Edward Vazon O’Neal Jr. and Edgar O’Neal (born August 17, 1937, in St. Louis, Missouri) were an American gospel duo known simply as The O’Neal Twins.
Singing traditional Black gospel for over five decades, the brothers were voted the “World’s Greatest Gospel Duo” in 1969, appeared in the landmark 1982 documentary Say Amen, Somebody, and were inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
Edward died in 1990. Edgar carried the duo’s legacy forward until his own death in 2008.
The O’Neal Twins at a Glance
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Full names | Edward Vazon O’Neal Jr. & Edgar O’Neal |
| Born | August 17, 1937 St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
| Died | Edward: December 15, 1990 Edgar: January 16, 2008 (aged 70), Spanish Lake, Missouri |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Edward Vazon O’Neal Sr. (father, professional cook); Rowena Taylor O’Neal (mother, government employee) |
| Music | |
| Genre | Traditional Black Gospel |
| Roles | Edgar: piano and vocals; Edward: lead vocals |
| Years active | Began performing as children in the late 1940s; recorded through the 1980s |
| Labels | Savoy, Nashboro, Creed, Peacock, AIR Gospel |
| Albums | Nearly 20-24 recorded |
| Signature song | “Jesus Dropped the Charges” (1981, Savoy Records) |
| Honors | |
| 1969 | Voted “World’s Greatest Gospel Duo” by the National Association of Television and Radio Artists |
| 2004 | Inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame |
Early Life and Background
Edward Vazon O’Neal Jr. and Edgar O’Neal were born twins on August 17, 1937, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Their father worked as a professional cook, and their mother held a government job.
The twins grew up in the Cote Brilliante neighborhood, attending Cupples School and Sumner High School before gospel music became their life’s work.
They began singing gospel together at just 12 years old, performing in churches around St. Louis through the 1950s.
What started as childhood harmonizing turned into a decades-long career that would put them on some of the biggest stages in American gospel music.
Genre and Musical Style
The O’Neal Twins sang traditional Black gospel, rooted in the church quartet and duet tradition that dominated the genre through the mid-20th century.
Edgar handled piano and vocals. Edward carried the lead vocal line. Their sound leaned on close harmony, call-and-response phrasing, and the emotional testimony style common to gospel of their era.
They came up at a time when gospel quartets were the standard format in Black church music.
The Twins stood out as a duo working within, and against, that convention, and their harmonies became their signature.
Rise to Prominence: Discovered by James Cleveland
The O’Neal Twins’ career took off after gospel music pioneer James Cleveland discovered them. That connection opened doors most gospel acts never see.
According to Edgar’s wife, Lillian O’Neal, the brothers went on to sing “some of the most popular venues in the world,” including Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall.
Their partnership with Cleveland shows up throughout their discography. Tracks like “Oh the Lord Saved Me” credit Cleveland alongside the Twins, and their work with the James Cleveland Singers became a defining piece of their catalog.
Discography and Notable Tracks
Over their career, The O’Neal Twins recorded nearly two dozen albums across several labels, including Savoy, Nashboro, Creed, Peacock, and AIR Gospel.
Their best-known and most enduring song is “Jesus Dropped the Charges,” released March 4, 1981, on Savoy Records as part of the album Saved By His Love.
The song became a gospel radio staple and remains their most-streamed and most-covered track today.
Other notable songs from their catalog include:
- “Throw Out the Lifeline”
- “Power in the Blood”
- “He Keeps On Making a Way” (feat. The Interfaith Choir)
- “He Chose Me” (feat. Corinthian Temple COGIC Radio Choir)
- “I Can’t Let a Day Go By” (feat. The Interfaith Choir)
- “Holy Spirit” (feat. The Interfaith Choir)
- “Brother You and I” (feat. The Interfaith Choir)
- “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” (feat. The Davis Sisters)
Their catalog reflects how central collaboration was to their sound. Rather than working in isolation, they built songs around choirs, guest vocalists, and shared billing with other gospel artists of the era, a common practice in traditional gospel recording of the 1970s and 80s.
