June 1, 2007: Around 10:00 p.m., Tony Thompson’s body was discovered near an air-conditioning unit outside of an apartment complex in Waco, Texas. Dr. Reade A. Quinton, a medical examiner at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, determined that 31-year-old Thompson died from “toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane,” or accidentally inhaling a toxic amount of Freon.

Tony Ulysses Thompson was an R&B and soul singer who was the lead vocalist of the group Hi-Five.

Thompson 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 fellow Waco residents William Walton, Eric Cuffee, and Patrick Sanders.

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. He 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.

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