Alexander The Great

It led to a moment when people needed only to sing the chorus to tell others just how counterfeit or phony they were – yes, FAKE, by Alexander O’Neal, has a lot to answer for but his fans love him anyway!

Reputedly the best ‘pure’ singer to come from the '80s soul era' O’Neal released a 'string of memorable hits' that are still broadcast as 'radio requests' and played at literally thousands of events around the world. These include: ‘Fake, Criticize, ‘If You Were Here Tonight’, ‘Saturday Love’, ‘Never Knew Love Like This’, ‘Sunshine Secret Lovers’ and many more.

The chart-topping US artiste is an upbeat soul singer who has always created modern soul sounds with his gospel singing techniques. His album Hearsay sold nearly a million copies in the UK alone and to this day he still holds the record as the only performer to 'sell out' for SIX consecutive nights at London’s Wembley Arena. This soul legend still has an undying passion to perform and his live shows reflect that.

Born in Natchez, Mississippi, O'Neal moved to Minneapolis when he was 20, then joined a string of groups including ‘The Mystics’, ‘The Time’ and a rock and roll band called simply ‘Alexander’. He recorded a 12" single, ‘Playroom’, for a Chicago-based independent label and three years later, in 1984, O'Neal signed a deal with Clarence Avant's Tabu Records.

O'Neal released his self-titled debut album in 1985. It included three singles that reached the top twenty of the R&B Singles Chart. He also scored his first R&B top ten single with ‘Saturday Love’, a duet with Cherrelle. The song reached the top ten of the UK Singles Chart. Subsequent singles also peaked and he released his third album, All True Man in 1991, entering both the R&B and the pop charts.

Equally capable of blasting out funky, uptempo numbers or delivering tender ballads his other hit includes his first greatest hits album, This Thing Called Love: The Greatest Hits of Alexander O'Neal, Love Makes No Sense, and The Best of Alexander O'Neal, was released.

Is your appetite whet enough now? if no, click on the links below to find out why he was often thought of as Alexander the Great! But see the man himself perform on Sat 10 Dec 2011 with full live band at The Islington Assembly, Assembly Hall, Islington Town Hall Upper Street, London, N1 2UD. Doors 7pm. Adm: £32.50. Reportedly, he will also be headlining two more UK-based gigs in February.

By Alison Williams

Interview: LAURA IZIBOR

Up and coming soul star, Laura Izibor waxes lyrical about being compared to Aretha Franklin, why she considers India Arie to be a mentor and why she's in it for the long term.

Atlantic Records has the blues beating in its veins. It is the place where Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke, Percy Sledge, Led Zeppelin and Dusty Springfield all honed their craft under the guidance of the label's svengalis, Ahmet Artegun and Jerry Wexler, who made churning out soulful hits an art form.

This history takes pride of place in the label's London headquarters in the form of framed photographs and platinum discs hanging in the foyer, up stairways, inside corridors; every single achievement a reminder that this once humble independent label is now a giant conglomerate constantly breaking new artists, capitalizing on old ones and trying to bridge the gap between a rich musical heritage and a promising contemporary scene.

This divide is perfectly epitomized by Laura Izibor, the label's new signing; a mixed-race Irish soul singer with fly girl looks (curly hair tied at the top, bright coloured earrings; hipster stylings with a home-girl sensibility). Even though Izibor has presence and a serious charm, what strikes one upon entering the interview room is the large Aretha Franklin portrait she's sitting right under. Call it coincidence or a canny move, but the parallels between Izibor's music and Aretha's have been touted by broadsheets and blogs alike. The reality is that their styles are far apart. Izibor does a sweet line in soulful pop 'Macy Gray meets Alicia Keys' but she's no Aretha.

And that's no bad thing considering that she's trying to eke out her own domain in an uncertain music industry filled with would-be divas. Her debut, 'Let The Truth Be Told' written whilst she was in her teens (she's now 21) has a sparkling, laid-back vibe about it built around the idea of falling in love, coming to terms with heartbreak, trying to create possibilities out of situations where they are none. It's a hopeful, radio-friendly disc that should find a wider following but Izibor seems uninterested in all the traditional trappings of success. For her, it's about longevity, building a loyal fan-base that will keep coming back for more.

'I have been working on this album for a long time,' she says, 'and it's the culmination of a lot of hard work. Music is about what you want at the other end of it. If you're after the physical things or numbers and figures, that's a different kind of hard work. But if you want the hard work to be about longevity, then you're in no rush. It's about enjoying what you're doing and allowing that pleasure to continue. I feel like I've been working but I've been enjoying what I've been doing.'

In terms of the comparisons that have been pushed in her direction, Izibor takes it in her stride and doesn't miss a beat when she says, 'I have received comparisons to a lot of artists and I have to take the positive out of those comments. It's just a part of the inevitable cycle of this industry.'

Born in Dublin to working class parents; a Nigerian father and Irish mother, she discovered her gifts for melody at a young age, playing the piano and singing at thirteen. After a series of lucky breaks, she landed a deal with Jive Records in America whilst still in her teens and so she moved to New York to begin work on her debut. The deal with Jive eventually fell through and Izibor was promptly signed up by Atlantic Records' label chief, Craig Kallman who was responsible for the success of Brandy, Lil' Kim and the UK's very own, Estelle, who under his guidance made one of the most critically lauded comebacks in recent years.

It is this level of success that Izibor's label is hoping for and she seems to be on her way. Her songs have already been featured on the US drama, 'Grey's Anatomy' and she's currently supporting India Arie on her North American tour. When asked about the guitar-slinging, bohemian star, Izibor smiles in awe.

'India's probably the most special 'star' I've met. She's so in tune with herself. She's real and spiritual, so emotional and yet so strong. She's the most beautiful contradiction I've ever met. How can you be so strong and yet so vulnerable, so intelligent and at the same time so innocent? She's so in tune with her humanity. She says Stevie Wonder was her mentor and I believe she's mine.'

In the current crisis facing the music industry, with overall sales down, success is as not certain as it would have been in the nineties, but Laura Izibor's dreams extend far beyond facts and figures.

'I want to be able to attain balance, consistency. To be fulfilled continually in what I do. The glitz, the glam, the accolades mean very little to me because of the way I've been brought into this. My dream is to have somewhat of a normal life, to one day have children, but to still have music in my life, to be able to keep progressing. '

Laura Izibor's 'Let The Truth Be Told' is out now on Atlantic Records.

By Diriye Osman

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