The ’90s gave us some spectacular R&B music groups. While some are still entertaining fans with reunions and comeback projects, others have unfortunately disbanded and even had members pass away. Let’s take a look back at some icon ’90s groups and the members they have lost.
Hi-Five were a staple on urban radio in 1990. Their hit record, “Kissing Game,” dominated the airways and made them overnight successes and teen heartthrobs. The group featured members from Waco, Texas, and The Bronx, NY, including Tony Thompson and Roderick “Pooh” Clark. Thompson would be the group’s first tragic loss in 2007. His body was discovered near an air-conditioning unit outside of an apartment complex in Waco, TX. He was later determined to have died from “toxic effects of chlorodifluoromethane,” or inhaling a toxic amount of freon. Pooh would lose his life in April of 2022, with the group announcing his passing on their official IG page. No cause of death was announced. He was only 49.
Brownstone are known for their hit “If You Love Me,” a Grammy-nominated song that found new life through Tory Lanez’s record “Say It” in recent years. The group lost member Charmayne Maxwell in 2015 after a mysterious fall claimed her life. She was attending a soccer game in Los Angeles when she accidentally slipped and fell. Her group members took to social media to mourn, saying, “my sister died in the most tragic way.” She left behind her husband, Danish music producer Carsten Soulshock and son Nicolaj.
702 are known to the world as a trio, but the music group was actually a quartet initially. The Grinstead sisters formed the foundation of the group, with twins Irish and Orish at its core. Eventually, Orish would be removed from the group under the guidance of mentor Michael Bivins of New Edition, and the remaining sisters would be joined by Kameelah Williams, going on to achieve great success. Orish would pass in 2008 after succumbing to Kidney failure at the age of 27.
H-Town’s hit record “Knockin’ The Boots” made them R&B stars in the early ’90s Under the direction of 2 Live Crew’s Luther “Luke” Campbell. Lead singer Keven Conner, aka Dino, would go on to enjoy success for several years before things fizzled out for the trio. Despite this, H-Town was rumored to be in the midst of a reunion album and comeback when Dino was struck by an SUV in 2003 while driving home from a session. Dino’s baby mother would go on to marry Joe Rogan, who eventually adopted Dino’s daughter and has been raising her as his own.
TLC were on top of the world in the ’90s and early 2000s before in-fighting threatened to disband them forever. Unfortunately, the girls never got to publicly resolve their issues as they would lose rapper Lisa Left Eye Lopes in 2002. Lopes was in Honduras, where she was doing a spiritual retreat while filming a documentary. While driving, she swerved to avoid an oncoming truck but veered off the road, flipping several times before hitting a tree. Lopes reportedly died immediately and was the only casualty of the crash.
Troop scored a number of hits in the early ’90s, including “Spread My Wings” and “All I Do Is Think of You.” The Pasadena-based group would go on to do extensive work behind the scenes, providing songwriting and backing vocals for everyone from Chris Brown to B2K to Jordin Sparks. In 2021 the music group lost founding member Reggie Warren. Warren had reportedly been battling an illness and eventually could not fight any longer. He was 52.
Cedrick “Swab” Cotton was a member of Ideal. The group is known for their song “Inner City Blues” off the soundtrack of Original Gangstas in 1996. They experienced some success throughout the decade but eventually faded out of the public eye. Cotton was riding his back last year in his neighborhood when his life was taken by an unidentified person in February. He was only 45.
Melvin Edmonds was a member of After 7 and brother to music icon Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. After 7 was formed in the late ’80s and found immediate success with their first 2 albums going platinum. Melvin had been battling an unknown illness for some time and eventually lost his battle in May of 2021. His son took to social media to break the news. “Melvin was, without any doubt, the ‘Soul’ of After 7,” the music group said via their official Facebook page.
P.M Dawn was an alternative R&B Group that managed to score a big hit in the ’90s with “Set Adrift On Memory Bliss.” They followed this up with the critically acclaimed “Die Without You” of the Boomerang soundtrack. Attrell Cordes served up the duo’s signature vocals. He would pass at the age of 46 after struggling with kidney disease in 2016. They Jersey native was survived by his wife and children.
Blaque were the proteges of the late Lisa Left Eye Lopes. The group had a similar format to TLC, with two R&B vocalists and a rapper. Natina Reed was the personality of the trio and is fondly remembered for her bars and bubbly persona, which shined through her cameo in Bring It On. Like her mentor, Reed would be the victim of a car accident. She was reportedly struck by a car while crossing the street in Atlanta in 2012. She was survived by one child that she shared with rapper Korrupt.
What was your favorite ’90s group? Any lost members we missed?
