Unbreak her star? Toni Braxton at center of dispute with nascent Maryland Walk of Fame

Toni Braxton, the seven-time Grammy winner from Severn, will no longer be receiving the first-ever Maryland Walk of Fame star in Annapolis.

Braxton, who graduated from Glen Burnie High School, was supposed to have received the circular bronze star in September at the intersection of Church Circle and Duke of Gloucester Street, in front of the historic Maryland Inn.

However, Ruby Blakeney, executive director for the organization, said it will “no longer be honoring [Braxton] with a star” because the singer “walked away.”  Blakeney said the star was already created and paid for before Braxton allegedly backed out.

When asked how the stars are paid for, Blakeney said the plan is to follow a model similar to the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, which charges $75,000 for the creation, maintenance and installation of the star, according to the group’s web site. Blakeney said it would cost “much less” for a star on the Maryland Walk of Fame, although she declined to specify how much.

Blakeney previously told a reporter she was considering legal action. However, it is unclear if the organization will pursue a lawsuit. Joseph Barksdale, attorney for the Maryland Walk of Fame, did not return a request for comment. Antavius Weems, Braxton’s attorney, declined to comment.

Blakeney said the Maryland Walk of Fame will honor a different recipient and the star will now be located on West Street in Annapolis in front of the Graduate Hotel, which is not in the historic district, but still part of Ward 1.

Harry Huntley, a Democrat representing Ward 1, said Friday that he had not heard of the project, however, he “looks forward to learning more about it.”

“There are plenty of questions about liability, maintenance and installation,” he said.  “The job of the alderman is to work with those who want to invest in the city while balancing the needs of residents, visitors and businesses.”

Blakeney declined to say who the new recipient will be but said “the community will be very pleased.”

Blakeney said she had a personal relationship with Braxton.

“While we are disappointed in what has transpired, we are moving forward and excited to announce the next recipient of a Star on the Maryland Walk of Fame,” Blakeney said in an email statement. “I love Ms. Braxton, we are family, however, this is business-related. I would like to put it behind us and move forward.”

In July, former Alderwoman Elly Tierney and other city leaders expressed concerns about Braxton’s star not matching downtown’s historic character. While the location has now changed, placing a star in the downtown historic district is not entirely out of the question, with Blakeney saying that “we will revisit the historic district at a later date.”

“It would have taken too long to make it happen, in the timeframe at that time,” Blakeney said in an email.

Blakeney says she thought up the project about four years ago. At the time, she was a volunteer for a group looking to highlight artists in Annapolis. Blakeney suggested Braxton, but the project never came to fruition.

Blakeney said her hope is that the Walk of Fame will draw crowds to view the stars and patronize nearby businesses. The Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles has more than 2,700 stars and has inspired cities such as Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Florida, and Fargo, North Dakota, to establish their own versions.

Braxton, 56, sang in the Glen Burnie High glee club in the mid-1980s and attended Bowie State University. Her music career started after producer Bill Pettaway discovered Braxton singing in her car at a gas station in Annapolis, according to Judy Buddensick, former spokesperson for the Maryland Walk of Fame committee. In addition to her seven Grammys, Braxton has appeared in movies and starred in “Braxton Family Values,” a 2011 reality television series about her family.

Diagnosed with lupus in 2008, Braxton is a spokesperson for Aurinia Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian company that makes a drug to treat lupus and has an office in Rockville.