Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2025

Source: Raymond Boyd / Getty

UPDATED: 7:00 pm EST March 7th, 2025

As we’ve come to understand year after year, day after day even, death is unfortunately an inevitable part of life. Still, as much of a fact as that may be, the blow of experiencing loss never gets any easier, nor does reporting on the subject in Black culture.

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We are sad to report that D’Wayne Wiggins, a founding member of the iconic R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, has passed away at the age of 64.

Wiggins’ family confirmed his passing on the band’s social media accounts on March 7, revealing that he has been battling bladder cancer over the past year.

Born in Oakland, CA on February 14, 1961, Wiggins formed the band with brother Raphael Saadiq and cousin Timothy Riley in the late 1980s. The band released their debut album, Who?, in 1988. The album’s first single, “Little Walter,” hit #1 on the R&B charts, and the album peaked at #69 on the Billboard 200.

The follow-up, 1990’s The Revival, saw the band incorporate more live instrumentation and more elements of classic soul music. The album was a commercial success, peaking at #34 on the Billboard 200 and going platinum. The album spawned several #1 hits on the R&B charts, including the Top 10 pop hit “Feels Good,” “It Never Rains (In Southern California), and “Whatever You Want.”

In 2023, the original Tony! Toni! Toné! lineup reunited for a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Sons of Soul, the band’s first tour in 25 years. Plans for a new album were initially discussed but never came to be. Wiggins continued to perform as bandleader of Tony! Toni! Toné! until his health worsened.

Learn more below about who in our culture has passed away so far this year in 2025 Below