of Pimp were mixed; it was quickly categorized as being typical of the black "revolutionary" literature then being created. However, Beck's vision was considerably bleaker than most other black writers of the time. His work tended to be based on his personal experiences in the criminal underworld, and revealed a world of seemingly bottomless brutality and viciousness. His was the first insider look into the world of black pimps, to be followed by a half-dozen pimp memoirs by other writers. Of his literary contribution, a Washington Post critic claimed, "Iceberg Slim may have done for the pimp what Jean Genet did for the homosexual and thief: articulate the thoughts and feelings of someone who's been there."^[3]

Pimp sold very well, mainly among black audiences. By 1973, it was reprinted 19 times and sold nearly 2 million copies.^[4] Pimp was eventually translated into German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish and Greek. Nevertheless, the book's audience remained predominantly black. He wrote seven more novels. Beck has sold over six million books prior to his death in 1992,^[5] making him one of the best-selling African-American writers (after Alex Haley). All his books were published exclusively as paperbacks. Iceberg Slim also released an album of poetry called Reflections in the early 1970s.

Pimp was followed by Trick Baby, Naked Soul of Iceberg Slim, Mama Black Widow, Long White Con, Airtight Willie & Me, and Death Wish: A Story of the Mafia.^[6]

Recordings[link]

• Reflections (first press 1976, ALA Records); producer: David Drozen; executive producer: Louis Drozen; music: Red Halloway Quartet; photography: Robert Wotherspoon
• Reflections (reissue 1994, Infinite Zero/American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records)
• Reflections (reissue 2008, Uproar Entertainment)

Film adaptations[link]

In 1973 one of his reality novels, Trick Baby,^[7] was adapted as a blaxploitation movie of the same name, directed by Larry Yust.

A movie adaptation of Pimp has been planned for a long time. There were announcements of a movie directed by Bill Duke and starring Ice Cube; that project was put on hold. In 2004 rapper Pras acquired the rights to produce a movie based on the book.

As of 2011, Mama Black Widow has been in development with Marshall Tyler attached to direct from an adaptation from Will De Los Santos. Chris Hanley and Dave Mortell are producing. Mama Black Widow is Robert Beck's most critically acclaimed novel of his seven novels written.

Death[link]

Robert Beck died of complications from diabetes on April 28, 1992, one day before the 1992 Los Angeles Riots erupted.^[8]

Influence[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Iceberg Slim was an important influence on hip-hop artists and rappers such as Ice-T and Ice Cube and Pittsburgh Slim, who adopted their names in part from reading the author. Iceberg Slim's last book, Doom Fox, which was written in 1978 but not published until 1998, contains an introduction written by Ice-T. Ice-T's third album, The Iceberg, was another major homage. Most of the currently popular references to pimp culture, for example in the work of Too Short and Snoop Dogg, ultimately can be traced back to Iceberg Slim. Rapper Jay-Z also refers to himself as "Iceberg Slim" whenever discussing his adventures with women.

The Eddie Murphy character Velvet Jones from Saturday Night Live was a spoof of Iceberg Slim's character.

Comedian Dave Chappelle often talks about Iceberg and the Game during his stand-up routines. According to him, Iceberg got his name by keeping ice-cold in a shoot-out where he stayed at the bar drinking his drink even though a bullet pierced his hat, a story told at the end of chapter 13 in Slim's Pimp. On his 2006–07 summer tour, Chappelle told a tale of Iceberg, learning of him from Maya Angelou, and relates it to why he left $50 million at Comedy Central and secretly went to South Africa.

At the conclusion of Chappelle's stand up routine, he compares how Slim used to blackmail his hookers, thereby forcing them to stay loyal to him. Chappelle would close his show with the saying, like Slim used to say, "Don't ever leave me."

