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 between 1985 and 1996, along with three top ten albums on the UK Albums Chart.
O'Neal released his debut album, the eponymousAlexander O'Neal, in 1985. Since then, he has released nine studio albums, six compilation albums and two live albums.
Early life
Alexander O'Neal was born November 15, 1953, in Natchez, Mississippi, United States,[1] just a few months after his father died. After graduating from high school in Natchez, he attended Alcorn State University.[2] At the age of 20, he relocated to Minneapolis, where he performed with several bands including the Mystics and Wynd Chymes.[3][4] He became a member of Enterprise for a brief period before joining Flyte Tyme, a band which included Monte Moir, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[3][4]
Early career
According to Jimmy Jam, In 1980/1981, O'Neal (along with fellow members of the band Flyte Tyme) met with Prince and Morris Day at Perkins restaurant in Minneapolis to discuss forming a band that would be called The Time that would be signed to Prince under the Warner Bros. label. Following a disagreement with Prince, O'Neal was replaced as lead singer by Morris Day.
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.[citation needed]
In 1985, O'Neal released his self-titled debut album under the production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as well as Monte Moir.[5] It included three singles that reached the Top 20 of the R&B Singles Chart. The same year, he also scored his first R&B Top 10 single with "Saturday Love", a duet with Cherrelle from her High Priority 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 UK Singles Chart in early 1986. This UK success continued when "If You Were Here Tonight", which had previously peaked at #81, re-entered the charts to reach #13 in March 1986.[citation needed]
In 1987, O'Neal released the album Hearsay, 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.[6] 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,[7] 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.[citation needed]
In December 1988, O'Neal released a Christmas album, My Gift to You, featuring a cover of "The Christmas Song" that reached the UK Top 40.[7]
In 1991, O'Neal released his fourth album, All True Man.[7] The album was certified gold in the US, with the title track 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.[7]
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, but no singles or albums were released.[8] 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.[9]
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, Saga of a Married Man. The album was produced by former Prince drummer, Bobby Z. In 2005, he recorded his first live album, Alexander O'Neal Live at Hammersmith Apollo, featuring songs from throughout his career.[citation needed]
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 June 2016, O'Neal collaborated with Manchester-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.[citation needed]
In 2017, O'Neal collaborated with Manchester-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 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.[12]
Television
In 2006 O'Neal appeared on the Weakest Link, 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 reality singing contest show Just the Two of Us. In 2008 O'Neal took part in a Wife Swap UK special, swapping his wife Cynthia with broadcaster and TV personality Jilly Goolden. 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. The interview was featured in full in the August 2008 issue of the magazine.[13]
In 2011 the TV One series Unsung profiled O'Neal's rise to fame, along with the story of Cherrelle.[14]
Star honoring Alexander O'Neal on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue
O'Neal was honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[16] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[17] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[18]
Tabu Productions was an American record label founded by Clarence Avant in 1975. It focused on R&B and funk.
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with various artists, most extensively Janet Jackson. They have written 31 top ten hits in the UK and 41 in the US. In 2022, the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category.
Cheryl Anne Norton, 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", "Everything I Miss at Home", and duets with R&B singer Alexander O'Neal such as "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This", as well as "Always" with her cousin Pebbles.
Garry George "Jellybean" Johnson is an American drummer, guitarist, songwriter, producer and musician based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. As the drummer for The Time, Johnson worked alongside famed producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and recorded with and/or produced many notable artists including Alexander O'Neal, Cherrelle, New Edition and Janet Jackson, with whom he had the 1990 #1 single, "Black Cat".
Lo-Key? is an American hip hop/R&B band that formed in Kansas City, Missouri and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their single, "I Got a Thang 4 Ya!" (1993), reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, and No. 27 on the Hot 100.
Sands of Time is the sixth album by the R&B band the S.O.S. Band, released on the Tabu label in April 1986. It was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This would be the last album to feature original lead singer Mary Davis before she left the group to embark on a solo career.
Flyte Tyme was a funk band from Minneapolis that launched the careers of vocalists Cynthia Johnson, Alexander O'Neal and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Many of the group's musicians would later work with Prince. The band's name is a sensational spelling of the phrase "flight time."
Hearsay is the second solo studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It was released on July 29, 1987 by Tabu and Epic as the follow-up to O'Neal's critically and commercially successful studio album Alexander O'Neal (1985). Hearsay explores similar genres to those of Alexander O'Neal including pop, R&B, soul, post-disco, funk, and adult contemporary music, while also incorporating a newer genre, new jack swing. The songs were recorded from 1986 to 1987 in sessions that took place at Flyte Time Productions, Inc. Studio A & B in Minneapolis, Minnesota, assisted by R&B songwriting and record production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It features contributions from guest musicians, including Cherrelle, David Eiland, and Lisa Keith, and is generally regarded as the culmination of the smoother, more adult-oriented sound of O'Neal's early work.
