Remembering model and journalist Gail O’Neill

A Black supermodel of the 1980s and ‘90s, Gail O’Neill found success as a journalist before her death at age 61.

Many may remember Gail O’Neill during the peak of her modeling career in the 1980s and ‘90s, a stunning beauty serenely gazing up from the pages of countless magazines and indisputably one of the era’s Black supermodels. Others may remember O’Neill as an advocate, one of several top models willing to use their cachet and risk their careers to diversify the white-dominated fashion industry as part of the Black Girls Coalition founded by Bethann Hardison, Naomi Campbell and Iman. 

Younger generations may be more familiar with O’Neill as an on-air personality, appearing as a correspondent as CBS’ “The Early Show” debuted, then on CNN and HGTV. In 2000, she settled in Atlanta, becoming a well-known and beloved local journalist. In 2014, she joined ArtsAtl to cover arts and culture as editor-at-large. O’Neill also served as a contributor at NPR affiliate WABE, and host and co-producer of the video series “Collective Knowledge” on TheA network. 

Characterizing herself online as “Curious. Omnivorous. Journalist,” O’Neill was all these things and much more during her lifetime. O’Neill died on Tuesday at age 61, as confirmed by her longtime agency, Click Models, to Women’s Wear Daily.

Born to Jamaican immigrants just north of New York City in Westchester County, New York, O’Neill seemingly had no early aspirations for a career in front of the camera.

“By the time I was 11 or 12 years old, I was convinced that my tall, skinny frame was some kind of cosmic joke . . . with me the punchline,” she said during a 2013 American Museum of Natural History interview.

Reportedly focused on family and academics, O’Neill attended Wesleyan University and had already begun a marketing and sales career at Xerox when she was spotted by photographer-and-stylist duo Chuck and Martha Baker while traveling for business, reports WWD. The couple requested her phone number, immediately contacting Click Models founder Frances Grill about “this great girl.” Within the year, O’Neill graced the March 1986 cover of British Vogue. 

“People just loved her,” Frances’ daughter and O’Neill’s longtime agent Stephanie Grill told WWD. “She was a major beauty with this beautiful personality — so authentic and kind. And she really had so much integrity.” 

Just a few years before Campbell would help formally usher in the supermodel era, O’Neill was helping break barriers that would make that ascent possible. “She did it all, and at a time when it was difficult to get Black girls on anything,” Grill said.

At the peak of her career, O’Neill crossed effortlessly between advertising campaigns, runways, and high fashion shoots, appearing on the covers of British Vogue, Italian Vogue, American Vogue, Mademoiselle, Elle and Glamour. Modeling for the labels and products of designers Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Willi Smith, Perry Ellis, Calvin Klein and many more, O’Neill was often photographed by marquee names like Steven Meisel, Annie Leibovitz, Albert Watson, Arthur Elgort, Patrick Demarchelier, Gilles Bensimon and Fabrizio Ferri, reported WWD. 

“The sun has lost a ray of light,” Ferri captioned in an Instagram photo montage of O’Neill on Thursday. “Gail is gone, leaving all of us that knew and therefore loved her, saddened, more alone, cold. Gail was my true friend, my muse, a den to go to when seeking comfort and [advice]. I miss you, and now I must learn to live missing you,” he added.

Throughout her career, which included modeling for Vogue Italia’s now-legendary 2008 “Black Issue” and even requests to model earlier this year, O’Neill remained grounded in her own moral compass. That included refusing bookings that promoted cigarette use or from corporations that held interests in South Africa during its years of apartheid.

“Modeling was just a job for her. You don’t meet a lot of Gail O’Neills. She always popping in to say ‘hi’ and doing things for other people,” Grill said.

“Universally loved by all, our Gail was and always will be everything good and kind and true and beautiful,” wrote fellow model and advocate Karen Alexander on Thursday, alongside a vintage fashion photo of two. 

Those who knew O’Neill in her second career were just as effusive. “This is such a devastating loss,” ArtsATL Executive Editor Scott Freeman said as the outlet reported her death. “Gail was a great journalist who cared about her craft and the people she wrote about.

“She also was a dear friend,” Freeman continued. “Sometimes it felt like she held the city of Atlanta in the palm of her hand; whenever we went to an event together, everyone seemed to know her and everyone wanted to be around her. Gail was special: humble, vivacious, caring. She’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever known.”

While the specific cause of O’Neill’s death is unknown, ArtsATL reported that she “had courageously fought a serious illness over the past two years.” Grill told WWD that O’Neill is believed to have died at her home in Atlanta; she is survived by her husband, Paul Viera; her mother, Elaine; her brother, Randy; and her sister, former Click model Denise O’Neill.

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