Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...

. O'Neal came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a solo artist, with eleven Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart, three of which also reached the Top 40 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. However, he enjoyed more mainstream success in the United Kingdom, achieving fourteen Top 40 singles on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

between 1985 and 1996, along with three top ten albums on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. His solo singles, sometimes dealing with lost love, include "

If You Were Here Tonight "If You Were Here Tonight" is a song written by Monte Moir and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the second single from the singer's self-titled debut solo album, ''Alexander O'Neal'' (1985). Following the successful ch ...

", "

Fake Fake may refer to: * Deception, an act or a statement intended to deceive ** Charlatan, a person who practices deception to obtain money or other advantages ** Counterfeit, a reproduction of an item, intended to deceive ** Cover-up, an attempt to ...

", "

Criticize Criticize or Criticise may refer to: * Criticize, the action of criticism Criticism is the construction of a judgement about the negative qualities of someone or something. Criticism can range from impromptu comments to a written detailed respon ...

", "

The Lovers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

", " (What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me", "

All True Man '' All True Man'' is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. The album was a success in the UK, peaking at number 2, though sales did not reach the levels of his previous album, ''Hearsay''. On release, the album ...

", " Love Makes No Sense" and " In the Middle". He is also known for duets with

Tabu Tabu may refer to: Cultural and legal concepts *Taboo (spelled ''tabu'' in earlier historical records), something that is unacceptable in society *Tapu (Polynesian culture) (also spelled ''tabu''), a Polynesian cultural concept from which the wor ...

labelmate

Cherrelle Cheryl Anne Norton (born October 13, 1958), better known by her stage name Cherrelle, is an American R&B singer and songwriter who gained fame in the mid-1980s. Her signature hits include "I Didn't Mean to Turn You On", "Where Do I Run To", " Ev ...

such as "

Saturday Love "Saturday Love" is a song performed by American R&B singers Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal. It was released in October 1985 in music, 1985. The song peaked at #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, US R&B chart and became a moderate pop hit peaking at ...

" and "

Never Knew Love Like This "Never Knew Love Like This" is a top ten US R&B hit, and a top ten UK hit song duetted by American R&B singers Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal; released in 1988. The song peaked at #2 in the US R&B chart, #26 in the UK and #28 in the ''Billboar ...

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

described O'Neal as having a "tough voice

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

has the same grain and range as that of

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

Early life

Alexander O'Neal was born November 15, 1953, in

, United States, just a few months after his father died. After graduating from high school in Natchez, he attended

Alcorn State University Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. O ...

. At the age of 20, he relocated to Minneapolis, where he performed with several bands including the Mystics and Wynd Chymes. He became a member of Enterprise for a brief period before joining Flyte Tyme, a band which included

Monte Moir Monte Moir (born September 10, 1958) is an American songwriter, producer and musician best known as the keyboardist of Morris Day's band The Time and songwriter of many notable American artists. Biography Monte Moir is the original and current ...

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...

. O'Neal released his debut album, the

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous ''

Alexander O'Neal Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi. O'Neal came to prominence in the mid-1980s as a solo artist, with eleven Top 40 singles on the US R&B chart, three of whic ...

'', in 1985. Since then, he has released nine studio albums, six compilation albums and two live albums.

Early career

According to

Jimmy Jam Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...

, In 1980/1981 O'Neal (along with fellow members of the band Flyte Tyme) met with

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

and

Morris Day Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time. Music career Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a group associated with Prince. Day and Pri ...

at Perkins restaurant in Minneapolis to discuss forming a band that would be called The Time that would be signed to

under the

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

label. Following a disagreement with Prince, O'Neal was replaced as lead singer by

. O'Neal subsequently formed an R&B band called Alexander and recorded a couple 12" singles, "Do You Dare/Playroom" and "Attitude" for a Chicago area independent label, based in Merrillville, Indiana, called Erect Records. In 1984 O'Neal signed a deal with

Clarence Avant Clarence Alexander Avant (born February 25, 1931) is an American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer, who also went by the name of "The Black Godfather". Avant's 75th birthday was celebrated by ''Billboard'' in its February 2006 is ...