"Saturday Love" is a song performed by American R&B singers Cherrelle and Alexander O'Neal. The song was written and produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and was released in October 1985. It peaked at No. 2 on the US R&B chart and became a moderate pop hit peaking at No. 26 on the US Hot 100 in the spring of 1986. It reached No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart, and No. 7 on the Irish Singles Chart. The song appeared on Cherrelle's gold album, High Priority on Tabu Records and included an extended spoken dialogue introduction skit set in a bar.
"Never Knew Love Like This" is a top ten US R&B 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 Billboard Hot 100.
"The Lovers" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the fourth single from the singer's second solo album, Hearsay (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Cherrelle and Lisa Keith. Following the successful chart performances of the Hearsay singles "Fake", "Criticize", and "Never Knew Love Like This", "The Lovers" was released as the album's fourth single.
"(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the fifth single from the singer's second solo album, Hearsay (1987). The song's distinctive backing vocals were performed by Lisa Keith. Following the successful chart performances of the Hearsay singles "Fake", "Criticize", "Never Knew Love Like This", and "The Lovers", "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" was released as the album's fifth single.
"Fake" is a song written by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and recorded by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It is the first single from the O'Neal's second studio album, Hearsay (1987). It is one of the artist's most recognizable signature songs, and a favorite of many O'Neal fans worldwide.
Fragile is the debut studio album by American singer Cherrelle. It was released on April 8, 1984 by Tabu Records and was the first of four records for the label.
Just the Way You Like It is the fifth album released by the R&B band The S.O.S. Band on the Tabu label in August 1984. It was produced mostly by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with additional production from the band themselves.
Affair is the third studio album by American singer Cherrelle. Released on October 19, 1988, by Tabu Records, It reached #15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart; and #106 on Billboard Top 200. It spawned the #1 R&B hit "Everything I Miss at Home," which is Cherrelle's only #1 on that chart to date. It would also be her last album with long-time producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.
Alexander O'Neal is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. It was originally released in 1985 by Tabu and Epic. The songs were recorded during 1984 to 1985 in sessions that took place at Creation Audio in Minnesota, and Larrabee Sound in Los Angeles, California, assisted by R&B songwriting and record production team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
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 two, though sales did not reach the levels of his previous album, Hearsay.
Love Makes No Sense is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal. The album was O'Neal's final release for Tabu, and his first album made without formal production from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.
This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal is a compilation album by American recording artist Alexander O'Neal, released in 1992 by Tabu Records. It includes tracks from three of O'Neal's previous studio albums: Alexander O'Neal (1985), Hearsay (1987) and All True Man (1991).
1 2 Ebony Man: EM. Vol.6. Johnson Publishing Company, Incorporated. November 1990. p.72. UP-FRONT Alexander O'Neal the All True Man Returns in much the same fashion that legendary Motown singer Marvin Gaye ... Upon finishing high school in Natchez, he attended predominantly Black Alcorn State University in Lorman, Mississippi, before moving to . [...] In 1984, he inked a contract with Tabu/Epic Records, and the rest, as they say, is history.
1 2 Robert E. Rosenthal; Portia K. Maultsby (1985). Who's who in Black music. Edwards Print. Co. p.180. Performed with local bands The Mystics, Wynd Chymes, Enterprise, and Flyte Tyme before joining he Time under Prince's direction. The Time recorded "Ice Cream Castles," "The Bird," and "Jungle Walk." O'Neal then formed Alexander, ...
1 2 Adam White; Fred Bronson (1993). The Billboard Book of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits. Billboard Books. p.393. ISBN978-0-8230-8285-8. O'Neal was born in Natchez, Mississippi, but moved to Minneapolis when he was 20. He joined a ... After being replaced as lead vocalist by Morris Day, he formed a rock and roll band called Alexander. [...] O'Neal spent a short time in a group called Enterprise before being recruited into Flyte Tyme, a band that included Jam and Lewis as well as Monte Moir.
↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 9, 1985. p.33. ISSN0006-2510. Alexander O'Neal's self-titled debut on Epic-distributed Tabu Records is quite impressive. ... Bred lo install Morris Day as lead singer of The Time, has a strong, masculine voice that is well produced by the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis team with the aid of another ex-Time member, Monte Moir
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