D'Wayne Wiggins

by Ed HoganGuitarist/singer/songwriter/producer Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné! made a startling solo debut on Eyes Never Lie, issued on May 2, 2000 by Motown Records. The recording artists tenure with the soulful, fun loving group make him the perfect addition to Motown as the legendary label began the 21st Century as a fresh home for modern soul music. Wiggins rich history with Oakland, CA s Tony! Toni! Toné! — also including his brother, Raphael Saadiq, and their cousin, Timothy Christian — includes 14 Billboard charting R&B singles, including five number one hits, three top 10 Pop singles, one gold album, two platinum albums and one double platinum album. The trio also appeared in the movie House Party 2 where Wiggins adheres to the groups sense of freshness, respect of the old school ethic and sense of humor. An altercation with police sparked Wiggins creative muse and lead to the creation of his debut single, Whats Really Going On (Strange Fruit), which includes segments from the Billie Holiday classic, Strange Fruit. Saxophonist Najee guests on the albums jazzy remix of the song. Wiggins high caliber musicianship and eclectic taste recalls earlier albums by the Brothers Johnson, the Isley Brothers, Prince and Narada Michael Walden. To help accomplish this, Wiggins enlisted some members of the ol skool. Larry Graham co-wrote the horns-punctuated song, Music Is Power, with Wiggins and guest vocalist Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish. The track has a sample from Earth, Wind And Fires Shining Star was orchestrated by veteran arranger Claire Fischer while the song, Pushin On, uses a sample from Bootsy Collins Munches for Your Love. In addition, legendary guitarist Carlos Santana co-wrote Move With Me. Wiggins showcases his formidable fret board skills on a solo guitar piece, Tribecca. Eyes Dont Lie is one of those unusual latter day albums. One can listen to it from beginning to end and actually feel as if one is listening to an album rather than a bunch of singles. Listeners get a sense of who the artist is. Wiggins certainly has his own identity outside of Tony! Toni! Toné!