See also[link]

• Peter A. Muckley, Iceberg Slim: The Life as Art. Pittsburgh: Dorrance, 2005.
• African American literature
• Donald Goines, a writer who was heavily influenced by Iceberg Slim and wrote in a similar style

References[link]

External links[link]

• Iceberg Slim biography and bibliography, from popsubculture.com
• [2] Iceberg Slim's Lost Interviews Publisher site.
• Robert Beck Grave Site
• "The Transcendence of Hate Over Repression", by John Swan
• "I Like Ice", a tribute by Josh Alan Friedman
• StreetFiction.org Urban Book Reviews and Author Interviews
• Trick Baby (1973)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

Joe Pyne (22 December 1924 – 23 March 1970) was an American radio and television talk show host, who pioneered the confrontational style in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members. He was an influence on other major talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Wally George, Alan Burke, Morton Downey, Jr., Bob Grant, and Michael Savage.

Biography[link]

Joseph Pyne was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. His father, Edward Pyne, was a bricklayer; his mother, Catherine, was a housewife. Pyne graduated from Chester High School in 1942, and immediately enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He saw combat in the South Pacific, where he earned three battle stars. In 1943, during a Japanese bombing attack, he was wounded in the left knee. In 1955, he lost the lower part of that leg due to a rare form of cancer.^[1]

Radio[link]

Discharged from the Marines at the end of World War II, Pyne attended a local drama school to correct a speech impediment. While studying there, he decided to try radio. He worked briefly in Lumberton, North Carolina, before he was hired at a new station, WPWA, in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania. However, he argued with the owner and was fired.^[2] Next, he got a job at radio station WILM (AM) in Wilmington, Delaware, the first of three times he would work at that station. He moved to WVCH, a new station in Chester, which went on the air in March 1948. Seeing little chance to advance his career in Chester, Pyne left after a year and a half. He moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was hired at WLIP, owned by local businessman William Lipman (hence the call letters). After six months of hosting innocuous programs such as "Meet Your Neighbor" from various grocery stores, he quit during a confrontation with WLIP management in which he threw Lipman's typewriter against a wall. Pyne worked at several stations in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and began to change his style of broadcasting.

Call-in[link]

Pyne gradually tired of being a disc jockey who made comments about politics and current events. He developed his on-air persona as an opinionated host who knew something about everything. He returned to WILM (AM) in Wilmington, where he debuted as a talk show host in 1950. He would later tell reporters that he first experimented with two-way talk during his time in Kenosha.^[3] His new show was unique. He named it It's Your Nickel, a popular idiomatic phrase when a call from a pay phone cost five cents. The format was Pyne expressing his opinions on various topics. Listeners would call to ask questions, offer their own opinions, or raise new topics. At first, Pyne didn't put callers on the air; he paraphrased for the audience what they had said. Soon the callers and his interaction with them became the heart of the show. Pyne became famous for arguing with or insulting those with whom he disagreed. One of his trademark insults was, "Go gargle with razor blades."^[4]

Television[link]

By the early 1950s, television was replacing radio as America's main medium. In 1954, Pyne moved to television with The Joe Pyne Show, broadcast by WDEL-TV in Wilmington. In 1957, he moved to Los Angeles. His initial show was unsuccessful, and he returned to the Wilmington area. He hosted a TV talk show WVUE, Channel 12, which was also seen in Philadelphia, and received positive reviews from critics. Although he was later regarded as a bigot, in the late 1950s the local black press generally praised him for inviting black newsmakers on his show to discuss issues of concern to their community. One of his regular guests was a member of the editorial staff of the area's black newspaper, the Philadelphia Tribune, usually a columnist or the newspaper's publisher.^[5] Pyne continued this program until late 1959, when he returned to Los Angeles. This time, he was more successful. By 1960, he was hosting a radio show that was first on KABC (AM) until 1964 when the acerbic Bob Grant took over Pyne's show. Pyne continued on KLAC. This led to a television show on KTTV.

