Hi-Five
Hi-Five is an American R&B quintet based in Waco, Texas. Hi-Five had a #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 in the early 1990s with "I Like the Way ". The band was formed in 1989, and consisted of Tony Thompson, Roderick "Pooh" Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley. Easley was later replaced by Treston Irby.
Background
Rise to fame
Hi-Five was originally signed to Jive Records in late 1989 and released their eponymous debut album in 1990. The album went platinum and was produced by Teddy Riley; it included such singles as "I Just Can't Handle It", "I Can't Wait Another Minute", and their biggest hit to date, "I Like the Way ", which went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.The group's second LP, Keep It Goin' On, came out in 1992. Though not as successful as their debut effort, several tracks from this album, including "She's Playing Hard To Get" and the R. Kelly-penned "Quality Time" got major airplay in East Coast urban markets. Shortly after this album was released, the group was involved in a vehicular accident, which left Roderick "Pooh" Clark paralyzed from the chest down. In 1993, Hi-Five emerged with a third album, Faithful, which featured the songs "Unconditional Love" and "Never Should've Let You Go". "Unconditional Love" was also featured in the multi-platinum Menace II Society soundtrack, and received extensive airplay on urban contemporary stations throughout the summer of 1993 as the movie increased in popularity. "Never Should've Let You Go" was featured in the Sister Act 2 soundtrack.
Later years
After Hi-Five disbanded in 1994, Thompson released a solo album, Sexsational, in 1995. He later reunited Hi-Five on his own independent N'Depth label for the release of the album The Return in 2005. On June 1, 2007, police found Thompson dead near an air conditioning unit behind an East Waco apartment complex. A later autopsy revealed he had died as a result of inhaling freon from an air conditioning unit.In 2011, Treston Irby released his debut solo single "Everything" under the mantle Tru$ on his independent label, Bronx Most Wanted Ent. In 2012, Irby, Shannon Gill and Marcus Sanders reformed Hi-Five with two new members, Andre Ramseur and Faruq Evans. They released a single called "Favorite Girl" also on the BMW label. Ramseur later left the group and was replaced by Billy Covington. On July 2, 2014, former Hi-Five member Russell Neal was charged with murder in the stabbing death of his wife in Houston.
Hi-Five was featured on the TVOne music documentary series Unsung on August 6, 2014, chronicling the quintet's upbringing in Waco, their rise to superstardom, tragedies among group members, and their comeback.
Legal issues
Criminal trial for murder
Russell Neal shot to fame in the 1990s with the R&B group Hi-Five, even scoring a number-one hit. Russell felt Hi-Five was keeping him down. "Russell decided that he wanted to have more of a singing part, but the labels and the producer didn't think that that was an appropriate decision to make," said Kinloch. He ended up leaving the group early on during the height of their success.In 2014, police say they found Neal's then girlfriend, Catherine, dead. She was bashed with a blunt object, and had stab wounds from multiple strikes with a sharp object. Neal originally admitted his wrong doings to police. He was charged with first-degree murder and released on a $100,000 bond. Neal has been deemed incompetent to stand trail.
Discography
Studio albums
EP
| Year | Title |
| 2014 | The EP
|