Hi-Five

The ’90s R&B group Hi-Five became superstars while the five members were teenagers. They scored three Top 10 US pop hits, including the No. 1 smash “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game).” • Formed in Waco, Texas, in 1988, Hi-Five featured charismatic young singer Tony Thompson. The original lineup also included Roderick “Pooh” Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley. • After Easley was charged with murder in 1990, he was replaced by Bronx singer Treston Irby. • The group signed with Jive Records and released their self-titled debut in 1990. Featuring production by by New Jack Swing heavyweight Teddy Riley, the album went platinum, topped the R&B charts, and spawned two Top 10 pop hits: “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game)” (No. 1) and “I Can’t Wait Another Minute” (No. 8). • While not as successful as their debut, Hi-Five’s gold-selling 1992 sophomore effort Keep It Goin’ produced another Top 5 pop hit, “She’s Playing Hard to Get.” • In 1992, Hi-Five were involved in a car accident that left Roderick “Pooh” Clark paralyzed. • Hi-Five disbanded after 1993’s Faithful and Thompson went solo with 1995’s Sexsational. • Thompson put together a new Hi-Five lineup and released the album The Return in 2005. He died in 2007 from inhaling freon gas from an air conditioner. • Sanders and Irby subsequently put together another version of the group that continued performing throughout the 2010s. They released the album Legacy in 2017.