(December 6, 2025) A longtime SoulTracks favorite artist and his wife experienced a tragedy yesterday, as Alexander O’Neal and his wife, Cynthia were transported to the hospital after a fire broke out at their apartment complex in Burnsville, Minnesota. Local television station KARE Channel 11 first reported the story. As of the time of this writing, there has been no update on the condition of the O’Neals, and no definitive word on the cause of the fire.
While the television station appeared to have limited knowledge of O’Neal, he is, of course, soul music royalty, particularly as a part of the emergence of Minneapolis as an R&B and funk hub.
Born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1953, O’Neal moved North at age 20 and took odd jobs in Chicago and Philadelphia during the day, while singing in a number of bands at night. He ultimately would up in Minneapolis and became the lead singer of the group Flyte Tyme, which also included future stars Jam, Lewis and Jesse Johnson (of course, Jam and Lewis later named their famed production company Flyte Tyme). The emergence of singer Morris Day combined with personal issues led to O’Neal’s dismissal from the group when it was renamed the Time and was mentored to success by Prince.
After briefly forming his own rock group Alexander and releasing an independent solo album in the early 80s, O’Neal, with the help of old friends Jam and Lewis, signed with Tabu Records and recorded a legitimate national solo debut that focused largely on his powerful vocals fronting a basketful of rhythmic ballads and midtempos written by the production duo. The marvelous single “If You Were Here Tonight” became a soul smash and, with the solid follow-up “A Broken Heart Can Mend,” led the album to the Top 20. Between albums, O’Neal scored even bigger with his duet with Cherelle (another Jam/Lewis singer), “Saturday Love.”
O’Neal hit his personal peak on his second Tabu album, Hearsay, a monster disc that included his biggest solo hit, the jumpy dance number “Fake,” as well as the hits “Criticize” and the duet with Cherelle “Never Knew Love Like This.” After a Christmas album, he shot back to the top of the Soul charts in 1991 with All True Man, which yielded big hits with the title cut and “What’s This Thing Called Love.”
While O’Neal’s popularity in the US waned in the 1990s, he continued to have a solid following in the UK, where he spent much of the next several years touring. He has since recorded several albums and performed regularly around the world. In early 2023, O’Neal announced his Farewell Tour, where he said goodbye to his fans as a touring artist.
We wish the absolute best for both Alexander and Cynthia and their home as they recover from this tragic event.
By Chris Rizik
