Awayne Wiggins, founding member of the R&B Tony group! Toni! Tone!, Died at 64

By Jonathan Landrum Jr.

LOS Angeles (AP) – WiGGINS AYING, a founding member of the group nominated at Grammys Tony! Toni! Tone! Behind the classic songs “Anniversary”, “It Never Rains (in Southern California)” and (put your head on my) pillow “, died. He was 64 years old.

Wiggins died Friday morning after fighting bladder cancer in the past year, according to a statement published by his family on social networks.

“De Wayne’s life was incomparable, and his music and service had an impact on millions of people around the world, including in his hometown of Oakland, California,” his family said in a statement. “He was guitarist, producer, composer, philanthropist, mentor and founding member of Tony! Toni! Tone! He was deeply passionate about the supply of artists’ development and mentoring to young emerging musicians, helping to shape the first careers of many. »»

His family added: “Thanks to this fight, he remained engaged and present for his family, his music, his fans and his community.”

Wiggins was a bass singer and guitarist from the beloved R&B group, who included his brother Raphael Saadiq and their cousin Christian Riley. The group has become pillars of the new Jack Swing movement, mixing R&B, jazz and traces of evangelical melodies.

The natives of Oakland, California, broke into the music scene with their first 1988 album, “Who?” With songs like “Baby Doll” and “Little Walter”. But it was their new record “Feels” from 1990 Jack Swing, which gave the group’s success, culminating at No. 9 on the Hot 100 graph of Billboard.

They published two other studio projects together, with festive tubes like “Let’s Bet Down”, featuring DJ Quik, and timeless Jams, including “What You Want”, “It Never Rains (in South California)”, “(Place your head on my) pillow” and “Birthday”, a standard in the Chanon de la Romance Noire.

Blood parents could not predict how their success would affect their relationship. The Tonyies separated after their fourth album, “House of Music” of 1996, “House of Music” of 1996. Fame, finances, bad communication and creative differences were not lasting for the group.

Wiggins and Riley toured under the name of the group between 1998 and 2018, Amar Khalil taking charge of singing tasks. Wiggins has also produced and helped develop young artists who would become some of the brightest young stars today, notably Zendaya, Her, Kehlani and even Destiny’s Child.

In the end, thanks to Saadiq’s efforts, the group was amends and brought together a tour in 2023. It was the first road trip with the three original members in almost 30 years.

Family members have sworn not to leave external influences such as managers, record leaders and the entertainment sector as a whole separate them again, realizing that time – at least in the professional sense – is no longer a luxury.

In an interview in 2023 with the AP, the Tonyies had planned a new project.

“We have a lot of equipment and now we just want to make sure that we turn out the right energy through our music,” said Wiggins.

The journalist of Associated Press, Gary Gerard Hamilton, contributed to this report.

Originally published: March 7, 2025 at 12:45 pm PST