Tabu Records Tabu Productions was an American record label founded by Clarence Avant in 1975. The label, Tabu Records, focused on R&B and funk. Founding Avant founded the label after Sussex Records went out of business in June 1975. Tabu Record's flagship ...

. He did some backing vocals for other artists on the same label, including

The S.O.S. Band The S.O.S. Band (sometimes written as S.O.S. Band; abbreviation for Sounds of Success) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B and Boogie (genre), electro-funk musical ensemble, group who gained fame in the 1980s. They are best known for the songs ...

and

1985–present: solo career

In 1985, O'Neal released his self-titled debut album under the production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as well as Monte Moir. It included three singles that reached the Top 20 of the

R&B Singles Chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

. The same year, he also scored his first R&B Top 10 single with "

", a duet with

from her ''

High Priority ''High Priority'' is the second studio album by United States, American singer Cherrelle. Released on October 20, 1985, it reached #9 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart and #36 on the Billboard 200. It generated Cherrelle's biggest pop hit with ...

'' album. The song peaked at #2 on the R&B chart and #26 on the pop chart, while also beginning a string of UK hit singles for O'Neal by peaking at #6 on the

in early 1986. This UK success continued when "

", which had previously peaked at #81, re-entered the charts to reach #13 in March 1986. In 1987, O'Neal released the album ''

Hearsay Hearsay evidence, in a legal forum, is testimony from an under-oath witness who is reciting an out-of-court statement, the content of which is being offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. In most courts, hearsay evidence is inadmis ...

'', which was certified gold in the US and yielded his biggest US hit in "Fake", which topped the R&B chart and reached #25 on the pop chart. The song also peaked at #7 on the Billboard dance chart. The follow-up single, "Criticize", peaked at #4 on the R&B chart and #70 on the pop chart. The third single, "Never Knew Love Like This", another duet with Cherrelle, peaked at #2 on the R&B chart and #28 on the pop chart. However, by this time O'Neal was enjoying much greater success in the UK, where ''Hearsay'' peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart, eventually being certified triple platinum and spawning six Top 40 hits on the UK Singles Chart. The most successful of these gave O'Neal his biggest UK hit when "Criticize" peaked at #4 on the chart in late 1987. "Fake" became a UK Top 40 hit twice, first in 1987 followed by a remix ("Fake '88") in 1988. The "Hit Mix" (a megamix of O'Neal's hits) also reached the UK Top 20 in December 1989. In December 1988 O'Neal released a Christmas album, '' My Gift to You'', featuring a cover of "

The Christmas Song "The Christmas Song" (commonly subtitled "Chestnuts Roasting by an Open Fire" or, as it was originally subtitled, "Merry Christmas to You") is a classic Christmas song written in 1945 by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé. The Nat King Cole Trio f ...

" that reached the UK Top 40. In 1991, O'Neal released his fourth album, ''

''. The album was certified gold in the US, with the

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...

reaching #5 on the R&B chart and #43 on the pop chart. The album became his highest charting release in the UK, reaching #2 and going gold, although it ultimately sold fewer copies than ''Hearsay''. The title track reached #18 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1992, his first greatest hits album, '' This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal'', became another Top 5 success in the UK. In 1993, O'Neal's final album with the Tabu label, '' Love Makes No Sense'', was released. This was the first album made without production from Jam and Lewis. Although it reached the UK Top 20 and two singles from the album reached the UK Top 40, sales were not as strong as his earlier releases. After leaving Tabu O'Neal signed for

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

, but no singles or albums were released. In 1995, another greatest hits compilation, ''The Best of Alexander O'Neal'', was released. A year later the compilation was re-released with three added tracks from O'Neal's short period with Motown. In 1996, his first album with One World Records, '' Lovers Again'', was released. The album did not chart in the UK, though the single "Let's Get Together" reached the UK Top 40. In 2001, he released an album on

Eagle Records Eagle Records is a British record label, a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. In the United Kingdom, the label's managing director is Lindsay Brown, former manager of Van Halen, while in the Un ...

