Latest news with #Tony!Toni!Toné!
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Musician Raphael Saadiq talks unique gigs on heels of 'Cowboy Carter' success
AI-assisted summary Musician Raphael Saadiq is launching a one-man show called "No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits" starting May 31 in New York. Saadiq rose to fame as a vocalist in the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! and is known for his work with artists like Beyoncé and Lucy Pearl, earning him three Grammys and numerous other accolades. The "No Bandwidth" show will feature Saadiq performing music, sharing stories and connecting with the audience in a personal setting. Saadiq also recently celebrated success with Beyoncé's album "Cowboy Carter," for which he co-wrote and produced several songs. Raphael Saadiq, who has cemented his mark in the music industry over the past three decades, has a special year planned for his fans with the release of exclusive content and a new one-man show. "No Bandwidth: One Man, One Night, Three Decades of Hits" will run for only four nights, kicking off May 31 in New York before heading to Los Angeles on June 6 and his hometown of Oakland, California, on June 7 and June 8. "It'll be me singing sometimes, me playing some instruments, me talking, telling stories, talking about the past and talking about the present," Saadiq says. "We're just going to be in one place all together. It's going to be no phones. We're really going to be close and personal." Saadiq rose to fame in the '80s and '90s as the lead vocalist for the R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! In 1999, he formed another R&B group, Lucy Pearl, and released music with its members before eventually releasing five solo albums. The versatile music mogul has earned three Grammy Awards, received 20 additional nominations, and had his work recognized by both the Oscars and Golden Globes. This year he won a Grammy for album of the year for his work on Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter," on which he helped produce and write a number of songs. He also kicked off the year by performing at the NBA All-Star Game in Oakland and announcing the launch of his vinyl club. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. "The (past) year has been really successful. I have worked with some amazing people," Saadiq says. "Though maybe different than some, I've had a lot of years like this." 'No Bandwidth' shows significant in more ways than one As a producer, instrumentalist, composer and songwriter, he has written and produced for music legends while becoming one himself. Some of those artists include Beyoncé, the Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Erykah Badu, Solange Knowles, D'Angelo and John Legend. His first one-man show will be held at the Apollo Theater in Harlem — an intentional choice. "There's so much seasoning left on the floor at the Apollo. When you walk on that floor, you have to understand the people who worked so hard — blood, sweat and tears — and the ancestors that touched that stage," Saadiq says. "I wanted to take some of that energy and then just bring it out. Every time I go to the Apollo, I feel that way. But to go back by myself, and as a one-man show, is monumental for me." Fans can expect his performance include his work from throughout the years. "It's not about the talent that I have and have been blessed with," Saadiq says. "I've been blessed to work with so many good people. So I'm taking little pieces of everybody as I can remember, and then sort of bring it to to the stage." Through his vinyl club, Saadiq is offering fans a rare glimpse into his back catalog. Those with a membership receive exclusive quarterly releases, including his most celebrated albums, new releases and more. "It's really giving me that outlet to talk to people who really love and enjoy music," he says. 'Cowboy Carter' and Saadiq's continuous collaboration with Beyoncé While he's no stranger to collaborative and solo success, Saadiq recognizes the uniqueness of his recent endeavors, including his collaboration with Beyoncé. In addition to being a songwriter on Beyoncé's Grammy-winning hit "Cuff It" from her 2022 album "Renaissance," he co-wrote and produced a number of songs from her eighth studio album, including "Texas Hold 'Em," "16 Carriages," "Bodyguard" and "Ameriican Requiem." He also played the instruments for multiple songs, including "Ya Ya" and "Just For Fun." "I think 'Cowboy Carter' just brought the perspective that Black people sang country music first. And (Beyoncé) brought a lot of people from the past and (present)... like Shaboozey, who's been already singing country music," Saadiq says. "It sort of gave them an outlet to get out to a bigger audience." Tickets are now available for Saadiq's upcoming shows on Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
USA Today
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Tony! Toni! Toné! singer D'Wayne Wiggins dies at 64 after bladder cancer battle
Grammy-nominated singer and guitarist D'Wayne Wiggins, a founding member of the seminal R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, has died, the group announced Friday on social media. He was 64. "With broken hearts, we share with you that our beloved D'Wayne passed away this morning surrounded by family and loved ones" Wiggins' family wrote in a statement shared on the group's social media channels Friday. "Over the past year, he has been privately and courageously battling bladder cancer," the statement said. "Through this fight, he remained committed and present for his family, his music, his fans and his community." The announcement came two days after the Wiggins family shared the singer was experiencing "medical complications." Friday's statement continued: "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." Remembering those we lost: Celebrity Deaths 2025 A representative for Wiggins confirmed the musician's death to USA TODAY with a news release that shared a memorial services are in the works. "We will share more details as they are available. For now, we ask that you continue to respect our privacy. We mourn with you, and are deeply grateful for your love and support," the announcement states. The group — comprising Wiggins, brother Raphael Saadiq and their cousin Timonthy Christian Riley — had a performance in Northern California later this month that was canceled "due to illness." The Tonyies were working on new music amid their 2023 reunion tour In 2023, the Oakland-born group which formed in the late 1980s and released hits 'Little Walter," "Feels Good" and "Anniversary," embarked on their first headlining tour in more than two decades with the original founding members. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, the three family members who call themselves the Tonyies credited Saadiq with getting the band back together. "I didn't tell any of the managers or team or anybody because I just wanted it to be us," Saadiq said. "I wanted to be in a room where the only power structure was one, two and three. ... We have to be us first before we could talk to anybody because that's what happened the last time." He also teased new music the trio was working on at the time, declaring, "There's going to be another album." But he wanted to ensure they were in the right headspace for creating their first record since 1996's "House of Music." "I thought we need to really hone in on what we're doing for touring and then go home and then take like two days off, and then start on the album,' Saadiq said. "We got a lot of material and now we just want to make sure that we put out the right energy through our music," Wiggins added. Aside from Tony! Toni! Toné! and his solo career, which resulted in the 2000 album 'Eyes Never Lie," Wiggins also worked as a producer for the likes of Destiny's Child, Alicia Keys and Keyshia Cole early in their careers.
