Tony! Toni! Tone! Co-founder D’Wayne Wiggins dies at age 64

 (March 7, 2025) He was a musical giant who quietly changed the game with his talent and his vision. We are sad to report to the passing of D’Wayne Wiggins, co-founder of the legendary trio Tony! Toni! Tone! He was 64.

 

Wiggins quietly helped define the sound of late ‘80s and early ‘90s soul with a tasty blend of classic rhythm and blues, funk, and contemporary grooves. With hits like “Feels Good,” “Anniversary,” and “It Never Rains (In Southern California),” Tony! Toni! Tone! became one of the most celebrated acts of the era, crafting music that still resonates decades later.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Wiggins grew up surrounded by the deep musical heritage of the Bay Area. He, along with his brother Raphael Saadiq (Charles Ray Wiggins) and cousin Timothy Christian Riley, formed Tony! Toni! Toné! in the mid-1980s. The trio’s debut album, Who? (1988), introduced their unique fusion of old-school soul with new jack swing influences, producing the hit “Little Walter.” But it was their follow-up albums, The Revival (1990) and Sons of Soul (1993), that turned them into R&B royalty. With live instrumentation, impeccable harmonies, and sophisticated songwriting, they became one of the few groups to successfully bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary R&B.

After the group parted ways in the late ‘90s, Wiggins continued making an impact behind the scenes. He launched Grass Roots Entertainment, where he mentored rising stars, playing a pivotal role in the early careers of Destiny’s Child, Keyshia Cole and Alicia Keys. He also served as bandleader for D. L. Hughley’s Comedy Central show.

Tony! Toni! Tone! reunited in 2023, and toured the U.S. for the first time in a quarter century. The tour gave fans another chance to hear the group that seemed to call it quits the first time way too soon.

Whether through his work with Tony! Toni! Tone! or his influential work outside the group, D’Wayne Wiggins has remained a force in music and an influence on a generation of contemporary R&B artists. Rest in peace, sir.