Alexander O'Neal

Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B and soul singer born in Natchez, Mississippi, who rose to prominence through the Minneapolis funk scene of the early 1980s. He was originally slated to front the band The Time, but a falling-out with Prince led to his replacement by Morris Day. Undeterred, O'Neal found his true creative partners in two other Time alumni who had also clashed with Prince: producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, whose lush, synth-driven productions became the backbone of his solo career on Tabu Records.

Starting in 1985, O'Neal released a string of acclaimed albums with Jam and Lewis, blending sophisticated funk grooves with romantic, often theatrical vocal performances. His duets with labelmate Cherrelle, including «Saturday Love» and «Never Knew Love Like This», became defining moments of 1980s quiet storm R&B, while his solo material produced hits such as «Criticize», «Fake», and his debut single «Innocent».

O'Neal's voice — powerful, expressive, and equally suited to seduction or heartbreak — made him one of the era's most distinctive male R&B vocalists. After stepping back from recording for many years, he returned in 2008 with the covers album Alex Loves, reaffirming his standing as a key figure of the Minneapolis sound and quiet storm tradition.