In 1965, during the Watts Riots in Los Angeles, Pyne was interviewing a black militant on his TV show. At one point, Pyne opened his coat to reveal that he was carrying a handgun. His guest did likewise. The station suspended Pyne for one week as a result of this stunt.^{[6] [7]}

In 1965, he began broadcasting a nationally syndicated show that was carried by as many as 85 television stations and 250 radio stations at its peak. At the height of his fame, he was making $200,000 annually.^[4]

In 1966, NBC gave Pyne a daytime game show, Showdown. Its distinguishing feature is that contestants who missed a question would fall to the floor in a breakaway chair. Showdown lasted only three months and was replaced by The Hollywood Squares.^[6]

Confrontations and controversy[link]

Pyne spoke out against racial discrimination and supported the Vietnam War. He ridiculed hippies (a favorite target), homosexuals, and feminists. Though generally a conservative, Pyne spoke in favor of labor unions. His tendency toward insult and vitriol offended most critics, who called him "outrageous," "belligerent," and "self-righteous."^[8] Groups like the Anti-Defamation League accused him of catering to bigots; however, audiences kept listening and watching.

Pyne was rude and confrontational with guests, often attempting to throw them off, but there are stories of the rare times when someone got the better of him. One famous tale recounted by Steadman Upham, president of Chapman University, in his address Wooden Leg or Table: The Changing Landscape of American Education (1999) is how he lost a verbal duel with rock musician Frank Zappa. Pyne insulted Zappa by saying, "So I guess your long hair makes you a woman." Zappa replied, "So I guess your wooden leg makes you a table." While it sounds plausible, no one who was around at that time recalls it happening, nor is there any evidence that Frank Zappa was ever on the Joe Pyne Show.

But there are many documented cases of Pyne getting into altercations with people on his show. He preferred controversial guests and invited members of the Ku Klux Klan, the American Nazi Party and followers of murderer Charles Manson. Pyne argued this was educational, since it exposed these violent groups to the public eye.^[9] The Joe Pyne Show was not only verbally aggressive: at times it became physical with chairs being thrown at him by the person being interviewed. If the "discussion" got too heated, the guest would often walk off, or Pyne would himself throw the guest off the show. Still, Pyne once described himself as an "overly compensating introvert."

There was another story of a notorious confrontation, involving Paul Krassner, the editor of The Realist, who was a guest on Pyne's TV show. Pyne made insulting remarks about Krassner's acne scars. Without missing a beat, Krassner asked Pyne if his wooden leg caused any difficulty in having sex with his wife. Pyne was flummoxed, so he sought comments from his audience, made up at this point in his career by whoever KTTV could bring in from Hollywood Boulevard. The audience happened to include musician and activist Phil Ochs, whom Krassner had brought along to the studio. Ochs very calmly remarked, "What Paul Krassner has just done is in the finest tradition of American journalism." No videos of this incident survive, though Krassner insists that it did occur and was edited out.

Ron Karenga, an African American author, Marxist political activist, and creator of Kwanzaa, was a frequent guest on the show, as was Robert Dornan ( B-1 Bob), later to become a congressman from Orange County.

Gay activists Harry Hay and John Burnside — who were a couple from 1962 until Hay's death in 2002 — appeared on Pyne's show in 1967.

Death[link]

He developed lung cancer and died in Los Angeles on 23 March 1970. Pyne was survived by his wife.

Quotes[link]

• Pyne was a chain-smoker who referred to his cigarettes as "coffin nails".
• As an audience member approached the microphone Joe Pyne would say "State your beef."
• Pyne's signature line was, "Take a walk," ( a line still used by Michael Savage) and he would normally put a rude but not vulgar epithet at the end of the phrase: "jerk," "dummy," "jackass," or some other pejorative. Often, he would stand when he said it, adding a subtle threat to the situation.^[7] He always wore a suit, and his jacket would be open when he stood, giving him the mien of a plain-clothes cop.
• Pyne once suggested a caller "take your false teeth out, put them in backwards and bite yourself in the neck."^[7]
• Another retort he used was "Go gargle with razor blades!" ^[7]
• "Look, lady, every time you call this program and open your mouth to speak, nothing but garbage falls out. Get OFF THE LINE, YOU CREEP." (This "get off the line, you..." line continues to be used today by hosts such as Bob Grant, Mark Levin and WFMU's Tom Scharpling.)
• “I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take the credit?”^[7]
• "Why don't you go out and play on the freeway?"
• "Why don't you take a long walk on a short pier?"
• "I have no respect for anyone who would come on this show."^[10]
• Pyne would also end each of his show's with the slogan "straight ahead!" as well, most recently picked up again by Bob Grant.

