D’Wayne Wiggins, one of the founders of R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, has died at the age of 64.
The news was confirmed in a social media statement on Friday (March 7), with his family stating he passed away following a battle with bladder cancer over the past year.
“D’Wayne’s life was incomparable, and his music and service impacted millions around the world, including in his hometown of Oakland, California,” said the Wiggins family. “He was a guitarist, producer, composer, philanthropist, mentor and founding member of Tony! Toni! Toné! He was deeply passionate about providing artist development and mentorship to emerging young musicians, helping to shape the early careers of many.”
Tony! Toni! Toné! are a highly influential group, defined by a unique blend of soul, funk and New Jack Swing. Wiggins formed the band in 1986 with his brother Raphael Saadiq and their cousin Timothy Christian Riley.
Wiggins was the lead singer and guitarist in the group, who released their debut album ‘Who?’ in 1988. It was their third record ‘Sons Of Soul’ that saw them reach the height of their commercial success, spawning the singles ‘Anniversary’ and ‘(Lay Your Head On My) Pillow’. By the time they separated in 1996, they had earned five Number One singles on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
He launched a solo career with the ‘Eyes Never Lie’ album in 2000, and founded the label Grass Roots Entertainment, which helped with the early careers of Destiny’s Child and Keyshia Cole. He also collaborated with Alicia Keys on ‘The Diary Of Alicia Keys’, appearing on ‘Diary’ and producing ‘If I Was Your Woman/Walk On By’.
In more recent years, his influence on the Bay Area music scene continued with his work with leaders in the hyphy movement, including Too Short, Mac Mal and Casual.
In 2023, Tony! Toni! Toné! announced their first tour in nearly 25 years, with Saadiq recently revealing that a documentary is in the works that will use footage from the shows. At the time, Saadiq said: “I’ve always wanted to put my family back together. Playing with the Tonys again is a thank you to the fans, the Super Tonians, for supporting all my musical efforts.
“Without those who were with us from Day One, where would I be? But the main reason is that my father, Charlie Wiggins, would’ve wanted it this way–to see me, D’Wayne, and Tim playing together again.”