He was gifted his first guitar at the age of 12 and soon after, he and his garage band mates were getting rides from Dwayne’s mom who took them to hear and play music all across the Bay Area and as far as San Jose and Sacramento.

While a student at Castlemont High, he was recruited into the jazz band and also a member of the famed choir the Castleers, under the direction of Phillip Reeder.

In 1986, Dwayne, Raphael, and cousin Timothy Christian Riley formed the legendary and world famous Tony! Toni! Toné!

Tony! Toni! Toné! released their first album in 1988 and saw their most widespread success with their third album, Sons of Soul, in 1993. They were one of the key players in the New Jack Swing movement in music, and had five singles top the Billboard R&B and Hip Hop chart. 40 years after their forming, the band’s popularity and influence continues to resonate, and they’re credited with being a major precursor to the neo-soul sound.

While Tony! Toni! Toné! disbanded in 1996, Dwayne went on to build a strong solo career, as a musician, performer, and producer. He also worked on Alicia Keys’ Grammy-nominated album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, and was bandleader on D.L. Hughley’s Comedy Central series. One of the many ways he created impact in the music industry was with his record label, Grass Roots Entertainment. From his East Oakland studio, House of Music, he helped to bring several artists into the spotlight, including Destiny's Child, india.arie, Keyshia Cole, H.E.R., Zendaya, and Kehlani.

Dwayne leveraged all that he built to serve the immediate Oakland community. In 2013 he co-founded Youth Aid, a nonprofit committed to exposing, engaging, and inspiring youth from underserved communities through the creation, production, and business of music. Among its other projects and programs providing free support for young people in the Bay Area, Youth Aid was the home base for food, music, and art event, Taste of Oakland.

Dwayne created the Tony’s School of Music (TSM), a free summer program that supported young Oakland musicians with artist development and much more, and even opened Jahva House, a beloved Lake Merritt-area cafe, with his then wife. And while he offered so much to so many, his love and support of his family never wavered, as he consistently showed up as a loving son, brother, father, uncle, nephew, husband, grandfather, cousin, and dear friend.

After a private and valiant battle with cancer, Dwayne took his last breath on March 7, 2025. Even in his final days when his health was seriously compromised, he continued to share his love and gift for music. We’re committed to keeping his spirit and legacy alive through the work of the Dwayne P. Wiggins  Foundation.