The Twin Cities is mourning the loss of a cherished fixture in the community. Andre McNeal, affectionately known to family, friends, and colleagues as “Debonaire,” tragically passed away Sunday, Nov. 5, in a single-car accident along Interstate 94 in North Minneapolis. He was 53 years old.
A native of Chicago, McNeal was born February 10, 1970, and graduated from Neal F. Simeon High School on the city’s South Side in 1988. An exceptional student, he was always an enterprising young man.
It was during his years at Simeon that McNeal began to showcase his organizing skills along with a multitude of talents that would serve him well during his life. Among his many titles throughout his life were entrepreneur, comedian, radio personality, impresario, nonprofit founder, and CEO.
“He will be so missed. He loved his community and they loved him,” said McNeal’s wife, Dr. Zakia Robbins-McNeal. “Debonair was a dot connector. That’s what he called himself. And that trait was inherent in him. He brought people together from every walk of life. Made sure they had what they needed. Made them feel special.”
McNeal made his way to Minneapolis in the mid-1990s, where he began working as a deejay at KMOJ and soon befriended Travis Lee.
“I was a KMOJ alum and still frequented the station,” noted Lee, remembering the first time he met McNeal. “You could see right away he was special. I immediately admired his skills as a deejay. Just the way he connected with people. He was so funny, so intelligent. Debonaire lived to entertain. And he became really popular in this town… really fast.”
McNeal’s emergence at the “People’s Station” set the stage for his indelible impact on the local entertainment scene—producing, promoting, and often emceeing first-class events across the region.
One of McNeal’s closest friends, James Burroughs, also recalls the first time they met. “I think it was at a housewarming party for someone,” Burroughs recollected, “and Debonaire being from Chicago and me having relocated here from D.C., we understood that there wasn’t a lot for Black people to do here.”
Together, McNeal and Burroughs established Bachelor Boy Entertainment, which brought many notable concerts and events to the Twin Cities.
“I can’t begin to count the number of A-list celebrities I met through Debonaire,” said Lee. “These were people that were on a first-name basis with him. People that loved him. Just like everyone else that got to know him.”
Likewise, McNeal’s influence and the positive impact he made in the community stretched well beyond the world of entertainment.
In 2015, McNeal founded the Doorstep Foundation, an organization that connects local youth with mentors in the community to help young people chart a course toward success in school, work, and life. The goal of the Doorstep Foundation is “to never leave the problems of our people on anyone else’s doorstep.”
“Doorstep was his brainchild,” said Dr. Robbins-McNeal, who will now step into the role of executive director to help continue her husband’s legacy.
“His work has to go on. So we’ll keep expanding, making sure that we mentor youth and connect them to people that look like them, that come from the same neighborhoods they do. Picking up where Debonaire left off.”
McNeal’s service to the community also included his work with the Northside Achievement Zone, Den Brothers, and the Hope and Healing Counseling Services among many other groups.
“Debonaire was giving to a fault. And it was hard for him to say no to anyone,” Lee observed. “His guest list was always bigger than his ‘paid’ guest list.”
Lee added, “And he loved his wife and kids. He’d brag on those kids all the time. And that smile of this. Wow! It would light up a room instantly.”
Burroughs remembers that smile too and what an amazing “connector” McNeal was. “Debonaire impacted us in so many ways. Through his foundation. Through music and culture. Helping to make this a place for Black people to enjoy life, to be successful, to connect with one another.”
Not only will he be dearly missed by the community, but indubitably by his family. “Debonair’s first grandson is due to be born this December,” revealed Dr. Robbins-McNeal. “He was excited to become a grandfather. So proud his oldest son was about to have a child.
“Now he’ll never get the chance to meet him. Debonaire will miss all those milestones,” she continued. “This is such a tremendous loss for us. Not just because he was a husband, a father, and soon-to-be a grandfather, but because of the type of person he was. Debonaire was special.”
McNeal is preceded in death by his mother Susan, brother Michael, and daughter Anaja. He is survived by his wife, Zakia, and sons Darius, Jachai, and Andrew.
A public visitation is scheduled for Friday, November 17, 2023, from 1 to 6 p.m., at Shiloh Temple International Ministries, 1201 West Broadway Ave. in Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider a donation by visiting https://linktr.ee/ZakiaRobbinsMcNeal.
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