The Evolution of Alexander O'Neal

Snapshots of R&B's all-true man.

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The New Wave - In the early ‘80s O’Neal formed the funky new wave band Alexander and released two singles, “Playroom” and “Attitude,” on indie labels. While the singles didn’t do well on the charts, his talent garnered him a side gig that landed him his big break. Doing background vocals for artists on Clarence Avant’s Tabu Records like The S.O.S. Band and Cherrelle, O’Neal was signed to the label. (Photo: TABU Records)His Own Man - In 1985, O’Neal released his self-titled debut album. While the album received little fanfare in the U.S., it did extremely well in the U.K. That same year, he scored a hit singing on Cherrelle’s “Saturday Love.” Cherrelle and O’Neal are such a perfect match, vocally, they become the ‘80s version of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.  (Photo: Tabu Records)

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On Time - After moving to Minneapolis from Natchez, Mississippi, in his early 20s, Alexander O’Neal was a member of several bands before being recruited to sing lead for an up-and-coming ensemble named Flyte Tyme. With members that included Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis and Monte Moir, the band would eventually change its name to The Time.  (Photo: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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