# Tony Thompson (singer)
**Tony Thompson** (full name Anthony Ulysses Thompson, Jr.) was an American R&B singer, born in 1975 in Waco, Texas, best known as the lead vocalist of the 1990s group Hi-Five, whose single "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)" reached number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the [Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs](https://www.edgepedia.org/hot-r-and-b-hip-hop-songs) chart.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) • [2](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/90s-rb-group-hi-five-comeback-tony-thompson-new-music) He died in Waco on June 1, 2007, at the age of 31.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1975, Waco, Texas; June 1, 2007, Waco, Texas, aged 31[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) |
| Group | Lead vocalist of Hi-Five, signed to Jive Records in 1990[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) |
| Signature hit | "I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)", number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts, produced by Teddy Riley[2](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/90s-rb-group-hi-five-comeback-tony-thompson-new-music) |
| Debut album | Hi-Five's self-titled 1990 debut went multi-platinum[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) |
| Solo career | *Sexsational* (1995, Giant Records), featuring producers including Babyface, Sean "Puffy" Combs, and DeVante Swing[3](https://www.allmusic.com/album/sexsational-mw0000173328) |
| Later work | Rejoined a re-formed Hi-Five in 2005; the album *The Return* (2006) was released on his own label, N'Depth[4](https://soulbounce.com/2012/11/soulbounces_class_of_1992_hi-five_keep_it_goin_on/) • [5](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/06/04/Hi-Five-singer-dead/23591180955475/) |
## Early life and Hi-Five
Thompson was born in Waco, Texas, and raised in [Oklahoma City](https://www.edgepedia.org/oklahoma-city). After a producer spotted him singing solos with his hometown church choir at age eight, Thompson was asked to record a demo alongside four contacts from his time in Waco: Roderick Clark, Russell Neal, Marcus Sanders, and Toriano Easley. The quintet signed with [Jive Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/jive-records) in 1990 as Hi-Five.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650)
The group'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](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) Famed producer [Teddy Riley](https://www.edgepedia.org/teddy-riley)'s new jack swing tracks helped Hi-Five score a Billboard R&B top ten with "I Just Can't Handle It" and then reach number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart with "The Kissing Game".[2](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/90s-rb-group-hi-five-comeback-tony-thompson-new-music) Thompson was about 15 when he began singing with the group, roughly the same age as its audience.[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-05-06.pdf)
The follow-up album, *Keep It Goin' On* (1992), yielded the hits "She's Playing Hard to Get" and "Quality Time", and *Faithful* appeared in 1993.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) The group's run was marked by lineup changes, a tour bus crash that left Clark paralyzed, and internal strife, and a business deal led to the group's disbanding in 1994 as Thompson went solo.[2](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/90s-rb-group-hi-five-comeback-tony-thompson-new-music)
## Solo career
Thompson's solo debut, *Sexsational*, was released on Giant in 1995.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650) In a Billboard interview he described the move away from Hi-Five's teen image: "With Hi-Five, we dealt with relationships but never talked about the sexual stuff or making love, but since I'm getting older I wanted to go with more adult themes."[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-05-06.pdf) Giant's A&R executive Jeffrey Bowens said Thompson's vocal timbre had matured, with a broader range covering falsetto down to baritone.[6](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-05-06.pdf)
The album assembled a prominent roster of writers and producers, including Babyface, Sean "Puffy" Combs, DeVante Swing, and [Al B. Sure!](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-b-sure), and its lead single was the Babyface-penned "I Wanna Love Like That", a top 20 R&B Billboard hit.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/album/sexsational-mw0000173328) • [7](https://urbanbridgez.com/2025/06/01/black-music-spotlight-celebrating-tony-thompson-and-hi-five/) Thompson was later signed to [Bad Boy Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/bad-boy-records) in 1997.[7](https://urbanbridgez.com/2025/06/01/black-music-spotlight-celebrating-tony-thompson-and-hi-five/)
## Return to Hi-Five and death
Hi-Five re-formed in 2005 with Thompson plus four new members.[4](https://soulbounce.com/2012/11/soulbounces_class_of_1992_hi-five_keep_it_goin_on/) In 2006 the group released *The Return* on Thompson's own record label, N'Depth.[5](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/06/04/Hi-Five-singer-dead/23591180955475/) He had recently moved back to Waco from the Dallas area and was working on new material at the time of his death.[8](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20070604_Tony_Thompson___R_B_singer__31.html)
Thompson was found dead outside an apartment complex in Waco on June 1, 2007, at age 31; initial reports said he appeared to have died of a drug overdose, though the official cause had not been released at the time of reporting.[5](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/06/04/Hi-Five-singer-dead/23591180955475/) His obituary in the Waco Tribune-Herald lists his parents, Tony Thompson Sr. and Doris Carpenter-Thompson, and a son, Tevin, among his survivors.[9](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/tony-thompson-obituary?id=29639896) Former bandmates later credited Thompson as the heart of Hi-Five's sound; producer Teddy Riley said "Tony fashioned a musical style of his own. He wanted to make songs people would remember."[2](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/90s-rb-group-hi-five-comeback-tony-thompson-new-music)
## References
1. [Tony Thompson Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-thompson-mn0000156650)
2. ['90s R&B Group Hi-Five Talks Comeback, Essence](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/90s-rb-group-hi-five-comeback-tony-thompson-new-music)
3. [Tony Thompson: Sexsational, AllMusic album review](https://www.allmusic.com/album/sexsational-mw0000173328)
4. [SoulBounce's Class Of 1992: Hi-Five 'Keep It Goin' On'](https://soulbounce.com/2012/11/soulbounces_class_of_1992_hi-five_keep_it_goin_on/)
5. [Hi-Five singer dead, UPI](https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2007/06/04/Hi-Five-singer-dead/23591180955475/)
6. [Hi-Five Singer Thompson Goes Solo, Billboard, May 6, 1995](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1995/BB-1995-05-06.pdf)
7. [UB Black Music Spotlight: Celebrating Tony Thompson and Hi-Five, UrbanBridgez](https://urbanbridgez.com/2025/06/01/black-music-spotlight-celebrating-tony-thompson-and-hi-five/)
8. [Tony Thompson, R&B singer, 31, The Philadelphia Inquirer](https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20070604_Tony_Thompson___R_B_singer__31.html)
9. [Tony Thompson Obituary, Waco Tribune-Herald via Legacy.com](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/tony-thompson-obituary?id=29639896)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 1990s and 2000s › R&B singers of the 1990s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license