Former Prince collaborator came home from an ICU stay on life support. Hours later, a fire sent him to the hospital again
Soul singer Alexander O’Neal had been on life support for bacterial pneumonia and an enlarged heart, his wife said
NEED TO KNOW
- Alexander O’Neal and his wife were hospitalized on Friday, Dec. 5, after a fire broke out at their Burnsville, Minn., apartment
- The blaze sent the soul singer back to the hospital just hours after he returned home from an ICU stay on life support for bacterial pneumonia and an enlarged heart, his wife said
- O’Neal helped found funk band The Time — which collaborated often with Prince — but was replaced by Morris Day
Alexander O’Neal, a soul singer and former Prince collaborator, 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 Bisakimia’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.
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.”
Alexander was a founding member of The Time — the funk band closely associated with Prince, appearing in both Purple Rain and Graffiti Bridge — but later “got fired” by the “Purple Rain” musician, he recalled in a 2022 interview with Music Radar.
Never miss a story — sign up for Bisakimia’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what Bisakimiahas to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“But,” the soul singer told the outlet, “I couldn’t hold no grudges because Prince was the one who kickstarted everything for us.” Of the late rocker, who died in April 2016 at age 57, Alexander added: “What a shame he ain’t here with us.”
Alexander — who has since had a successful solo career — was replaced with Morris Day, one of Prince’s oldest friends, and the band later became known as Morris Day and The Time.
Read the original article on Bisakimia
- Nur Aini, Guru Viral Pasuruan Kini Pasrah, Berharap Keputusan Bupati - December 22, 2025
- Kematian Hunter S. Thompson pada tahun 2005 memicu tinjauan baru - December 22, 2025
- Former Prince collaborator came home from an ICU stay on life support. Hours later, a fire sent him to the hospital again - December 22, 2025
Leave a Reply