Traci Braxton Of “Braxton Family Values” Has Died At 50

March 12, 2022 / Posted by:

In news that is shocking and beyond tragic, and another horrible one for the Fuck Cancer, No, Seriously, Fuck Cancer file, Traci Braxton, singer and star of Braxton Family Values, died this morning after fighting esophageal cancer for a year. NBC News says that Traci’s family and friends were with her when she died. She was only 50.

Traci’s husband of over 25 years, Kevin Surrat, confirmed the sad news, saying that for the past year, she has been going through cancer treatments privately. Traci’s publicist, Tomasina Perkins-Washington, adds that she’s been in hospice for a year. The Braxton Family also mourned the immense loss of their sister in this statement:

“It is with the utmost regret that we inform you of the passing of our sister, Traci. 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.

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.

Traci and Kevin’s only child, 26-year-old Kevin Surrat, Jr., paid tribute to his mother as well:

Traci Braxton was born on April 2, 1971 in Severn, Maryland. She was a middle child of the Braxton kids, which includes Toni Braxton (born in 1967), Michael Braxton Jr. (born in 1968), Towanda Braxton (born in 1973), Trina Braxton (born in 1974), and Tamar Braxton (born in 1977). The Braxton’s mother, Evelyn Jackson, was a former opera singer and their father, Michael Braxton, was a clergyman, so they all grew up singing in the church. And in 1989, Arista Records signed the Braxton sisters. They could’ve gone by T Time or The Braxton 5, but they kept it simple and went by The Braxtons. Their first single, The Good Life, came out in 1990. Slip on your British Knights and baggy B.O.S.S. t-shirt and get into the glorious early-90s of it all:

After The Good Life didn’t chart very well, The Braxtons were dropped from Arista. The Braxtons auditioned to join LaFace Records, which was formed by L.A. Reid and Babyface, but LaFace only wanted to sign Toni to a solo deal. After Toni was signed to LaFace, she brought along her sisters to sing back-up for her on tour and in her music videos. The Braxtons later signed with LaFace, and then Atlantic. Traci was apparently forced to leave the group after she got pregnant with Kevin Jr. The Braxtons (made up of Towanda, Trina, and Tamar) released their debut album in 1996.

The Braxtons ended up reuniting in 2011, not to make music, but to make a reality show: WE tv’s Braxton Family Values. The show debuted in 2011 and its seventh season finished airing in December 2020. Traci and Kevin Sr. were also on the third season of Marriage Boot Camp. And Traci made her acting debut in the 2018 movie Sinners Wanted and went on to star in All In and The Christmas Lottery.

In 2015, the original line-up of The Braxtons released their holiday album, Braxton Family Christmas. Traci also released two solo albums, Crash & Burn (2014) and On Earth (2018). Here’s Traci delivering brunch time raw emotions in the video for her 2014 single Last Call:

Traci is survived by her husband, her, son, and her grandson.

Rest in peace, Traci Braxton.

Pic: ROGER WONG/INSTARimages.com

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