Prayers up for Alexander O’Neal and his wife
- Thread starter dik cashmere
- Start date
Sad to hear. He wasnt in the best of health to begin with.
Damn, right after losing Jellybean too. Minneapolis taking a hit.
Prayers Mr. & Mrs. Alexander O'Neal
Damn, right after losing Jellybean too. Minneapolis taking a hit.
Prayers Mr. & Mrs. Alexander O'Neal
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Alexander O'Neal, a soul singer and former Princecollaborator, had just arrived home from a nearly two-week stay in the ICU when his Minnesota apartment caught fire, according to his wife.
The soul musician, 72, and his wife and manager, Cynthia O'Neal, were hospitalized in the morning of Friday, Dec. 5, after a blaze broke out at their Burnsville, Minn., apartment, according to TMZ and local NBC affiliate KARE 11. The fire began in a third-floor unit around 1:30 a.m. local time, KARE 11 reported, citing fire officials.
Cynthia was released quickly, she later told TMZ, while her husband — who was spotted being loaded into an ambulance by a KARE 11 photographer — was kept at the hospital longer for testing on his lungs.
The Minnesota musician had just returned to their apartment hours before the blaze following a hospitalization for a rare form of bacterial pneumonia and an enlarged heart, Cynthia told TMZ. He was on life support during the nearly two-week stay, she said.
The cause of the fire, which destroyed four units in the building, is currently unknown, TMZ and KARE 11 reported, citing officials. Remaining residents are back in their homes, according to the latter outlet.
A spokesperson for the Burnsville Fire Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Speaking with TMZ, Cynthia recalled the moments before the couple had to evacuate the building due to the fire — which she said was made more difficult because her husband was still weak from his sickness.
Alexander woke her up to alert her to the fire with “his arms in the air,” and she quickly noticed two different blazes, including “a bubble of fire” in a cord hooked up to the singer’s oxygen machine, she recalled to TMZ. The other fire was on the floor, and Alexander had burned himself while attempting to stomp it out with his bare feet, she said.
After the floor fire spread to a mattress, they called 911 and started to leave the unit, walking only a few steps at a time because Alexander could not manage more, Cynthia told TMZ.
Alexander O'Neal performing in London in 1986.
David Corio/Redferns
The couple both breathed in quite a bit of smoke while trekking the three stairs to exit the building, she added.
"We are so happy to be alive,” Cynthia told TMZ. “We may not have a toothbrush, but we have a car! Our spirits remain good and we are moving forward."
Prayers.... 
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Damn. Praying for them both.
Man...
Alex O had some bangers. His work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis gets much love to this day.
I hope he is good.
Alex O had some bangers. His work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis gets much love to this day.
I hope he is good.
I wish them a full and speedy recovery.
Glad they made it out of this and are recovering.
TMZ did an article in this that was pissing me off.
They only mentioned that he was worked with Prince as lead singer for The Time without mentioning any of his successes after.
TMZ did an article in this that was pissing me off.
They only mentioned that he was worked with Prince as lead singer for The Time without mentioning any of his successes after.
I hate the fact TMZ always get the news before everyone else.
