An autopsy report released Friday (June 29), confirms that R&B singer Tony Thompson of the legendary group Hi-Five, died accidentally while “huffing” Freon, nonflammable gaseous or liquid fluorinated hydrocarbons employed primarily as working fluids in refrigeration and air conditioning and as aerosol propellants.
Dr. Reade A. Quinton, a medical examiner at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, determined that Thompson, 31, died from “toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane,” or inhaling a toxic amount of freon.
Thompson, a Waco, Texas native and former lead singer for the platinum-selling Waco quintet Hi-Five in the 1990s, was found dead outside an apartment complex on June 1. Waco police said his body was found by officers working security at the apartment complex. The report also shows that Thompson had a history of “freon huffing.” No alcohol or illegal drugs were detected in the singer’s system. However, the autopsy showed Thompson had a small amount of methadone in his bloodstream. Methadone is a synthetic narcotic used to treat drug addiction.
Thompson signed with Jive Records in 1990 as part of Hi-Five. The quintet’s self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and spawned the hits “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game),” “I Can’t Wait Another Minute” and “Just Another Girlfriend.” Their music was generally described as an imaginative updating of groups such as the Jackson 5.
Thompson released his solo debut, “Sexsational,” in 1995 after Hi-Five split and he was working on new material before passing. Most recently, Thompson had been working on a new project.
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