Alexander O'Neal - All True, Man

by Alexander O'Neal, Eugene Duffy (Editor)

You may have heard the music of Alexander O’Neal, but what do you really know about him? All True, Man is his incredible story, one which lays bare the life of a fatherless black man growing up in the Deep South of America, the racial hatred he saw every day. How in the frenzy of the battle for Civil Rights he saw a neighbour blown to bits in his car by a white supremacist’s bomb. Alex escaped from the grinding poverty and hatred of Mississippi thanks to the gift God gave him, his voice. He made Minneapolis his home and in this more racially tolerant city he found his place as the leading black artist in the city. Alex never took the easy road. His addiction to cocaine saw him spend the fortune music gave him. His violent relationships with wives and girlfriends – nine children along the way – a type of behaviour it took him years to overcome. His first chance for international success slipped through his fingers when Prince first hired, then fired Alex from a new band he was forming. He has never given his version of what happened, it’s only now in All True, Man that he breaks his silence. When the breakthrough did come Alexander O’Neal became one of the biggest names on the planet and for years he rode the wildest rollercoaster you could imagine. All True, Man is a searing, sometimes shocking confession of what life in the fast lane was like.

172 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 2, 2017

About the author

Alexander O'Neal is an American R&B singer, songwriter and arranger from Natchez, Mississippi.

In a music career spanning more than 30 years, O'Neal is an accomplished R&B and soul singer. O'Neal came to prominence in the middle of the 1980s as a solo artist, releasing fourteen singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s. His solo singles, sometimes dealing with lost love include "If You Were Here Tonight", "Fake", "Criticize", "The Lovers", "(What Can I Say) To Make You Love Me", "The Christmas Song", "All True Man", "Love Makes No Sense" and "In the Middle". He is also known for duets with fellow R&B singer and Tabu labelmate Cherrelle such as "Saturday Love" and "Never Knew Love Like This". AllMusic has described O'Neal as having a "tough voice [that] has the same grain and range as that of Otis Redding."

Reviews

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Real talk. I loved his music for years but never knew the behind the scenes ups and downs of Alexander O’Neal’s life. You don’t have to approve someone’s lifestyle to appreciate their journey. Live and learn. None of us are perfect so have no right to judge. It’s a positive thing to be able to admit your faults and bear soul to the world. Good luck to Alexander O’Neal and hopefully he has another album in him.

[Richard Dennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very raw and honest autobiography, being a fan it shocked me. Its not changed me being a fan but definitely see him in a differently light. All in all a very good autobiography name checking a host of rnb stars from Prince to George Michael.

[Daoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great honest book

Great book really insightful and interesting and Alexander o neal keeps it as honest as possible
Would definitely recommend it