Alexander O’Neal, a 72-year-old founding member of the soul funk band The Time, was hospitalized after a fire in his Burnsville, Minnesota apartment on December 5, 2025. The fire occurred shortly after O’Neal returned home from a hospital stay for bacterial pneumonia and an enlarged heart. The fire began in a third-floor unit at the Willoway complex at about 1:30 a.m. and spread to four apartments. O’Neal and his wife, Cynthia, lost their home as a result.
According to Cynthia, the fire started with a blaze on a cord connected to O’Neal’s oxygen machine and another fire on the floor. O’Neal sustained burns while attempting to put out the flames. Both were exposed to smoke and evacuated the apartment. They were taken to the hospital for treatment…