Graham Wiggins, better known by his stage name Dr. Didg, passed away yesterday in his sleep, his band announced on Facebook earlier today.

Wiggins was a accomplished musician who got his nickname from his proficiency as a didgeridoo player and led his Dr. Didg band to release several albums from the early-‘90s to the late-aughts. He also played with the Grateful Dead in 1993 and worked with Dead drummer Mickey Hart on 1996’s Mickey Hart’s Mystery Box and was a part of Hart’s Planet Drum world music ensemble. Wiggins also had a Ph.D. in Physics from Oxford University and experimented with and developed new technology over his career.

In the Facebook post, Wiggins’ bandmates wrote that his death “was quite a shock” and called Wiggins “one of the most well-informed and classiest persons you could know.” See the full note below, and read our 2010 interview with Wiggins here.

It’s with a heavy heart and sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our dear friend and amazing musician Graham Wiggins (a.k.a. “Dr Didg”) on September 7th. We have no details at this time other than he passed in his sleep. This is quite a shock to us, assuming that we were going to remain in touch for a very long time. We’ve had nothing but amazing times and learned a lot through our travels with Graham. He was one of the most well-informed and classiest persons you could know. It would be safe to say that Graham not only had a huge brain (he was a legitimate scientist who had a PH.D. in Physics and later developed RF technologies for Biomedical imaging) but he also had a huge heart. The man was extremely sincere and giving to others at all times. He loved with his music and shared it with the world. If you have Dr. Didg in your music collection, go ahead and put it on nice and loud. You will hear nothing but the sound of a brilliant beautiful man who made really cool music. Rest in Peace brother. We love you and will always keep you close to our hearts. For those who knew him know this is a painful loss. On the other hand, heaven’s all star band just received its finest didgeridoo player.

-the Dr. Didg Band. Ryan Krieger, Mike Weafer, Steve Leonard.