Hi-Five
by Ron WynnA Southwestern teen R&B ensemble, Hi-Five found success with a sound that updates elements of the Jackson 5 and New Edition. Tony Thompson, Roderick Clark, Russell Neal, Marcus Sanders, and Toriano Easley were the original members. Treston Irby replaced Easley on their second release. Hi-Five debuted on Jive in 1990 with Hi-Five. They scored a Top Ten pop hit with "I Can't Wait Another Minute" and also landed a number one pop single in "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)." Their 1992 LP Keep It Goin' On had another Top Ten pop hit in "She's Playing Hard to Get." After disbanding in the mid-'90s, Thompson re-formed Hi-Five with new members and released the album The Return in 2005. Tragically, Thompson died of an apparent drug overdose on June 1, 2007, in his hometown of Waco, TX.