Tony Thompson (singer)

Tony Thompson
Birth name Anthony Ulysses Thompson
Born September 2, 1975
Waco, Texas, U.S.
Origin Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died June 2, 2007 (aged 31)
Waco, Texas, U.S.
Genres R&B, Pop, New Jack Swing
Years active 1990–2007
Labels Jive
Giant
Associated acts Hi-Five

Anthony Ulysses "Tony" Thompson (September 2, 1975 – June 1, 2007) was an American R&B/soul singer and the lead vocalist of the R&B quintet Hi-Five from 1990 to 1994.

Early life

Thompson was born in Waco, Texas and raised in Oklahoma City. He started singing solos in the local church choir at the age of eight.

Career

He was noticed by the first R&B group signed by Jive Records, which consisted of Toriano Easley (Later replaced by Treston Irby), Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Roderick "Pooh" Clark who were also from Waco. Hi-Five signed with Jive Records in 1990. The quintet's self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and produced several hits, including "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", "I Can't Wait Another Minute", and "Just Another Girlfriend".[1]

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, was released 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 next album, The Return, was released in 2005.[2]

Death

On June 1, 2007, Thompson's body was discovered by security officers at around 10 p.m. near an air-conditioning unit outside of an apartment complex in his native Waco, Texas.[2] An autopsy later determined that Thompson died from “toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane,” or inhaling a toxic amount of freon.[3] He is buried at Doris Miller Memorial Park in Waco.[4]

Music videos

Year Video
1995 "I Wanna Love Like That"

References

  1. ↑ Allmusic.com "Hi-Five
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Concepcion, Mariel (June 4, 2007). "Hi-Five's Tony Thompson Dies At 31". billboard.com. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Autopsy Results Are In For Hi-Five Star Tony Thompson". dallasblack.com. July 2, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  4. ↑ Hoover, Carl (June 5, 2010). "Family and friends remember Waco singer Tony Thompson at headstone ceremony". wacotrib.com. Retrieved July 4, 2014.

External links