, '' Saga of a Married Man''. The album was produced by former Prince drummer,

Bobby Z. Robert B. Rivkin (born January 9, 1956), better known by the stage name Bobby Z., is an American musician and record producer, most known as being the original drummer for Prince's backing band The Revolution from 1978 to 1986. Life and ca ...

In 2005, he recorded his first live album, ''Alexander O'Neal Live at Hammersmith Apollo'', featuring songs from throughout his career. In 2008, O'Neal released '' Alex Loves...'', his first studio album in six years. The album peaked at #49 in the UK, and was his first charting album of new material in 15 years. In 2014, O'Neal signed a new management deal wit
Howard Perl Management
(Beverly Hills), which awarded him extensive tours and a cast member o
Celebrity Big Brother
In June 2016, O'Neal collaborated with

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

-based funk band, Mamma Freedom, on the single, "Fake", a re-recording of his 1987 single of the same name. The single was released shortly before O'Neal embarked upon a UK tour, with Mamma Freedom providing support. In 2017, O'Neal collaborated with

-based funk band Mamma Freedom on the album "Hearsay30", a re-recording of his 1987 album. The album was released on December 1, 2017. In 2019, O'Neal made an appearance alongside

at the

Soul Train Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...

to pay tribute to long-time collaborators

. In 2021, O'Neal made an appearance alongside Whyso, O'Mega Red, and J Dore of The High Children on "Say His Name," a song dedicated to the memory of

George Floyd George Perry Floyd Jr. (October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020) was an African-American man who was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during an arrest made after a store clerk suspected Floyd may have used a counterfeit twe ...

Television

In 2006 O'Neal appeared on the ''

Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...

, All Singing All Dancing Edition'', where he was the 5th contestant voted off the show. In 2006 and 2007, O'Neal participated on the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

reality singing contest show ''

Just the Two of Us Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...

''. In 2008 O'Neal took part in a '' Wife Swap'' UK special, swapping his wife Cynthia with broadcaster and TV personality

Jilly Goolden Jill Priscilla Goolden (born 28 September 1949) is an English wine critic, journalist and television personality. Career For 18 years Goolden co-presented the popular BBC2 ''Food and Drink'' television series in Britain, with Chris Kelly, Mic ...

. The programme included an in-depth interview with O'Neal by noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning magazine ''

Blues & Soul ''Blues & Soul'' is a British music magazine, established in 1967 by John Abbey. ''The Independent'' has noted ''Blues & Soul'' as being the equal of magazines such as ''NME'' and '' Q''. ''Billboard'' magazine has called ''Blues & Soul'' "a r ...

''. The interview was featured in full in the August 2008 issue of the magazine. In 2011 the TV One series '' Unsung'' profiled O'Neal's rise to fame, along with the story of Cherrelle. In 2015 O'Neal took part in the Channel 5 reality series ''

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

''. On Day 12, O'Neal decided to leave the show.

Honors and awards

O'Neal was honored with a star on the outside mural of the

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.

Discography

Studio albums * ''

'' (1985) * ''

'' (1987) * '' My Gift to You'' (1988) * ''

'' (1991) * '' Love Makes No Sense'' (1993) * '' Lovers Again'' (1996) * '' Saga of a Married Man'' (2002) * '' Alex Loves...'' (2008) * '' Five Questions: The New Journey'' (2010) * ''Hearsay 30'' (2017)

Tours

* '' 30 Years of Hearsay Tour'' (2017)

References

External links

Official siteOfficial Facebook Page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oneal, Alexander 1953 births Living people Alcorn State University alumni American emigrants to England American funk singers American soul musicians EMI Records artists Musicians from Minneapolis Musicians from Natchez, Mississippi The S.O.S. Band American contemporary R&B singers African-American male singer-songwriters 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers Singer-songwriters from Mississippi Singer-songwriters from Minnesota