Alexander O'Neal
Encyclopedia
Alexander O'Neal is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

 singer. He is best-known for the songs "If You Were Here Tonight
If You Were Here Tonight
"If You Were Here Tonight" was Alexander O'Neal's first successful hit in the UK, reaching #13 in the UK Singles Chart and also his second R&B hit, reaching #17 in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It is featured on his self-titled 1st album along with two other R&B hits, "Innocent" and "What's...

" and "Fake
Fake
Fake means not real.Fake may also refer to:In music:* Fake , a Swedish synthpop band active in the 1980s*Fake?, a Japanese rock band* Fake , 2010 song by Ai featuring Namie Amuro...

", and the duets with Cherrelle
Cherrelle
Cheryl Anne Norton, better known by her stage name, Cherrelle , is an American R&B singer who gained fame in the 1980s...

, "Saturday Love
Saturday Love
"Saturday Love" was 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 1985...

" and "Never Knew Love Like This
Never Knew Love Like This (Alexander O'Neal & Cherrelle song)
"Never Knew Love Like This" was a successful hit for Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle in 1988, reaching #2 in the US R&B chart, #26 in the UK and #28 in the Billboard Hot 100....

".

Biography

O'Neal was born in Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...

, but moved to Minneapolis when he was 20. He is an alumnus of Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...

. 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
Flyte Tyme (band)
The band known as Flyte Tyme began life as a Minneapolis funk unit, taking its name from the Donald Byrd song. The group featured Alexander O'Neal on vocals, Jellybean Johnson on drums, Tony Johnson on lead guitar, Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Monte Moir on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass. It also had...

, a band that included Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...

 and Monte Moir
Monte Moir
Monte Moir is the original and current keyboardist for The Time, as well as songwriter and producer for Janet Jackson, Alexander O'Neal, Gladys Knight, the Deja duo and Lolly Pop. He is also credited for working with Prince, Vanity 6, Deniece Williams, Thelma Houston and various other artists...

.

Later signed by Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

 to the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...

 label with their name changed to The Time
The Time (band)
The Time is a funk and dance-pop ensemble formed in 1981. They are close Prince associates and arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him.-Prince, Formation and Success:...

, a disagreement with Prince led to O'Neal leaving the band and being replaced as lead singer by Morris Day
Morris Day
Morris E. Day is an American musician and composer. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time.-1970s and 1980s:...

. Allmusic profiler John Floyd asserts that O'Neal was ousted for "looking 'too black'", 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
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

-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
Clarence Avant
Clarence Avant is an American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer. He was also known as the Godfather of Black Music.Avant's 75th birthday was celebrated by Billboard magazine, on its February 2006 issue....

's Tabu Records
Tabu Records
Tabu Productions was an American record label founded by Clarence Avant in 1975. The label focused on R&B and funk.-Founding:Avant founded the label after Sussex Records went out of business in June 1975. Tabu's flagship release, “Stormin'” by Brainstorm, was released in 1977...

. He did some backing vocals for other artists on the same label, including The SOS Band
The SOS Band
The SOS Band is an American musical ensemble, founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1977. Originally known as Santa Monica, the 'SOS' initialism in the band's name stands for Sounds of Success.-History:...

 and Cherrelle
Cherrelle
Cheryl Anne Norton, better known by her stage name, Cherrelle , is an American R&B singer who gained fame in the 1980s...

.

O'Neal released his self-titled debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 in 1985. It included three singles that reached the top twenty of the R&B Singles Chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

. He also scored his first R&B top ten single with "Saturday Love
Saturday Love
"Saturday Love" was 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 1985...

", a duet with Cherrelle
Cherrelle
Cheryl Anne Norton, better known by her stage name, Cherrelle , is an American R&B singer who gained fame in the 1980s...

. The song peaked at #2. It also reached the top ten of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

, peaking at #6.

In 1987, he released the album titled Hearsay
Hearsay (album)
Hearsay is a 1986 album by R&B musician Alexander O'Neal. The album peaked at #29 on the "Billboard 200" and reached #2 on "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". The album launched seven charting singles in the UK...

. 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
Cherrelle
Cheryl Anne Norton, better known by her stage name, Cherrelle , is an American R&B singer who gained fame in the 1980s...

, 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
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 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
Wife Swap
Wife Swap is a reality television program, originally produced by UK independent television production company RDF Media and created by Stephen Lambert. It was first broadcast in 2003 on the UK's Channel 4. Since 2004, a US version has also been broadcast on the ABC network...

 UK special, swapping his wife Cynthia with broadcaster and TV personality Jilly Goolden
Jilly Goolden
Jilly Goolden is a British wine critic, journalist and television personality.-Education:Goolden was educated at an independent convent school ,-Career:...

.

The programme included O'Neal being interviewed in-depth by noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul
Blues & Soul is a British music magazine covering black music. Genres covered include soul, R&B, jazz, hip hop, reggae and world music. It was first published in 1966 and is known for first using the term Northern Soul....

. The interview was featured in full in the August 2008 issue of the magazine.

In 2011, the TVOne series Unsung
Unsung (TV series)
Unsung, is an hour-long music documentary program that airs on TV One. Premiering in the fall of 2008, the series uncovers the stories behind once well-known R&B and soul music artists, bands or groups who exploded onto the Billboard music charts with a string of hits, only to have their career...

 profiled his rise to fame, along with the story of Cherrelle
Cherrelle
Cheryl Anne Norton, better known by her stage name, Cherrelle , is an American R&B singer who gained fame in the 1980s...

.

