Cindy Herron

Cindy Herron (born 26 September 1961; San Francisco, California), professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs, is an American singer–songwriter, model, and actress. She is best known as a founding member of the multi-platinum R&B/pop group En Vogue, providing the lead vocals for their debut smash hit "Hold On". With a career spanning over four decades, Herron has achieved success not only as a vocalist but also as a beauty queen and actress in film, television, and theatre.

Early Life

Born to an African-American father and a Swiss-German mother, Herron was raised in San Francisco, where she attended Balboa High School, graduating in 1979. Her entry into the entertainment industry began on the local pageant circuit, where her poise and talent earned her the titles of Miss San Francisco 1986 and Miss Black California. During this period, she also placed as the 2nd Runner-Up in the 1986 Miss California pageant.

Prior to her commercial breakthrough, she honed her performance skills in the San Francisco cabaret scene and worked as a background vocalist for local Bay Area acts such as Tiggi Clay. Her earliest on-screen acting credit came in 1980 when she joined the cast of the PBS television drama Up and Coming.

Career

Herron's career reached international heights in 1989 when she was selected by producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy to join the girl group En Vogue. The group's debut album Born to Sing (1990) was an immediate success, largely driven by Herron's lead performance on the chart-topping single "Hold On".

En Vogue went on to define the sound of 90s R&B with the album Funky Divas and hits such as "Free Your Mind" and "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)". In parallel with her music career, Herron established herself as an actress, landing a notable role as Yolanda in the 1992 crime drama Juice alongside Tupac Shakur.

She also appeared as a recurring character on the sitcom Roc and starred in the title role of the 2004 film Lexie (also released as If Love Hadn't Left Me Lonely). In 2007, she showcased her theatrical range by playing Deena Jones in a stage production of Dreamgirls.

Personal Life

In June 1993, Herron married former Major League Baseball player Glenn Braggs. The couple had four children together: Donovan (born 1994), Jordan (born 1998), Natalia (born 1999), and Solomon (born 2004). After nearly three decades of marriage, the couple separated, with their divorce being finalised in January 2023.

Throughout her career, Herron has remained a consistent presence in En Vogue, being one of the original members to appear on all the group's album releases despite various lineup changes over the years.

Current Activities

At present, Cindy Herron remains an active recording and touring artist with En Vogue, performing alongside original member Terry Ellis and long-time member Rhona Bennett. The trio continues to tour globally, having completed a major UK headline tour in 2025 and joined TLC and Salt-N-Pepa for the "It's Iconic" tour in 2026.