Do you know what happened to the Hi-Five members? Yes, we are talking about the Waco-based band formed in 1989. A lot happened, and not everyone knows about it.
Starting from the basics, Hi-Five primarily consisted of Tony Thompson, Roderick “Pooh” Clark, Marcus Sanders, Russell Neal, and Toriano Easley, respectively. They are the founding members of the band. Later, many joined, and many left. That’s how it goes.
If you are a newbie, Hi-Five has released some fantastic songs and albums. Some of its notable hit music credits include- You Never Know, Sunshine, Kit Kat, Never Should’ve Let You Go, I Can’t Wait Another Minute, Unconditional Love, etc. Being a big-time Hi-Five fan, didn’t you listen to its 2017 studio album, Legacy? Well, it goes well with the title.
Coming back to the Hi-Five members, Russell Neal reportedly made headlines by sitting in the mental institution. Why? Well, it indeed happened because of some serious event. On the other hand, the lead vocalist, Tony Thompson, passed away, which affected the band for some time. Here is what we know if you are looking for what happened to the Hi-Five members.
Also Read: Who Does MordecaiUpnd Up With? The Finale of Regular Show
Meet The Hi-Five Members: What Happened?
Tony Thompson
Who doesn’t know him? Tony Thompson was known for serving as the lead vocalist of the R&B quintet, High-Five. He rose to fame for the song “I Like the Way.” Being his fan, you must listen to “I Can’t Wait Another Minute.” It’s been several years since Tony passed away, more precisely in 2007.
Talking more about Tony Thompson’s death, it happened on 1 June. Based on his birth year, the singer died at 31. It left everyone in shock as he was too young for that. How did it happen? The Hi-Five singer, Tony, left us all after consuming more significant amounts of chlorodifluoromethane. When the autopsy was done, it came out that the singer must have inhaled a “toxic amount of freon.” Initially, it was cited that the primary reason behind Tony Thompson’s death was excessive consumption of drugs. That was bad enough, life-threatening too.
Tony Thompson’s dead body was found outside an apartment in Waco. At the time of his sudden demise, he possibly worked on new material for an album. It still feels sad.
Russell Neal
With Russell Neal, another ugly incident happened. What? He is one of the former Hi-Five members who made several headlines for admission to the Rusk State Hospital in Texas. Why?
Russell Neal dealt with some serious legal charges. What? Yes! He was married to the fitness model and aspiring boxer Catherine Martinez. The singer was pretty much private about his love life. Thus, it is not known when did Russell tie the knot. But Catherine came into the limelight, sadly, after her death. She passed away on 2 July 2014 after getting beaten badly. Concerning this significant event, Russell got blamed and was charged with it. The Hi-Five fans initially didn’t believe the news.
When Catherine’s autopsy was done, it was found that she had multiple stab injuries. Not only that, but also she suffered from blunt-force trauma. Following this, Russell Neal was charged with first-degree murder. The singer shared about their big fight with the Houston Police Department. He also said that he felt like Catherine needed medical care. It was later found that Russell used to be very much abusive to his wife back then.
Roderick “Pooh” Clark
Did you know Roderick “Pooh” Clark, one of the significant Hi-Five members, got paralyzed from the chest down after a car crash? The incident took place back in Florida in 1993. That caused trouble for him, especially while walking. Therefore, he started using a wheelchair. Following the event, the band’s career got highly devastated. They were on their way to the radio show on the East Coast.
Talking about Roderick, he was the most athletic one in the R&B band. He always ensured that the other Hi-Five members worked hard together. On 17 April 2022 Roderick died at the age of 49. It was shocking not just to the band members but also to his fans. What was the cause of his premature death? It happened because of suffering from an infection and pneumonia. His health condition turned complicated during the last days of his life. Roderick “Pooh” Clark started being in and out of the hospital.
Currently, Hi-Five is led by the artists- Marcus Sanders, Shannon Gill, Treston Irby, Billy Covington, and Faruq Evans, respectively. The band is doing great, and we eagerly await its subsequent fall. Despite its ongoing success, Tony Thompson, Russell Neal, and Roderick Clark are highly missed.
Also Read: What Happened To Young MA? The Rapper’s Health Issue Is Still Concerning
