The Time (1980–1981) (pictured) formed band
The Time, but was dismissed and replaced with
Morris Day According to
Jimmy Jam, around 1980–1981, O'Neal (along with fellow members of the band Flyte Tyme) met with
Prince and
Morris Day at Perkins restaurant in Minneapolis to discuss forming a band that would be called
The Time that would be signed to
Prince under the
Warner Bros. label. Following a disagreement with Prince, O'Neal was replaced as lead singer by
Morris Day. It was later discovered that Prince believed that O'Neal was "too black" to be in the band, which ultimately led to his dismissal and being replaced by Morris Day. In 1984, O'Neal signed a deal with
Clarence Avant's
Tabu Records. It included three singles that reached the Top 20 of the
R&B Singles Chart. After release, the album was received favourably by the majority of music critics. One of O'Neal's most commercially successful solo albums, in the United States it went on to peak at number 92 on the
Billboard 200 In the UK, the album sold more than 100,000 copies and was
certified gold by the
BPI. The same year, he also scored his first R&B Top 10 single with "
Saturday Love", a duet with
Cherrelle from her
High Priority album. The song peaked at No. 2 on the R&B chart and No. 26 on the pop chart, while also beginning a string of UK hit singles for O'Neal by peaking at No. 6 on the
UK Singles Chart in early 1986. This UK success continued when "
If You Were Here Tonight", which had previously peaked at No. 81, re-entered the charts to reach No. 13 in March 1986.
Hearsay and success (1987–1991) In 1987, O'Neal released the album
Hearsay, a
concept album, based around the attendees of a house
soirée being hosted by O'Neal, which was certified gold in the US and yielded his biggest US hit in "Fake", which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 25 on the pop chart. The song also peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard dance chart. The follow-up single, "Criticize", peaked at No. 4 on the R&B chart and No. 70 on the pop chart. The third single, "Never Knew Love Like This", another duet with Cherrelle, peaked at No. 2 on the R&B chart and No. 28 on the pop chart. However, by this time O'Neal was enjoying much greater success in the UK, The "Hit Mix" (a megamix of O'Neal's hits) also reached the UK Top 20 in December 1989. Among retrospective assessments, Ron Wynn of
AllMusic wrote that Jam and Lewis provided "their finest and tightest production for any O'Neal record", adding that "the beats were catchy, the songs hook-laden, and O'Neal's voice alternately explosive, sensitive and bemused." Daryl Easlea of the
BBC wrote that
Hearsay was "[d]ismissed by the cognoscenti but adored by the masses." He deemed it O'Neal's best work and a filler-free record which, whilst "very much of its time", has not dated, adding: "It sounds as fresh now as it did then. Had it been 20 years earlier, Alexander O'Neal would have been compared to
Otis Redding." In a piece on Jam and Lewis for
Stylus Magazine, Marcello Carlin described the "epic"
Hearsay as "Jam and Lewis' absolute masterpiece; sexual but nasty tirades blasting out over uncompromising avalanches of the unreal." He added that, as "a seamless marriage between old school and cold rationalist new," the album is equalled only by
Son of Bazerk's
Bazerk Bazerk Bazerk (1991), a record whose futuristic, "hot-blooded minimalism" he deemed unimaginable without Jam and Lewis' influence. In December 1988, O'Neal released a Christmas album,
My Gift to You, featuring a cover of "
The Christmas Song" that reached the UK Top 40.
Continued success (1991–1996) In 1991, O'Neal released his fourth album,
All True Man. In 1995, another greatest hits compilation, ''The Best of Alexander O'Neal'', was released. A year later the compilation was re-released with three added tracks from O'Neal's short period with Motown.
Lovers Again and decline (1996–2014) , 2014 In 1996, his first album with One World Records,
Lovers Again, was released. The album did not chart in the UK, though the single "Let's Get Together" reached the UK Top 40. In 2001, he released an album on
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'', featuring songs from throughout his career. In 2006 O'Neal appeared on the
Weakest Link, All Singing All Dancing Edition, where he was the 5th contestant voted off the show. In 2006 and 2007, O'Neal participated on the
British reality singing contest show
Just the Two of Us. In 2008 O'Neal took part in a
Wife Swap UK special, swapping his wife Cynthia with broadcaster and TV personality
Jilly Goolden. The programme included an in-depth interview with O'Neal by noted UK R&B writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning magazine
Blues & Soul. The interview was featured in full in the August 2008 issue of the magazine. In 2008, O'Neal released
Alex Loves..., his first studio album in six years. The album peaked at No. 49 in the UK, and was his first charting album of new material in 15 years. In 2011 the
TV One series
Unsung profiled O'Neal's rise to fame, along with the story of Cherrelle. In 2014, O'Neal signed a new management deal with Howard Perl Management (Beverly Hills), which awarded him extensive tours and a cast member on
Celebrity Big Brother.
Later works and farewell tour (2014–2024) In 2015, O'Neal took part in the British
Channel 5 reality series
Celebrity Big Brother. On Day 10, During an argument with fellow Housemate Perez Hilton, O'Neal referred to Hilton as a "silly ass
faggot," for which he was given a formal warning by the shows' producers. On Day 12, O'Neal voluntarily left the show. In June 2016, O'Neal collaborated with
Manchester-based funk band, Mamma Freedom, on the single, "Fake", a re-recording of his 1987 single of the same name. The single was released shortly before O'Neal embarked upon a UK tour, with Mamma Freedom providing support. In 2017, O'Neal collaborated with Mamma Freedom on the album
Hearsay30, a re-recording of his 1987 album. The album was released on December 1, 2017. In 2019, O'Neal made an appearance alongside
Cherrelle at the
Soul Train Awards to pay tribute to long-time collaborators
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In 2021, O'Neal made an appearance alongside Whyso, O'Mega Red, and J Dore of The High Children on "Say His Name", a song dedicated to the memory of
George Floyd. In 2023, O'Neal announced on his social media he would soon be announcing the U.K. dates to his farewell tour,
Time to Say Goodbye. Subsequently announcing his retirement, saying, "I've had an amazing career, and I'm so grateful to my fans for their unwavering support over the years. I'm excited to hit the road one last time, and give you a night you'll never forget." ==Honors and awards==