“Say Amen, Somebody” and National Recognition
In 1982, The O’Neal Twins appeared in Say Amen, Somebody, George T. Nierenberg’s acclaimed documentary about the pioneers of Black gospel music.
The film centered on gospel legends Thomas A. Dorsey and Willie Mae Ford Smith, with The O’Neal Twins featured alongside the Barrett Sisters and Zella Jackson Price as part of a newer generation carrying the tradition forward.
In the film, Edward and Edgar spoke candidly about the financial difficulty of trying to make a full-time living in gospel music, a rare, honest look at what the road actually cost working gospel artists in that era.
The documentary earned wide critical praise, including from Roger Ebert, and was later restored and re-released in 2020 with support from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Awards and Recognition
- 1969 — Voted “World’s Greatest Gospel Duo” by the National Association of Television and Radio Artists
- 1982 — Featured in the documentary Say Amen, Somebody
- 2004 — Inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame, alongside CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin, and other major gospel figures
Personal Life and Later Years
Edward Vazon O’Neal Jr. died on December 15, 1990. Edgar continued performing and building on the legacy the brothers had created together, eventually remarrying and settling with his wife, Lillian O’Neal, in the St. Louis area.
Edgar O’Neal passed away on January 16, 2008, at Christian Hospital in Spanish Lake, Missouri, after a short illness. He was 70 years old.
Influence and Legacy
The O’Neal Twins are remembered as trailblazers of traditional Black gospel, active during a period when gospel quartets dominated the genre and duet acts had to carve out their own space.
Radio historian Bernie Hayes called their loss “a terrible loss… not only to me, but the St. Louis community and the entire gospel music genre.”
Lillian O’Neal, Edgar’s widow, summed up their impact simply: “They touched every denomination, they sang to everybody, all denominations, all people, and the love they had for God was the biggest message.”
Their 2004 Hall of Fame induction, alongside a generation of gospel artists still active today, cemented their place in gospel music history as pioneers who bridged the classic quartet era with the sound that followed it.
Interesting Facts
- They started singing together at age 12, decades before their national breakthrough.
- Edward and Edgar were born the same year, 1937, as many other gospel greats who would later share stages with them.
- Their signature song, “Jesus Dropped the Charges,” ran nearly 8 minutes in its original recording, well beyond typical radio length.
- They performed at both Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall.
- Both brothers died in the same general period of the calendar year, Edward in December, Edgar in January, 17 years apart.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1937 | Edward and Edgar O’Neal born August 17 in St. Louis, Missouri |
| ~1949 | Begin singing gospel together at age 12 |
| 1950s | Perform in churches throughout the St. Louis area |
| 1969 | Voted “World’s Greatest Gospel Duo” by the National Association of Television and Radio Artists |
| 1981 | Release “Jesus Dropped the Charges” on Savoy Records |
| 1982 | Featured in the documentary Say Amen, Somebody |
| 1990 | Edward O’Neal dies on December 15 |
| 2004 | Inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame |
| 2008 | Edgar O’Neal dies on January 16, aged 70 |
| 2020 | Say Amen, Somebody is restored and re-released, renewing interest in the Twins’ legacy |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the O’Neal Twins?
The O’Neal Twins were Edward and Edgar O’Neal, an American gospel duo from St. Louis, Missouri, known for traditional Black gospel music and their signature song “Jesus Dropped the Charges.”
What genre of music did the O’Neal Twins sing?
They sang traditional Black gospel, in the church quartet and duet style that shaped mid-20th-century gospel music.
Are the O’Neal Twins still alive?
No. Edward O’Neal died in 1990, and Edgar O’Neal died in 2008 at age 70.
What awards did the O’Neal Twins win?
They were voted “World’s Greatest Gospel Duo” in 1969 and were inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
What is the O’Neal Twins’ most famous song?
“Jesus Dropped the Charges,” released in 1981 on Savoy Records, is their best-known and most enduring recording.
The O’Neal Twins spent their lives proving that gospel harmony could fill Carnegie Hall and a small St. Louis church with the same conviction. If their story moved you, share it with someone who still needs to hear that Jesus dropped the charges.
