D’Wayne Wiggins, who founded soul trio Tony! Toni! Toné! with Raphael Saadiq and Timothy Christian Riley, died after a private battle with bladder cancer. He was 64.
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, Calif., 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.
