| Alexander O'Neal | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alexander O'Neal |
| Born | November 15, 1953 |
| Origin | Natchez, Mississippi, United States |
| Genres | R&B/Soul |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1984- |
| Labels | Tabu Records (1984-1993) One World Records (1996-2001) Eagle Records (2001-2003) Eminence Records (2005-2008) |
| Associated acts |
Prince |
Alexander O'Neal (born November 15, 1953 in Natchez, Mississippi) is an American R&B singer. He is best known for the songs "If You Were Here Tonight" and "Fake", and the duets with Cherrelle, "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This".
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O'Neal was born in Natchez, Mississippi, but moved to Minneapolis when he was 20. He is an alumnus of Alcorn State University. He joined a group called "The Mystics" and played the local coverband circuit. O'Neal spent a short time in a group "Enterprise" before being recruited into Flyte Tyme, a band that included Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Monte Moir.
Later signed by Prince to the Warner Bros. label with their name changed to The Time, a disagreement with Prince led to O'Neal leaving the band and being replaced as lead singer by Morris Day. Allmusic profiler John Floyd asserts that O'Neal was ousted for "looking 'too black'",[1] though the real reason was there wasn't enough money in it for O'Neal.
O'Neal immediately formed a rock and roll band called Alexander and recorded a 12" single, "Playroom," for a Chicago-based independent label, followed by the release of "Attitude" on the Rich Records Label. Three years later, in 1984, O'Neal signed a deal with Clarence Avant's Tabu Records. He did some backing vocals for other artists on the same label, including The SOS Band and Cherrelle.
O'Neal released his eponymous debut album in 1985. It included three singles that reached the top twenty of the R&B Singles Chart. He also scored his first R&B top ten single with "Saturday Love", a duet with Cherrelle. The song peaked at #2. It also reached the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #6.
In 1987, he released the album titled Hearsay. It yielded the #25 pop and #1 R&B single "Fake". The song also peaked at #7 on the dance chart. The follow-up, "Criticize", peaked at #4 R&B and #70 pop. It also peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart. The third single, "Never Knew Love Like This", another duet with Cherrelle, peaked at #2 R&B and #28 pop.
In 1991, he released his third album, All True Man. The album's title single reached #5 on the R&B chart and #45 on the pop chart. In 1992, his first greatest hits album, This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal, was a top ten album in the UK.
In 1993, his final album with the Tabu label, Love Makes No Sense, was released. It was the first album made without production from Jam and Lewis. In 1995, another greatest hits compilation, The Best of Alexander O'Neal, was released.
In 1996, his first album with One World Records, Lovers Again, was released. In 2001, he released an album with 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. It is a collection of many of his songs from throughout his career.
In 2006 O'Neal appeared on The Weakest Link All Singing All Dancing Edition. He was the 5th one voted off. O'Neal participated on the reality British reality singing contest show Just the Two of Us in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he released Alex Loves, his first studio album in six years. 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 O'Neal being interviewed in-depth by noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul. The interview was featured in full in the August 2008 issue of the magazine.[2]
In 2011, the TVOne series Unsung profiled his rise to fame, along with the story of Cherrelle.[3]
| Year | Album | Chart positions [4][5] |
US certifications [6] |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK | ||||
| 1985 | Alexander O'Neal | 92 | 21 | 19 | — | Tabu |
| 1987 | Hearsay | 29 | 2 | 4 | Gold | |
| 1988 | My Gift to You | 149 | 54 | 53 | — | |
| 1991 | All True Man | 49 | 3 | 2 | Gold | |
| 1993 | Love Makes No Sense | 89 | 18 | 14 | — | |
| 1996 | Lovers Again | — | — | — | — | One World |
| 2002 | Saga of a Married Man | — | — | — | — | Eagle |
| 2008 | Alex Loves | — | — | 49 | — | EMI |
| 2010 | Five Questions: The New Journey | — | — | — | — | CC Ent. |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | ||||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions [4][5] |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK | |||
| 2005 | Live at the Hammersmith Apollo - London | — | — | — | Eminence |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
| Year | Album | Chart positions [4][5] |
Record label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
UK | |||
| 1989 | All Mixed Up | 185 | 67 | — | Tabu |
| 1992 | Twelve Inch Mixes | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal | — | 89 | 4 | |
| 1995 | The Best of Alexander O'Neal | — | 76 | — | |
| 2004 | Greatest Hits | — | 59 | 12 | |
| 2011 | Icon | — | — | — | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | |||||
| Year | Single | Chart positions [4][5] |
Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Dance |
UK | |||
| 1985 | "Innocent" | 101 | 11 | — | — | Alexander O'Neal |
| "If You Were Here Tonight" | — | 17 | — | 13 | ||
| "A Broken Heart Can Mend" | — | 62 | — | 96 | ||
| "Saturday Love" (with Cherrelle) | 26 | 2 | 13 | 6 | High Priority | |
| 1986 | "If You Were Here Tonight" (remix) | — | — | — | 81 | Non-album single |
| "What's Missing" | — | 8 | 40 | 90 | Alexander O'Neal | |
| "A Broken Heart Can Mend" (remix) | — | — | — | 53 | Non-album single | |
| "You Were Meant to Be My Lady (Not My Girl)" | — | — | — | 98 | Alexander O'Neal | |
| 1987 | "Fake" | 25 | 1 | 7 | 33 | Hearsay |
| "Criticize" | 70 | 4 | 21 | 4 | ||
| 1988 | "Never Knew Love Like This" (with Cherrelle) | 28 | 2 | — | 26 | |
| "The Lovers" | — | 41 | — | 28 | ||
| "Fake '88" | — | — | — | 16 | All Mixed Up | |
| "The Christmas Song"/"Thank You for a Good Year" | — | — | — | 30 | My Gift to You | |
| 1989 | "Hearsay '89" | — | — | — | 56 | Hearsay |
| "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me" | — | 68 | 32 | 27 | ||
| "Sunshine" | — | — | — | 72 | ||
| "Hit Mix (The Official Bootleg Megamix)" | — | — | — | 19 | Non-album single | |
| 1990 | "Saturday Love" (Feelin' Luv Mix) (with Cherrelle) | — | — | — | 55 | |
| 1991 | "All True Man" | 43 | 5 | — | 18 | All True Man |
| "What Is This Thing Called Love?" | — | 21 | 10 | 53 | ||
| "Shame on Me" | — | — | — | 71 | ||
| "The Yoke (G.U.O.T.R.)" | — | 73 | — | — | ||
| 1992 | "Sentimental" | — | — | — | 53 | |
| 1993 | "Love Makes No Sense" | 108 | 13 | 45 | 26 | Love Makes No Sense |
| "In the Middle" | — | 26 | — | 32 | ||
| "Aphrodisia" | — | 48 | — | — | ||
| "All That Matters to Me" | — | — | — | 67 | ||
| 1996 | "Let's Get Together" | — | — | — | 38 | Lovers Again |
| 1997 | "Baby Come to Me" (with Cherrelle) | — | — | — | 56 | |
| 1998 | "Lovers Again" | — | 54 | — | — | |
| "Grind" | — | 83 | — | — | ||
| "Criticize '98 Mix" | — | — | — | 51 | Non-album single | |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||