D’Wayne Wiggins, one of the founding members of the Oakland 1990s group Tony! Toni! Toné! and an R&B legend, has died at 64, according to a statement shared by his family, which said he had bladder cancer in the year leading up to this death.
“D’Wayne’s life was incomparable, and his music and service impacted millions around the world, including in his hometown of Oakland, California,” the Wiggins family wrote in a statement shared on social media.
Wiggins played guitar and sang for the superstar group, which formed in Oakland in the late 1980s. In the ’90s, Tony! Toni! Toné! reached national popularity, topping the Billboard R&B charts and releasing three albums certified platinum by the RIAA. Meanwhile, back in Oakland, the band achieved the status of hometown heroes.
Although Tony! Toni! Toné! stopped releasing music in the ’90s, Wiggins continued to work with promising musicians, including Destiny’s Child, on his Grass Roots Entertainment label and at his Oakland recording studio, House of Music. “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 wrote.
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