Jessie J, Ro James, & Luke James Pay Tribute to Toni Braxton at Soul Train Awards
3nation
Toni Braxton reigned over the 2017 Soul Train Awards. Airing on Sunday (Nov. 26) from Las Vegas, the annual celebration honored the iconic songstress with the Don Cornelius Legend Award.
Up first, Ro James, Jessie J, and Luke James performed a medley tribute to the Maryland native. Ro came out first with “Seven Whole Days,” setting the table for Jessie, who came out in a pantsuit for “You Mean the World To Me.” Luke finished off the ode with a stirring rendition of “Un-Break My Heart.” All three singers ended the performance on stage, giving it up for Toni, who stood up in ovation for the finale.
But Braxton didn’t just watch from her seat. Instead, Toni got up on stage and showed fans just why she was receiving the Legend Award. Kicking off her performance with “Breathe Again,” the soulful songstress went on to perform “Love Shoulda Brought You Home.”
Reminding viewers of her hip-hop influence, Toni played a portion of Redman and Method Man’s “How High (Part II)” before blending it into “You’re Makin’ Me High.” Finally, she rocked out to “He Wasn’t Man Enough” with a little help from her sister Tamar, who is currently going through a divorce from estranged husband and former manager, Vincent Herbert.
Bruno Mars was another big winner on Sunday, taking home five trophies, including Best R&B/Soul Male Artist, Video of the Year, and Album/Mixtape of the Year. Hosted by Erykah Badu, the event also included performances by Tamar Braxton, Keyshia Cole, and 112, while Fantasia, Bilal, and Faith Evans participated in the Soul Cypher. SWV was also honored with the coveted Lady of Soul Award.