The Tragedy of Tony Thompson

Tragic.

It is a word usually associated with death and destruction. The loss of a loved one. An accident. A life that comes to a violent end.

It is a powerful word, full of meaning and sudden impact. But the word "tragic" is inadequate when examining the recent events surrounding the death of Tony Thompson.

Some of you will ask, "Who is Tony Thompson?"

That the question has to be asked is a minor tragedy. Tony Thompson was a gifted young rhythm and blues singer. His singing group, Hi-Five, was a hit maker in the early 1990s. Hi-Five helped to popularize a style of music known as New Jack Swing. Bobby Brown remains the genre's most popular artist.

But like so many pop music groups, Hi-Five faded fast when the public's fickle musical tastes changed.

Unfortunately, Tony Thompson fell into the trap of drug addiction. He died June 1, 2007.

Thompson died in his hometown of Waco, Texas. Waco is a city with an ignominious recent history. The Branch Davidian tragedy happened near the city. Two years ago, Baylor University basketball player Carlton Dotson was convicted of murdering teammate Patrick Dennehy.

And now, Tony Thompson is dead at age 31.

The lead singer on the hits songs "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)" and "She's Playing Hard To Get" was found lying next to an air conditioning unit at an apartment complex. Air conditioning units contain Freon, a substance some scientists believe has depleted the earth's ozone layer.

The doctors who performed the autopsy on Tony Thompson concluded that "Freon huffing" caused Thompson's death. Apparently, it was not the first time Thompson huffed Freon.

Tony Thompson's family and friends have another death to grieve. Alice Thompson, Tony's sister, died on August 30 at age 34.

Perhaps the biggest tragedy of all is that many of Thompson's fans do not know he is dead. Such is the disposable nature of American popular culture and mainstream news. Singers are used by corporations to sell CDs, magazines and advertising but are discarded when the hit records cease. When dead, singers no longer in the public eye are a faint blip in pop culture news coverage.