The veteran artist died on Friday (March 7) after a private battle with bladder cancer.
Tony! Toni! Toné! musician and co-founder D’Wayne Wiggins died on Friday (March 7). According to a statement posted to his Instagram page, the cause of death was bladder cancer. He was 64.
“With broken hearts, we share with you that our beloved D’Wayne passed away this morning surrounded by family and loved ones,” the statement reads. “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. D’Wayne’s life was incomparable, and his music and service impacted millions around the world, including in his hometown of Oakland, California.
“He was a guitarist, producer, composer, philanthropist, mentor and founding member of Tony! Toni! Tone! He was deeply passionate about providing artist development and mentorship to emerging young musicians, helping to shape the early careers of many.”
The Wiggins family asked for privacy as they mourn and thanked his fans for their support.
Rumors Wiggins had been in hospice started to circulate earlier this week, forcing his family to address the speculation online. As they posted to Instagram, “We wanted to share that D’Wayne Wiggins is experiencing medical complications. He is working through it one day at a time. We know how beloved he is by so many, and we are grateful for your prayers and concern. We also request that you respect the family’s privacy during this time.”
Tony! Toni! Toné!—comprised of Wiggins, his brother Raphael Saadiq (born Charles Ray Wiggins) and their cousin Timothy Christen Riley—revolutionized R&B in the ’80s and ’90s with their signature blend of traditional soul, new jack swing and contemporary production techniques. They had a penchant for fusing vintage sounds with cutting-edge studio innovations on songs like “Feels Good” and “Lets Get Down” featuring DJ Quik. Their catalog contains a carefully curated selection of soulful ballads and dance anthems that dominated the charts, with a dozen singles reaching Billboard’s Top 10 R&B/Hip-Hop chart between 1988 and 1996.
AllHipHop sends its condolences to the Wiggins family.
