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Tonya Mitchell

Tonya Jean Mitchell (born August 21, 1982) American pop singer as well as an aspiring model and actress. She came to fame in 2001 with the release of her debut single, "Broken Promises" from her debut album I Represent, which became a minor hit.

Biography

Early life

Mitchell was born in Madisionville, Kentucky to "Cowboy" Louie and Paulette Mitchell. Her father died in July 2001, her mother is now re-married.

Mitchell grew up in Huron, Tennessee, a small town just north east of Memphis. In 1998, Tonya was performing at a regional benefit for St. Jude's Hospital when Justin Timberlake's grandfather, Bill Bomar, was in the audience and heard the young teen sing. Overwhelmed with what he heard, the man approched Tonya and introduced himself. He told Tonya that Justin was his grandson and that maybe he can help her break into the music industry.

At the time, Tonya didn't think anything of it, but it eventually led to her signing with Justin Timberlake's management company, JustinTime Entertainment and being managed by Justin's mother, Lynn Harless. Tonya was later then signed to Universal Records and entered the studio to record her twelve-song debut album.

"I Represent"

On February 27, 2001, after a few weeks of recording the album, Mitchell's first single, Broken Promises, an up-beat track produced by Brian Kieruff and Josh Schwartz, hit radio. The song reached #36 on Radio & Records' CHR/Pop tracks chart and peaked at #17 on the ARC Weekly Top 40 in late April. Following the successful release of the single, Mitchell released her debut solo album, I Represent, on April 10, 2001.

In 2001, Tonya was asked to be one of the opening acts for the NSYNC Pop Odyssey Tour. This took Tonya's career to a higher level by making appearances at venues and performing in front of audiences of 50,000+. Mitchell shared the stage with some of the world's biggest acts today which included: Nelly, Boys II Men, Lil Romeo, Dreamand Tyrese.

After the tour ended, Mitchell performed at various radio shows throughout the United States, including a performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The End Of An Era

On November 12, 2001, Tonya was dropped from Universal Records. Soon to follow, in early 2002, the record companies stopped returning calls and emails from Mitchell's management. Tonya's father, Cowboy Louie Mitchell, decided to take it upon himself to help his daughter get back into the public eye once more and get her signed again. He died in July 2001.

Following the heartache of losing her father, Tonya was soon released from the contract with JustinTime Entertainment in early 2003. It was then that Mitchell decided she needed a break from the business. She needed some time to spend by herself to truly sit down and work on things in her own life as well as spend some much needed time with her family.

Personal life

Tonya married Jason Essary in 2002. In March 2004, Tonya gave birth to their daughter, Scarlett. They currently reside in Tennessee.

Discography

Albums

2001 I Represent

Track Listing:
1. I Represent
2. Broken Promises
3. Stay
4. You're the One I Want
5. Place Like This
6. Wasted Breath
7. Little Too Late
8. I Don't Wanna Fall in Love
9. Only One
10. Turn Around
11. I Cry Real Tears
12. Should I Stay

Singles

2001 Broken Promises - peaked at #17 on the ARC Weekly Top 40 on April 28, 2001 (1)

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	Longshot: The Movie	Tennis Player
2008	Put a girl in it: Music Video	Extra

{| class="wikitable" ! width="28" rowspan="2"| Year ! width="250" rowspan="2"| Title ! colspan="4"| Chart Positions ! width="220" rowspan="2"| Video Director ! width="220" rowspan="2"| Album |-

! width="86"| U.S. Hot 100 ! width="86"| U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop ! width="86"| UK Singles ! width="86"| AUS Singles |- | 2002 | "Broken Promises" | - | - | - | - | - | I Represent |-