Oakland, California, is coming together to celebrate the life and legacy of Tony! Toni! Toné! founding member D’Wayne Wiggins, a hometown hero who remained a local up until his death.
In honor of his musical legacy and 30 years of cultural contributions, his daughter, Ilahn Wiggins, announced a public remembrance will take place at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle on April 27.
“The Party of the Century, I love you, Dad,” she captioned her Instagram announcement. “We are going to honor you and celebrate you the Real D’wayne way 
“Everyone is invited,” she added. “I can’t wait to see all your faces and hear your crazy stories about my dad.”
(@_ilovepuccii)Ilahn Wiggins told KQED that the public event, featuring live music, will take place ahead of a major outdoor celebration honoring Wiggins, planned in collaboration with the city of Oakland. That event will be held sometime in May.
In addition to these memorial events, 150 students from East Oakland elementary, middle, and high schools will perform at Castlemont High School April 24 as part of the 3rd Annual East Oakland Vocal Festival & Community Resource Fair, which includes a tribute to Wiggins.
Wiggins died March 7. He was 64. His family announced his death on social media.
“Over the past year, he has been privately and courageously battling bladder cancer,” the family wrote. “Through this fight, he remained committed and present for his family, his music, his fans and his community.”
Wiggins made his mainstream musical debut in the late ’80s as part of Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he co-founded along with his brother, Raphael Saadiq, and their cousin, Christian Riley. The group skyrocketed when its 1993 album, Sons of Soul, went double platinum.
Tony! Toni! Toné! hit the road in 2023 for its “Just Me and You” reunion tour. The group did not allow cell phones or recordings at the shows, but captured their own footage, which will be used in an upcoming documentary about Wiggins’ career, Saadiq revealed.
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