References[link]

External links[link]

	Biography portal
	United States Marine Corps portal

• TV Party: Joe Pyne
• Joe Pyne video clips
• Joe Pyne on Talkers Magazine On Line
• Time magazine on Joe Pyne

Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton on the Vh1 Divas 2009 Red Carpet
Background information
Birth name	Toni Michelle Braxton
Born	(1967-10-07) October 7, 1967 (age 44) Severn, Maryland, United States
Genres	R&B, soul, pop
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, piano
Years active	1989–present
Labels	LaFace, Arista, Blackground, Atlantic
Associated acts	The Braxtons, Tamar Braxton, Babyface, Kenny G, Lisa Lopes
Website	www.tonibraxton.com

Toni Michelle Braxton (born October 7, 1967)^[1] is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide. She has a contralto vocal type.^{[citation needed]}

Braxton topped the Billboard 200 with her 1993 self-titled debut album and continued that streak with her second studio album Secrets, which spawned the number-one hits "You're Makin' Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart". Although she had successful albums and singles, Braxton shortly filed for bankruptcy, but then returned with her chart-topping third album, The Heat. In 2009, she returned to the spotlight with "Yesterday", a #12 R&B hit which serves as the first single off her new album Pulse, released on May 4, 2010, which debuted at #1 on Billboard R&B Album Chart.^[2] Braxton was involved in the 7th season of the reality show Dancing with the Stars. Her professional partner was Alec Mazo. She was voted off in week five of the competition. It was announced on October 6, 2010 that Braxton once again had filed for bankruptcy. A reality series entitled Braxton Family Values, starring Toni and her sisters, debuted April 12, 2011 on WE tv. WE tv ordered a 13-episode second season of the show after the third episode of the first season. On September 18, 2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Early life and education[link]

Braxton was born in Severn, Maryland. Toni's father, Michael Conrad Braxton, was a Methodist^[3][4] clergyman and power company worker, and her mother, Evelyn, a native of South Carolina, was a former opera singer and cosmetologist, as well as a pastor.^[5][6] The Braxton children were raised in a strict religious household.^[7] Braxton's first performing experience was singing in her church choir.^[7]

Toni and brother Michael Braxton Jr. are the eldest of the siblings, followed by younger sisters Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar.

She attended Bowie State University to obtain a teaching degree^[8] but decided to sing professionally after she was discovered by William E. Pettaway Jr., who heard her singing to herself while pumping gas.^[9]

Music career[link]

[edit] 1989–92: The Braxtons

Braxton and her four sisters (Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar) began performing as The Braxtons in the late 1980s and were signed to Arista Records in 1989. Their first single, "Good Life", was released in 1990.^[10] Though the song was not successful, it attracted the attention of Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.^[10]

With Braxton's low register sounding similar to that of Anita Baker,^{[citation needed]} Reid and Babyface recruited her to record a demo of "Love Shoulda Brought You Home", a song that they had written for Anita Baker for the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy's film, Boomerang. Baker, who was pregnant at the time,^[11] did not record the song but suggested that Braxton record it. Her recording was later included on the soundtrack along with "Give U My Heart", a duet by Braxton and Babyface. Braxton, meanwhile, was signed to Reid and Edmonds' Arista-distributed imprint, LaFace Records, and immediately began recording her solo debut album.

[edit] 1993–95: Toni Braxton

On July 13, 1993, LaFace Records released Braxton's self-titled debut album, Toni Braxton.^[12] The album, which was primarily produced by Reid, Babyface, and Daryl Simmons, peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.^[13] The first single, "Another Sad Love Song", peaked at number seven and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts respectively.^[14] The album's second single, "Breathe Again" peaked in the top five of both the Hot 100 and R&B singles charts^[14] and no 2 in the UK.^[15] More singles from Toni Braxton were released in 1994, including "You Mean the World to Me", "Seven Whole Days", "I Belong to You", and "How Many Ways".^[14]

Braxton's debut album won her several awards, including three Grammy Awards (for Best New Artist and two consecutive awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1994 and 1995).^[16] She also won two American Music Awards (for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist and Favorite New Adult Contemporary Artist)^[16] in 1994 and another one in 1995 (for Favorite Soul/R&B Album).^[16] Toni Braxton was certified 8x platinum in USA and has sales of over 10 million worldwide.^[17][18]

