O d’Ayne Wiggins and the power of friendship and music – and scape

It was a summer afternoon in 2019, when the R&B music icon, me and other homies played in domino with real leather “bones”, eating a dim sum and enjoyed a pleasant bottle of wine in a Chinese restaurant in Santana Rown in Dope Chinese Restaurant. It was a stress -free day of falling on rubbish, community and just some guys from Bay Area. After it ended, I returned to Oakland in Vintage Top Supergwiads, listening to Soul music. No program. Just good vibrations.

A number of days later, one of the compatriots asked: “Hey, he was one of the guys from Tony! Toni! Toné meets us? I thought it could be him, but he never said anything about who he was. “

Yes, it was him. This is how D’Ayne Wiggins fell over.

Wiggins was a member of the R&B Tony nominee for Grammy! Toni! Tone! Proud Oakland in California was a guitarist, producer, composer, philanthropist and mentor for a lot of in the music industry. Tony! Toni! Tone! Wiggins Wiggins, his brother and singer Raphael Saadiq and his cousin and pianist Timothy Riley. The trio dropped such full classics as “Anniversary”, “It Never Rains (in southern California)”, “(put your head on my) pillow” and “Feels Good” amongst others.

Wiggins also produced and helped develop young artists who would grow to be the biggest stars of music and entertainment. He worked, amongst others, with Destiny’s Child, Alicia Keys, Keyshia Cole, Zendaya, her and Kehlani. Wiggins taught them about the presence of a stage, business side of music, the best way to do interviews and way more. It has at all times been essential that Wiggins present young artists because he often had open to him when he performed.

However, on March 7 Wiggins died after a protracted fight against bladder cancer. He was 64 years old. I used to be so privileged that for a while I knew about his health problems, not actually knowing him, and I didn’t keep my word to never ask him. And because good vibrations are at all times with him above all, he never revealed or spoke with me about his pain.

“Thanks to this fight he remained involved and present for his family, music, fans and community,” said Wiggins family in an announcement Announcing his death in social media.

Wiggins and I made friends after a accidental meeting at a celebration for our friend Kim Bardakian in Oakland Hills in 2018. I used to be an excellent ton! Toni! Tone! The fan, since they got here to the stage in the late Nineteen Eighties and could recite almost every song, from their hits to side B. I introduced myself and offered high respect. Wiggins was not a giant fan of sport, but he in some way knew my work as a journalist covering the NBA and the character of Bay Area.

We became fast friends. Over the years, we spent spending time in countless East Bay Area restaurants, we celebrated the New Year 2024 with friends, we created our own wine as winemakers for at some point in Raymond Vineyards, we stopped through Marta’s Vineyard, and even he even he I participated in my induction At Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023, once I won the Curt Gowdy award. Wiggins even sang “Whatever you wish“At the Hall of Fame party for me in Oakland in 2023.

I had the honor to interview Tony! Tone! Toni! at the Saadiq studio in Los Angeles before the first route in 30 years. Then we made interviews for a beginner documentary about Wiggins, which is actually even deeper. I participated in live shows in Dallas and San Francisco for sensational ones. Wiggins also put a photograph of Hall of Fame in the Tour pre -film, which presented the great Bay Area of ​​all species, which meant an absolute world for me.

“It was the best concert I’ve ever seen,” Golden State Warriors Gary Gary Payton II recently told me. “I didn’t know (Wiggins) was sick. I can’t believe it is not there. “

On November 17, 2023, my wife and my wife joined Wiggins, his dedicated and protective wife, Dori, then the mayor of Francisco and others for a meal before the concert before the stop in the Masonic in San Francisco. Not knowing what to come back after Wiggins, it ended with the last program for Tony! Toni! Tone! Behind the scenes in Wiggins’s wardrobe I used to be there when Brena gave the group an commercial from the city of San Francisco. I placed on his giant, Dr. Seuss in a hat in my wardrobe for fun before starting the program, which actually looked a lot better on me than he did.

I’ll always remember to see Wiggins sparking on the stage that night. As usual, he was dressed eclectically, as usual, he has characteristic glasses, a singular hat and retro outfit from the 70s, with incense burning from the guitar. When his individual part of the series was to begin, he took over and stared at the crowd before he played a note from one of his popular ballads. When the crowd roared in recognition and gave a standing ovation, Wiggins seemed overwhelmed by gratitude.

Wiggins might have been all 5 feet and 6 feet, unless it was strengthened by wearing shoes. But he was the owner of a scene with the presence of a music giant, together with his elite guitar skills, singing and personality that matched the song at that moment. It was amazing to see how relaxed and cool he was without nervousness a number of minutes before Showtime. And when the series began, he placed on his superman Cape and passed his presence and remembered his performance.

Outside the stage, Wiggins was relaxed with an incredible sense of humor and a cunning laugh. He gave me difficulties after watching the episode of my Hulu television program, by which I discovered that sugar belongs to the grits. We jokingly repeatedly discussed this matter and suggested that he put it in the song. One day I got a movie about him freestyling of a makeshift song entitled “Sugar don’t go on grits” on sound during Tony! Tone! Toni! trip.

My favorite memory, which defined the modest, cool Wiggins, took place during the Hall of Fame Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame ceremony. He and Dori flew through the country to participate in my induction. This meant quite a bit for me that Wiggins really enjoyed the ceremony, taking every word from speeches.

I used to be invited to the induction of Hoop Hall of Fame, Tony Parker after a speech, but I didn’t go because I had a gaggle of over 20 individuals with me. Wiggins celebrated my honor by buying Tequila crew to greet me for dinner. He had an incredible way for everybody to feel like they were a friend and at his level, even in the event that they only met him once. My crew spent the next party at the event, which the Association of National Basketball players gave once we realized that Wiggins couldn’t be found.

About half-hour later, Wiggins arrived at a celebration with a Cheshire smile. I asked him where he was and he said he slipped to Tony Parker’s party and enjoyed food, drinks and everyone speaks French. But suddenly he was thrown out because no one recognized him. So, the truth is, a member of the founder of Tony! Toni! Tone! He was thrown out of Tony Parker’s party.

So why didn’t he tell him who he was?

“Man, this is not my style,” said Wiggins with a smile.

His style has at all times been extreme humility and having to be pleased. He was actually present at the moment, he would say that he didn’t hearken to the singing of birds of useless stress, he was clear in the light of the headlights and really enjoyed life. His heritage will live with everyone because of his music. But more importantly, Wiggins will live in the hearts of anyone who has ever had a probability to spend time with him.

I like you, brother. The world is not going to be the same without you, but your music and a wonderful way you lived in will live with me and countless others that you may have touched endlessly.