Who is Alexander O’Neal and why was he rushed to hospital? Reasons explored

Influential 1980s R&B singer Alexander O’Neal, best known for his smooth vocal style, was hospitalized early Friday after a fire started at the apartment where he lived in Burnsville, Minnesota.

According to reports, it happened just after 1 a.m. and led to a multi-unit emergency response, with four apartments rendered uninhabitable. From the apartment, O’Neal and his wife, Cynthia, were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Alexander O’Neal became one of R&B’s most revered singers in the late 1980s. The Mississippi native, born in 1953 in Natchez, had first made his appearance with the band Flyte Tyme, which would later be known as The Time, a group closely associated with Prince.

O’Neal was initially hired as the group’s lead singer, but he wasn’t employed when the project eventually went public. He would later enjoy a solo career working with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, producing several hits including “If You Were Here Tonight,” "Fake,” “Criticize” and “Never Knew Love Like This.”

While his commercial footprint shrank in his later albums, Alexander O’Neal has continued to be a revered R&B figure who’s remembered for his robust voice and raw performances.

Following the recent fire accident, firefighters from throughout the city arrived at the Willoway Apartments just a few minutes after receiving the call and were fighting alongside neighbouring departments to stop the fire, said officials.

Only O’Neal and his wife had to be taken to the hospital, and one other person was treated at the scene before being set free. Relatives confirmed that both were under medical treatment, but did not provide updates on their condition at the time.

Alexander O’Neal's wife Cynthia shares more details about the incident

Additional details released later by Cynthia indicate that the fire may have been caused by an electrical problem with O’Neal’s oxygen machine. In an interview, she remembered waking up to her husband urgently telling her something was wrong.

She recalled seeing a “bubble of fire” in the oxygen cord, and then she noticed another blaze on the floor, one that O’Neal was trying to put out with his bare foot, only to burn himself.

Making things more complicated, O’Neal had just been released from the intensive care unit hours before the fire. He had been in the hospital nearly two weeks, and was on life support there as he was treated for a rare bacterial pneumonia and enlarged heart.

Alexander O’Neal & Wife Hospitalized After Apartment Fire https://t.co/22AZK8kc4x pic.twitter.com/VsG6rirB6U

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The couple supposedly had a difficult time evacuating. Alexander O’Neal was still very frail and both inhaled a large amount of smoke as they walked, arm in arm, down three flights of stairs to safety, Cynthia said.

When Cynthia visited their apartment again, to collect medication later that day, the unit was completely destroyed with water damage and items melted by the heat. The couple is now staying with relatives as they figure out their next move.

"The whole place is totally demolished. There was nothing left. There was water up to my ankles," Cynthia told TMZ.

While it’s unclear from the investigation how the fire started, fans and her peers are wishing the singer a speedy recovery after such a scary situation.