Tony Thompson (singer)
Encyclopedia
Tony Ulysses Thompson was an American R&B/soul singer and the lead vocalist of the R&B group Hi-Five
.
, but raised in Oklahoma City
. He started singing solos in the local church choir at the age of eight. He was noticed by the first R&B group signed by Jive Records (ador'), which consisted of William Walton, Eric Cuffee, and Patrick Sanders who were also from Waco. Hi-Five
signed with Jive Records
in 1990. The quintet's self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and created several hits, including "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)
", "I Can't Wait Another Minute
", and "Just Another Girlfriend".
In 1992, the group released their second album Keep It Goin' On, with "She's Playing Hard to Get" and "Quality Time". Their third album Faithful appeared in 1993. Thompson's solo debut, Sexsational, was released on Giant Records in 1995. Thompson formed his own record label, N'Depth, and re-incarnated Hi-Five with four new members. The group's new album, The Return, was released in 2006.
Dr. Reade A. Quinton, a medical examiner at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, determined that Thompson, 31, died from “toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane
,” or accidentally inhaling a toxic amount of Freon.
Hi-Five
Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based out of Waco, Texas, who had a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the early 1990s with "I Like the Way ". Hi-Five was formed in 1990, and consisted of the late Tony Thompson, Roderick "Pooh" Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley...
.
Biography
Thompson was born in Calera, AlabamaCalera, Alabama
Calera is a city in Chilton and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the location of Birmingham's Shelby County Airport. Its population was 3,158 at the 2000 census, but as of 2010 the population had nearly quadrupled to 11,620 making it the fastest growing city in...
, but raised in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. He started singing solos in the local church choir at the age of eight. He was noticed by the first R&B group signed by Jive Records (ador'), which consisted of William Walton, Eric Cuffee, and Patrick Sanders who were also from Waco. Hi-Five
Hi-Five
Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based out of Waco, Texas, who had a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the early 1990s with "I Like the Way ". Hi-Five was formed in 1990, and consisted of the late Tony Thompson, Roderick "Pooh" Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley...
signed with Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
in 1990. The quintet's self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and created several hits, including "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)
I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)
"I Like the Way " is the title of a number-one pop and R&B single by Hi-Five from the group's debut self-titled album, Hi-Five. The hit song spent two weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and one week at number-one on the US Billboard Hot 100.-Charts:-Track listings:CD single# Radio Edit #...
", "I Can't Wait Another Minute
I Can't Wait Another Minute
"I Can't Wait Another Minute" is the title of a number-one R&B single by Hi-Five. The hit song spent one week at number-one on the US R&B chart, and peaked at number eight on the US Pop chart.-Charts:...
", and "Just Another Girlfriend".
In 1992, the group released their second album Keep It Goin' On, with "She's Playing Hard to Get" and "Quality Time". Their third album Faithful appeared in 1993. Thompson's solo debut, Sexsational, was released on Giant Records in 1995. Thompson formed his own record label, N'Depth, and re-incarnated Hi-Five with four new members. The group's new album, The Return, was released in 2006.
Death
On June 1, 2007, Thompson's body was discovered at around 10 p.m. Friday outside of an apartment complex in his native Waco, Texas. His body was found near an air-conditioning unit outside an East Waco apartment complex.Dr. Reade A. Quinton, a medical examiner at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, determined that Thompson, 31, died from “toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane
Chlorodifluoromethane
Chlorodifluoromethane or difluoromonochloromethane is a hydrochlorofluorocarbon . This colorless gas is better known as HCFC-22, or R-22. It was once commonly used as a propellant and in air conditioning applications...
,” or accidentally inhaling a toxic amount of Freon.