R&B singer/songwriter Toni Estes, a native of Tulsa, OK, grew up in a home filled with music, honing her vocal skills around the house and in church. She began appearing in TV commercials when she was six, and by her teens was opening for Natalie Cole and Gladys Knight. After high school graduation, Estes knew she wanted to be a professional singer. Through a friend, Estes met producer Jon Jon (who had worked with Babyface), and she trekked to Los Angeles to began recording demos. Though signed to a major label at the age of 17, she got a release from her contract (citing "politics") and began looking for a new recording deal. Desmarie Guyton, whom Estes had met at her former label, passed a tape to Mark Brown of Priority Records, which led to a contract and the release of her album debut, Two * Eleven, in 2000. ~ Ed Hogan