(CelebrityAccess) — D’Wayne Wiggins, singer, guitarist, record producer, and founding member of the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, passed away on March 7th at the age of 64.
His death was announced by his former bandmates on social media: “With broken hearts, we share with you that our beloved D’Wayne passed away this morning surrounded by family and loved ones. Over the past year, he has been privately and courageously battling bladder cancer. Through this fight, he remained committed and present for his family, his music, his fans, and his community.”
A native of Oakland, Wiggins was a founding member of Tony! Toni! Toné!, a group that achieved multiple R&B #1 hits, including “Feels Good”, “Let’s Get Down”, and “Little Walter”, among others.
The group disbanded in 1996 after the release of their fourth album, House of Music, but reunited several times, including in 2003 for a guest appearance on Alicia Keys’ album The Diary of Alicia Keys. They reunited again in 2023 for a 30th-anniversary tour of their third album, Sons of Soul.
In addition to his contributions with Tony! Toni! Toné!, Wiggins launched the Oakland-based recording studio “House of Music” and Grass Roots Entertainment. He also signed artists such as TLC, while providing an early creative space for artists like Alicia Keys, Eddie Money, and Beyoncé.
Wiggins served as the executive producer of the independent movie Me & Mrs. Jones and Life Is, a documentary on the life of multi-platinum music rapper Too Short.