[edit] 1996–98: Secrets

In June 1996, Braxton released her second and most successful album, Secrets.^[19] Braxton has said about the album: "The motivation for this album was to include a little bit of everything. Our aim was to come up with material that would have a familiar 'feel' to the people who bought the first album without being musically redundant."^[20] Along with Babyface, Braxton also worked with R. Kelly, Tony Rich, and David Foster on the album.^[21] Braxton was the co-executive producer of the album and co-wrote two of its songs, including the 1997 single "How Could an Angel Break My Heart", which was also later included on Diana Princess of Wales Tribute, a Princess Diana memorial album.^[22]

With help from the album's first single, "You're Makin' Me High" (which became Braxton's first number-one hit on the Hot 100 singles chart),^[14] the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart.^[23] "You're Makin' Me High" also topped the R&B singles chart for two weeks^[14] and saw similar success in Europe and Asia. The album's second single, "Un-Break My Heart" (written by Diane Warren)—which would later become the singer's signature song^{[citation needed]} —became the biggest hit of her career spending eleven weeks at number one on the Hot 100^[10] and also topping the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart for eleven weeks and the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart for four weeks^[24] as well as reaching no 2 in the UK^[25] The song is the second biggest selling single by a female singer in Billboard history behind Whitney Houston's, "I Will Always Love You".^{[citation needed]} Other singles from the album included the double A-side "I Don't Want To"/"I Love Me Some Him" (which peaked at number one on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart)^[14] and "How Could an Angel Break My Heart" which featured Kenny G, with whom Braxton later toured.^[26] After 92 weeks in the charts, Secrets is certified 8x platinum, becoming Braxton's second straight 8 million seller. Internationally, Secrets sold more than 15 million copies, thus cementing Braxton's superstar status.^[18]

Braxton topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top Hot 100 Singles Artist — Female,^[27] Top R&B Artist — Female (singles and albums),^[24] Top Hot R&B Singles Artist — Female,^[24] Top Hot Dance Club Play Artist, and Top Hot Adult Contemporary Artist, while "Un-Break My Heart" became the Top Hot Dance Club Play Single and the Top Hot Adult Contemporary Track of the year. She won two Grammy Awards; one for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance^[16] and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and two American Music Awards for Favorite Female Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album.^[16]

[edit] 1999–01: The Heat

In March 2000, LaFace Records released "He Wasn't Man Enough", the first single from Braxton's third studio album, The Heat. By June 2000, the song peaked at number two on the Hot 100 chart. Braxton's music video for "He Wasn't Man Enough", which also featured actress Robin Givens, was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards including Best Female Video and Best R&B Video and a Billboard Music Video Award for Best R&B Clip of the Year.^{[citation needed]}

The Heat was released on April 25, 2000. Debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart with first week sales of 194,448 copies sold,^[28] it remained in the top 20 for fifteen consecutive weeks. Braxton again worked with producers Babyface and Foster; also included in the staple were Rodney Jerkins, and new beau musician Keri Lewis. Braxton herself also took a more hands-on approach, co-writing and co-producing a handful of the tracks. "Gimme Some", a track on "The Heat", featured a rap verse from TLC star Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes.

The album's second single, "Just Be a Man About It", peaked at number 32 on the Hot 100 and number six on the R&B Charts. The third single, "Spanish Guitar", peaked at number 98 on the Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Dance & Club charts. The fourth single, "Maybe", peaked at 74 on the R&B charts.