Studio albums

Year Album Chart positions
US
certifications
Record label
US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

US
R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

1985 Alexander O'Neal 92 21 19 Tabu
Tabu Records
Tabu Productions was an American record label founded by Clarence Avant in 1975. The label focused on R&B and funk.-Founding:Avant founded the label after Sussex Records went out of business in June 1975. Tabu's flagship release, “Stormin'” by Brainstorm, was released in 1977...

1986 Hearsay
Hearsay (album)
Hearsay is a 1986 album by R&B musician Alexander O'Neal. The album peaked at #29 on the "Billboard 200" and reached #2 on "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". The album launched seven charting singles in the UK...

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
Eagle Records
Eagle Records is a leading independent record label, a division of Edel Records. Also exists as Eagle Rock Entertainment.In the United Kingdom the label's managing director is Lindsay Brown, former manager of Van Halen, while in the United States the head is Mike Carden, formerly of CMC...

2008 Alex Loves 49 EMI
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...

2010 Five Questions: The New Journey CC Ent.
"—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified

Live albums

Year Album Chart positions
Record label
US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

US
R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

2005 Live at the Hammersmith Apollo - London Eminence
"—" denotes the album failed to chart

Compilation albums

Year Album Chart positions
Record label
US
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

US
R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...

UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...

1989 All Mixed Up 185 67 Tabu
Tabu Records
Tabu Productions was an American record label founded by Clarence Avant in 1975. The label focused on R&B and funk.-Founding:Avant founded the label after Sussex Records went out of business in June 1975. Tabu's flagship release, “Stormin'” by Brainstorm, was released in 1977...

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
Greatest Hits (Alexander O'Neal album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits compilation by Alexander O'Neal, released on 23 August 2004. The album contains 15 of his biggest hits to date.- Track listing :# "Never Knew Love Like This" – 5:16# "Innocent / Alex 9000 / Innocent II" – 10:33...

59 12
2011 Icon
"—" denotes the album failed to chart

Singles

Year Single Chart positions
Album
US
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

US
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

US
Dance
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...

UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

1985 "Innocent
Innocent (Alexander O'Neal song)
"Innocent" was Alexander O'Neal's first ever R&B hit, reaching #11 in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It is featured in his self-titled first album along with the other R&B hits, "What's Missing" and "If You Were Here Tonight"....

"
101 11 Alexander O'Neal
"If You Were Here Tonight
If You Were Here Tonight
"If You Were Here Tonight" was Alexander O'Neal's first successful hit in the UK, reaching #13 in the UK Singles Chart and also his second R&B hit, reaching #17 in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It is featured on his self-titled 1st album along with two other R&B hits, "Innocent" and "What's...

"
17 13
"A Broken Heart Can Mend" 62 96
"Saturday Love
Saturday Love
"Saturday Love" was 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 1985...

" (with Cherrelle
Cherrelle
Cheryl Anne Norton, better known by her stage name, Cherrelle , is an American R&B singer who gained fame in the 1980s...

)
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
Fake (Alexander O'Neal song)
"Fake" is a 1987 single by Alexander O'Neal. The single was O'Neal's most successful song on both soul and pop charts. "Fake" went to number one on the Hot Black Singles chart for two weeks, and peaked at number twenty-five on the Hot 100. The single was also O'Neal's most successful single on...

"
25 1 7 33 Hearsay
"Criticize
Criticize (song)
"Criticize" is Alexander O'Neal's biggest UK hit to date.Released in 1987,It reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was also one of his only two hits to chart in the Ireland Singles Chart . However, "Criticize" wasn't so successful in the Billboard Hot 100 chart...

"
70 4 21 4
1988 "Never Knew Love Like This
Never Knew Love Like This (Alexander O'Neal & Cherrelle song)
"Never Knew Love Like This" was a successful hit for Alexander O'Neal and Cherrelle in 1988, reaching #2 in the US R&B chart, #26 in the UK and #28 in the Billboard Hot 100....

" (with Cherrelle)
28 2 26
"The Lovers
The Lovers (Alexander O'Neal song)
"The Lovers" was Alexander O'Neal's 10th hit single and it reached #28 in the UK Singles Chart. It is featured on his 1988 album Hearsay along with O'Neals other top 40 hits, "What Can I Say ", "Criticize", "Hearsay", "Never Knew Love Like This" and "Fake".In the United States, the single reached...

"
41 28
"Fake '88" 16 All Mixed Up
"The Christmas Song
The Christmas Song
"The Christmas Song" is a classic Christmas song written in 1944 by musician, composer, and vocalist Mel Tormé and Bob Wells. According to Tormé, the song was written during a blistering hot summer...

"/"Thank You for a Good Year"
30 My Gift to You
1989 "Hearsay '89
Hearsay (song)
"Hearsay" is the title track of Alexander O'Neal's 2nd album Hearsay which was released in 1987. The original track from the album wasn't released as a single but in 1989, a remixed version was released in the UK Singles Chart and it became a minor hit, reaching #56....

"
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
Baby, Come to Me
"Baby, Come to Me" is an R&B song, written by Rod Temperton for a male-female duet. The original version, performed by Patti Austin and James Ingram , and produced by Quincy Jones, appeared on Austin's 1981 album, Every Home Should Have One. When first released as a single, it had minor chart...

" (with Cherrelle)
56
1998 "Lovers Again" 54
"Grind" 83
"Criticize '98 Mix" 51 Non-album single
"—" denotes the single failed to chart

External links

  • http://alexanderoneal.blogspot.com/
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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