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Gail O'Neill

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Gail O'Neill
Born(1962-02-06)February 6, 1962
Westchester County, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 10, 2023(2023-10-10) (aged 61)
EducationWesleyan University
Occupation(s)Correspondent and host
Titlefashion model, television journalist

Gail O'Neill (February 6, 1962 – October 10, 2023) was an American fashion model, born to Jamaican parents. She became a television journalist. As a fashion model, she was considered one of the elite black models in the world. She was on covers of leading fashion magazines and a part of the highly publicized Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. As a journalist, she was a correspondent for a variety of U.S. networks. She was an original correspondent for The Early Show on CBS and also worked for CNN and HGTV.

A native of Westchester County, New York, O'Neill worked for Xerox after graduation as a marketing representative.[1]

Modeling

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After graduating from Wesleyan University, she began an international modeling career that included appearances on the covers of Vogue and Mademoiselle, as well as catalogue work for companies such as J. Crew and Nordstrom.[2] She was a spokesperson for Liz Claiborne.[3] She was an A-list fashion model in the 1980s when she frequently appeared on fashion magazines.[4][5][6] As a model she was known for refusing to appear in advertisements for cigarettes or for corporate sponsors that did not divest of South African investments.[7] She appeared in the 1992 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[8] In the 1990s she was an activist for the homeless as part of the Black Girls Coalition with about twenty of the world's elite black supermodels.[9]

Journalism

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O'Neill's journalism career included freelance work for numerous television networks. She was an original correspondent for CBS's The Early Show, which debuted in 1999,[10] where she presented "Box Office Plus", a regular Monday feature.[11] She had a reputation for being more skeptical and less of a cheerleader for the movie industry than her movie news correspondent peers on other networks.[12]

Subsequently, she appeared as a host of CNN's weekly Travel Now series.[2] She also served CNN as a correspondent covering other events.[13]

From 2004 to 2006, she hosted HGTV's Mission Organization, where she matched professional organizers with those in need of organization and remodeling.[2][14][15][16]

The White House has a tradition of inviting volunteers to assist with the holiday decorations. In 2005, they invited 50 volunteers.[17] O'Neill hosted The White House Christmas 2005 for HGTV, and spoke with United States First Lady Laura Bush about the decorations and themes.[18]

In 2008, she was mentioned in retrospectives lamenting the state of the fashion world for black models in magazines like Ebony and Italian Vogue.[5] The July 2008 Vogue Italia carried the headline "A Black Issue" and was dedicated to issues related to a lack of diversity in the fashion modeling industry, especially print ads, runway shows, and fashion editorials. O'Neill was photographed by Steven Meisel in its first photo spread.[19][20]

O'Neill continued to model actively even after making the transition to journalism, and she modeled for the 2009 Spring/Summer Calvin Klein ckOne fragrance campaign.[21]

Death

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O'Neill died on October 10, 2023, at the age of 61.[22] 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.”

Notes

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  1. ^ Vadukul, Max (1987-01-25). "Short and Sweet". The Washington Post. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  2. ^ a b c "Gail O'Neill: Learn more about Gail O'Neill, host of HGTV's Mission Organization". HGTV.com. Scripps Networks, LLC. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  3. ^ Novotny, Pamela Patrick, Marie Moss and Anne Marie O'Connor (1994-05-08). "Here Comes The Sun - How To Shine WHen THe Rays Are Ablaze". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "At The Height Of Fashion, Black Models". The New York Times. 1987-06-13. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  5. ^ a b White, Constance C.R. (September 2008). "Black out: what has happened to the black models?". Ebony. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  6. ^ "Black models appearing more often in fashion magazines". Houston Chronicle. Newsbank. 1987-06-21. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  7. ^ Croley, Tina Bodine (1989-05-15). "Understanding The Modular Mystique". Lexington Herald-Leader. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  8. ^ Jensen, Kris (1992-03-04). "Celebrity Buzz - Supermodels suit up for a fashion tradition". The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  9. ^ Gregory, Deborah; Patricia Jacobs (September 1993). "The Ugly Side Of The Modeling Business" (PDF). Essence. 24 (5).
  10. ^ James, Caryn (1999-11-02). "Television Review; Waking Up To Gumbel, Served in A New Blend". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  11. ^ Bianculli, David (1999-11-15). "Here's The Morning Line Rating The Nets' A.M. Shows". New York Daily News. NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved 2009-02-11.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ Shales, Tom (1999-11-02). "Good Morning, America. Today, It's 'The Early Show.'". The Washington Post. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  13. ^ "CNN Live At Daybreak: Fashion Preview For Spring 2002". Cable News Network. 2001-09-10. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
  14. ^ Puente, Maria (2004-04-02). "TV organizers get into another fine mess". USA Today. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  15. ^ Carrillo, Carmel (2004-10-17). "Shows are sending pack rats scurrying". Chicago Tribune. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  16. ^ Hooley, Danny (2005-11-18). "Live from the mall ..." The News & Observer. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  17. ^ Villalva, Maribel (2005-12-03). "Decorating in D.C. was thrilling". El Paso Times. Newsbank. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  18. ^ "What to Watch". The Washington Post. Newsbank. 2005-12-04. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  19. ^ "Fade To Black: Italian Vogue Tackles The Issue Of The Disappearing Black Model". For Women Online. ForWomenOnline. 2008-07-30. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  20. ^ "Italian Vogue's "All Black" Issue: A Guided Tour". Jezebel. 2008-07-14. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
  21. ^ "ckOne Fragrance S/S 09". models.com. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  22. ^ "Fashion Model and TV Journalist Gail O'Neill Dies at 61". wwd.com. 12 October 2023.
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