The Heat was certified double platinum in the US with over 3 million copies sold worldwide.^[18] In February 2000, Braxton performed alongside Enrique Iglesias and Christina Aguilera during the Super Bowl Halftime show.^{[citation needed]} Braxton topped the Billboard Year-End Charts as the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist — Female, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist — Female, and Top Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist — Female. She also received the 2000 Aretha Franklin Award for Entertainer of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. Braxton also picked up her sixth Grammy Award for "He Wasn't Man Enough" which won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and the album was nominated for Best R&B Album. It won Best R&B/Soul Album at the 2001 American Music Awards, her third win in a row.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, while gearing up for the release of her fourth studio album, Braxton discovered she was pregnant with her second child. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to promote the album properly, she unsuccessfully lobbied Arista Records to get the label to postpone its release until after she was to give birth. Arista Records refused and the album was released as planned in November 2002. It received very little promotion from Arista and Braxton herself, due to a complicated pregnancy that confined her to bed rest. Braxton accused the company of being unwilling to compromise and punishing her from not putting her career over family. On the show VH1 Inside Out — Family Comes First, she documented the hardships of being pregnant with her second child at the same time as promoting an album.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2002–04: More Than a Woman

In November 2002, Braxton's fourth studio album More Than a Woman was released. Opening to an instant commercial disappointment, the album peaked at number 13. The first single, The Neptunes-produced "Hit the Freeway", failed at radio and peaked at number 86 on the Hot 100. The two singles that followed ("A Better Man", "Lies, Lies, Lies") also failed to make a dent and missed the Hot 100 completely. Meanwhile, a promotional vinyl was sent out to DJs for "Give It Back"/"Let Me Show You the Way (Out)".^{[citation needed]}

More Than A Woman was certified gold by RIAA and sold more 800,000 copies worldwide.^[29][30]

Prior to the release of the album, a dispute erupted between Braxton and Irv Gotti when he played a rough cut of "No More Love", a song that he produced for the album that was to be the first single. Disapproving of Gotti broadcasting the unfinished track, Braxton withheld it from being released. The same year, Braxton was further annoyed when Jay-Z used the same sample of 2Pac's "Me And My Girlfriend" that she had already used on her track "Me & My Boyfriend" for his and Beyoncé's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". Furious, Braxton lashed out in a radio interview, accusing Jay-Z and producer Kanye West of taking money out of her children's college fund.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2003–06: Libra

In April 2003, Braxton abruptly left Arista Records, having been there for fourteen years, and immediately signed with Blackground Records—headed by Barry Hankerson, her manager at the time. The change of scenery, however, did not ultimately help her recording career. As had been the case during her final years at Arista—Braxton's fifth album, and first release on Blackground, Libra was released with scant promotion and accumulated poor sales.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2005, Braxton's new label, Blackground/Universal, released "Please"—the first single from her fifth album, Libra. The album was originally planned for a June release, but it was pushed back several times and was finally issued on September 27. Unfortunately for Braxton, her troubles with weak album promotion and lack of label commitment weren't over. "Please" peaked at number 36 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while altogether missing the Hot 100. The album lacked promotion by Blackground, causing it to go under the radar of many.^{[citation needed]}

Despite this, Libra still managed to debut at number four on the Billboard 200 selling 114,593 copies in the first week. Libra also peaked at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Although that is strong for an album with little to no promotion, it became yet another commercial disappointment for Braxton. The album's second single, "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" received less airplay and peaked at number 67 on the R&B chart. The failure was ascribed to the non-video presence of the single and lack of label support. The album was certified gold in late 2005 and has since sold 679,000 copies worldwide.^[29]

Braxton, meanwhile, recorded a song with Il Divo titled "The Time of Our Lives". The song was used as the official 2006 FIFA World Cup anthem and was performed at the championship's opening day in Berlin, Germany on June 9. The song was also performed at the closing ceremonies making Braxton and Il Divo the first artists to be asked to perform for the opening and closing ceremonies.^[31] The song peaked at number 17 in Germany. As a result Edel Records decided to re-release Libra in Germany, including a new album cover, artwork, and the new anthem.^{[citation needed]}

Braxton made an appearance on the season finale of American Idol 5 where she performed Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto" with soon-to-be winner Taylor Hicks.^[32]

[edit] 2006–08: Toni Braxton: Revealed

Flamingo Las Vegas at night featuring Braxton, January 2007.

