Who was D'Wayne Wiggins? Tony! Toni! Tone! member dies at 64

D'Wayne Wiggins, Co-founder of the popular band Tony! Toni! Tone! has passed away at age 64 after a courageous battle with bladder cancer. The Wiggins family announced the news through his social media accounts.

They shared the news through an Instagram post captioned:

"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."

The post continued:

"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 of providing artist development and mentorship to emerging young musicians, helping to shape the early careers of many."

"For now, we ask that you continue to respect our privacy. We mourn with you and are really grateful for your love and support," the post concluded.

This tragic news comes a few days after his family announced his health complications.

"We wanted to share that D'Wayne Wiggins is experiencing medical complications. He is working through it one day at a time," @tonytonitone on Instagram.

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More details on D'Wayne Wiggins' Career

D'Wayne Patrick Wiggins was born on February 14, 1961, in Oakland, California. The singer was one of the founding members of the popular Soul/R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone!

Wiggins was the lead singer and guitarist of the group. He joined the band to release 14 Billboard charting R&B singles and boast a double platinum-certified album. The group also sold up to six million albums and has gone on tour since 1998.

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Before his death, D'Wayne founded Grass Roots Entertainment, which was located at his House of Music, West Oakland recording studio. In 1995, Wiggins signed and developed Destiny's Child. He also mentored Keyshia Cole from 1999 to 2001.

In the early 2000s, D'Wayne ventured into producing movies. His first project was the independent movie Me & Mrs. Jones and Life Is. He also acted in the 2003 Get Money movie.

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In 2023, D'Wayne Wiggins teamed up with his band members Raphael Saadiq and Timothy Christian Riley for their last tour together, the Just Me and You tour.

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D'Wayne Wiggins passed away in his home on the morning of Friday, March 7, 2025, surrounded by family members.