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Raphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was born Charles Ray Wiggins on May 14, 1966, in Oakland, California, United States. He developed an early interest in music, playing the bass guitar from the tender age of 6 and singing with local gospel groups. His first professional musical experience came when he was recruited to join Sheila E.’s backing band for Prince’s Parade Tour in 1986, leading him to perform internationally. Soon after, he started a new musical project as the bassist and lead vocalist for the trio Tony! Toni! Toné! along with his brother Dwayne Wiggins and cousin Timothy Christian. Tony! Toni! Toné! was a highly popular group, scoring a number of hits throughout the 90s. Raphael Saadiq started releasing his own solo music, including the 1995 hit “Ask of You,” which was released as part of the soundtrack to Higher Learning and peaked at Number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Tony! Toni! Toné! ultimately disbanded in 1997, leading to his next musical project, the group Lucy Pearl. Raphael Saadiq would continue releasing music sporadically throughout the 90s, and his 2000 collaboration with D’Angelo “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” won a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Raphael Saadiq collaborated with a wide array of musicians including Mary J. Blige, Elton John, and John Legend.
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