Traci Braxton, Singer and ‘Braxton Family Values’ Star, Dead at 50
Traci Braxton, singer, actress and Braxton Family Values reality TV star, died Saturday at the age of 50.
“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,” Braxton’s family said in a statement Saturday.
“Traci passed this morning as the snow was falling, our angel is now a snowflake.”
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While Braxton’s family — which includes R&B singers Toni and Tamar Braxton — did not reveal cause of death, Traci’s husband Kevin Surratt told Buzzfeed News that she died following a yearlong battle with esophageal cancer.
Traci first entered the music business alongside her four sisters — Toni, Tamar, Towanda and Trina — in the early Nineties with their singing group the Braxtons; the quintet released their single “Good Life” in 1990, after which Toni embarked on her own hit-making solo career; when the remaining Braxton sisters finally did sign a record contract five years later, Traci was no longer a member of the Braxtons.
After nearly 20 years out of the spotlight doing social work, Traci rejoined her sisters for the hit reality show Braxton Family Values in 2011. Her first-ever solo album, Crash & Burn, arrived in 2014, followed by her second LP On Earth in 2018.
Braxton Family Values ran for seven seasons, concluding in Dec. 2020. “Traci Braxton has been in the lives of TV viewers for years and will always be part of the WE tv family,” WE tv said in a statement Saturday. “Gone far too soon, we celebrate her life and memory and send our heartfelt condolences to the entire Braxton family during this difficult time. Her light and spirit live on.”