On May 19, 2006, the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas announced that Braxton would replace Wayne Newton as the casino's new headlining act on August 3, 2006.^[33] The show, entitled Toni Braxton: Revealed, was to be performed six nights a week and was scheduled to run through March 2007. Braxton Later confirmed that she was extending her show through August 2007. The show became the first headlining show from an African American performer in Las Vegas to enter the top ten Vegas shows charting. Due to the success of the show, it was reported that Braxton would extend her show through August 2008. The singer subsequently took time off after being hospitalized for chest pains in April 2008.^{[citation needed]} The show was later cancelled, and it was announced that the show was officially shut down in order for the singer to focus on her health.^[34]

Braxton has been released from her contract with Blackground after a number of disputes with former manager Barry Hankerson.^[35]

On January 12, 2007, Braxton filed a lawsuit in the U.S District Court in Manhattan against Hankerson for $10 million, alleging "fraud, deception and double dealing," in addition to mismanaging her relationship with Arista Records.^[36] According to Braxton, Hankerson placed his own personal financial interests ahead of hers by using "double-talk" to compromise the relationship between Braxton and her former recording label, Arista Records, with Hankerson allegedly telling Arista that "Braxton no longer wanted to record for Arista" and telling Braxton that "Arista was not interested in working with her anymore".^[36] Braxton also accused Hankerson of failing to send her on request copies of accounting statements, lying about deals that he made on her behalf and engaging in a vendetta against her by refusing to provide information to other managers that she sought to employ to manage her career.^{[citation needed]}

The suit was settled with Braxton returning a $375,000 advance to Hankerson—who would also receive a percentage of the sales of her next album—and Hankerson releasing Braxton from her contract with him. The settlement also temporarily limited the companies in which Braxton can sign with.^[37][38]

In early August, various internet websites including TMZ.com and In Touch Weekly magazine began announcing that Braxton would be appearing on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars. The full cast of the next season of the show was confirmed on August 25, 2008 on Good Morning America, which confirmed Braxton as a contestant in the season with her partner being Alec Mazo.^[39] They were voted off in the fifth week of the competition.

Braxton, Lance Bass, Maurice Greene and Marlee Matlin headlined Dancing with the Stars winter tour starting in December 2008 and finishing in February 2009.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 2009–10: Pulse

In October 2008, it was announced that Braxton signed to Atlantic Records. In the November 2008 issue of Jet, Braxton discussed her time spent on Dancing with the Stars as well as dealing with her son's autism. Braxton also talked about being signed to Atlantic Records and the debut of her upcoming single. She added that the complete CD is scheduled to come out in some time in 2009. She also hinted at a cooking show with fellow Dancing with the Stars competitor, Rocco DiSpirito.^{[citation needed]}

The DJ Frank E produced song "Yesterday" premiered on September 11, 2009 and features Trey Songz.^[40] It was released as the lead single from her sixth studio album Pulse.^[41] "Yesterday" peaked at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart making it her highest chart performance since her 2000 single "Just Be a Man About It", which peaked at #6. The single has been released worldwide on May 3, 2010.^[42] In the UK, "Yesterday" became Braxton's first hit single since the release of "Hit the Freeway", peaking at #50 on the UK Singles Chart and at #17 on the UK R&B Singles Chart. The song also became a moderate hit in Europe, peaking at #20 on the German Singles Chart, at #17 on the Swiss Singles Chart and charting at #50 on the European Hot 100.

On January 29, Braxton's official website posted two new songs from the upcoming album, "Hands Tied" and "Make My Heart". The former peaked at #29 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the latter was sent to dance/club radio.^[43] She performed Make My Heart on The Wendy Williams Show. Videos for both songs "Make My Heart" and "Hands Tied" have been shot.

Braxton released her sixth studio album Pulse on May 4, 2010 in the US ^[44] and on May 10, 2010 in the UK.^[2]

The album debuted at #9 on the US Billboard 200 chart and hit #1 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming Braxton's fifth US top-ten album. It also achieved moderate chart success around the world. In Canada it debuted at #72 on the Top 100 Albums chart and in the United Kingdom it debuted at #28 on the Top 40 Albums and at #7 on the R&B Albums chart. It entered at #18 on the German Album Chart. In Switzerland, the album hit #9. Pulse became Toni's first album to chart inside the European Top 100 Albums since her 2000 album The Heat.