Dear Community,
On March 31, 2025, we gathered at Yoshi’s Oakland for a private ceremony celebrating D’Wayne Wiggins’ soulful spirit, followed by an after party at Town Fare at Oakland Museum of California. The day was filled with vibrant music, expressions of love, and joyful remembrances—exactly as D’Wayne would have wanted.
Family, friends, and bandmates shared heartfelt moments highlighting D’Wayne’s generosity and openness. The celebration brought together people from all chapters of his journey—childhood friends, musical collaborators, family members, and community leaders. Yoshi’s provided an intimate setting that perfectly honored his musical soul, while Town Fare’s art-filled space complemented his creative spirit. When everyone departed, we felt D’Wayne’s memory had been celebrated in a way that truly reflected his vibrant spirit.
We thank both Yoshi’s and Town Fare for their hospitality in celebrating D’Wayne’s musical legacy and impact on Oakland. His passion for music and community touched countless lives throughout his career.
While tributes honoring D’Wayne will continue to unfold—each reflecting the love he inspired—we would like to share that the previously considered public celebration in partnership with the City of Oakland this May will not proceed.
Instead, we will focus on developing future projects that advance D’Wayne’s enduring commitment to nurturing young musicians in Oakland. Through these initiatives, we remain devoted to the vision he entrusted to us. We look forward to sharing details about these new endeavors in the coming months. Please follow @tonytonitoneofficial for updates on these and other initiatives.
Though we miss D’Wayne profoundly, we carry his legacy of love, creativity, and joy with us.
The Wiggins Family
Dear community,
The outpouring of love from fans, friends, fellow musicians, and communities worldwide has been nothing short of extraordinary. Each message, tribute, and shared memory is a testament to how deeply D’Wayne’s music resonated with souls across generations and borders.
In honor of D’Wayne’s vibrant spirit and explicit wishes, we are thrilled to announce a grand celebration of his life and musical legacy in partnership with the City of Oakland—his beloved home. This outdoor festival of music and remembrance will take place in May, with full details to be shared in the coming weeks.
We want to emphasize that this May celebration is the only official public event organized by the family in partnership with the city. All event details will be shared exclusively via @dwaynewigginsofficial on Instagram. We invite you to join us for this authentic expression of D’Wayne’s legacy.
The family will also hold a private memorial service in accordance with D’Wayne’s wishes. We appreciate your understanding and respect for our privacy during this time. We mourn with you and are deeply grateful for your love and support.
With open hearts and eternal gratitude,
The Wiggins Family
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.
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 about 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 deeply grateful for your love and support.
In Solidarity,
The Wiggins Family
We wanted to share that D’Wayne Wiggins is experiencing medical complications. He is working through it one day at a time.
We know how beloved he is by so many, and we are grateful for your prayers and concern. We also request that you respect the family’s privacy during this time.
Much love,
The Wiggins Family
