Alexander O'Neal
A powerhouse soul singer whose lush, dramatic anthems of love and betrayal found a second home and lasting fame on the British charts.
Born 1953 (age 73)·American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger·Birthday: November 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Alexander O'Neal's voice is a grand, emotive instrument, perfect for the lavish productions of the Minneapolis sound that defined 1980s R&B. Born in Natchez, Mississippi, he moved to Minneapolis and briefly sang with Flyte Tyme, the group that would morph into The Time. His solo career, crafted with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, delivered a string of sleek, soulful hits like 'Criticize' and 'Fake.' While successful on American R&B charts, O'Neal discovered something unexpected: he became a superstar in the United Kingdom. His blend of Southern soul sincerity and synth-funk resonated deeply with British audiences, leading to consistent Top 40 success and massive, sold-out tours. Despite personal and professional challenges later on, his catalog, especially the album 'Hearsay,' remains a touchstone of 80s soul—dramatic, danceable, and dripping with feeling, securing his status as a transatlantic soul icon.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Alexander was born in 1953, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1953
#1 Movie
Peter Pan
Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1953Born
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1958Started school
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1966Became a teenager
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Could drive
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1971Could vote
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Turned 21
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1983Turned 30
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 40
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 50
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 60
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 70
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 73 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored fourteen Top 40 singles on the UK Singles Chart, achieving greater mainstream success in Britain than in his native United States.
- Released the platinum-selling album 'Hearsay' in 1987, which spawned the major hits 'Fake' and 'Criticize.'
- Had eleven Top 40 hits on the US Billboard R&B chart throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
Did You Know?
He was originally a member of Flyte Tyme, the precursor to Prince's protégé band The Time, but was fired before they were renamed.
His song 'Criticize' was used prominently in the 1987 film 'The Secret of My Success,' starring Michael J. Fox.
He performed at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1990, a performance that was recorded and released.
“A love song needs that ache in the voice to make it real.”
