D’Wayne Wiggins, a singer-songwriter and a guitarist who was a founding member of the soul and R&B trio Tony! Toni! Toné!, has died after a private battle with cancer. He was 64.
Wiggins died Friday morning “surrounded by family and loved ones,” his family announced in a statement shared on both the musician’s and the band’s Instagram pages. Amid his cancer battle over the past year, Wiggins “remained committed and present for his family, his music, his fans and his community.”
Wiggins died after his family and Tony! Toni! Toné! shed light publicly on his health Wednesday. The group and Wiggins’ loved ones had said in a previous Instagram post that the singer was “experiencing medical complications” but did not disclose additional details. The family said at the time Wiggins was “working through it one day at a time.”
Tony! Toni! Toné! was set to perform March 22 at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts in Tracy, but the venue announced Wednesday that the group canceled the event “due to illness.”
Wiggins, born Feb. 14, 1961, was an Oakland native who co-founded Tony! Toni! Toné! The group was known for smooth R&B hits “Anniversary” and “It Never Rains (in Southern California).” He formed the group in 1986 with half brother Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins) and cousin Timothy Christian Riley. Though the group, which can trace its roots to casual jam sessions, was most famous in the late ’80s to mid-1990s, its sound can be found in the works of modern R&B and hip-hop stars, including Alicia Keys, Freddie Gibbs and Tinashe.
“D’wayne was my childhood idol,” Saadiq told The Times in 1997. “He was everything. In Oakland, he was one of the baddest guitar players in the baddest band on the scene. He was the man.”
Before Tony! Toni! Toné!, Wiggins and Saadiq’s childhood days were filled with soul and gospel music, and the sounds the Bay Area had to offer.
“The way every block now has 10 rappers, there were 10 bands on every block back then,” Wiggins told The Times in 1997.
In addition to talent shows and various band battles, the trio of relatives got their start playing music at church and touring with Oakland’s Castlemont High School’s acclaimed musical group, the Castleers.
Tony! Toni! Toné! was born in 1986 when its to-be co-founders realized they could find success as their own entity. So, why Tony! Toni! Toné!? The name was an inside joke for a stylish person and somewhat inspired by actor Andy Garcia’s turn in “Untouchables.”
The trio released its debut album “Who?” in 1988, which counted singles “Little Walter” and “Born Not to Know” among its nine tracks. In the following years Tony! Toni! Toné! released four albums including its sophomore release “The Revival,” which featured hits “Feels Good” and “It Never Rains (In Southern California).” The group’s junior release “Sons of Soul” landed in 1993 and its penultimate track, “Anniversary” would earn Tony! Toni! Toné! its first Grammy nomination and cement the group’s place in the modern R&B lexicon.
The 1996 album “House of Music” marked the final release of the trio’s original run. The group disbanded as its members pursued solo careers. Wiggins founded Grass Roots Entertainment in West Oakland, which at one point signed girl group Destiny’s Child. Wiggins, through his Oakland studio, also helped foster the careers of Keys, Keyshia Cole and Jamie Foxx.
Tony! Toni! Toné! collaborated with Keys for her 2003 album, “The Diary of Alicia Keys.” The group earned a nomination for Key’s song “Diary” at the 47th Grammy Awards.
Decades after going their separate ways, the members of Tony! Toni! Toné! announced in 2023 that they would reunite for their first tour in 25 years. In a 2023 interview with Billboard, Wiggins said the music of Tony! Toni! Toné! was “the soundtrack to a lot of people’s lives.”
That much could be said for Wiggins and his relatives-turned-collaborators. “You can have problems in the business and even problems in the family,” he told The Times in 1997, “but when we’re jamming, the energy is just there.”
Wiggins’ family said Friday that the musician was also a “producer, composer, philanthropist, mentor” who was passionate about supporting and amplifying young artists.
“For now, we ask that you continue to respect our privacy,” the family added. “We mourn with you, and are deeply grateful for your love and support.”
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