Al B. Sure!

Biography

Albert Joseph Brown III (born June 4, 1968), known professionally as Al B. Sure!, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, radio host and former record executive. He was born in Boston and raised in Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brown was one of new jack swing's most popular performers.

Early life and music career

Brown is the son of Albert Joseph Brown II, a nuclear medicine technologist, and Cassandra Brown, an accountant. Brown was a star football quarterback at Mount Vernon High School in New York, who rejected an athletic scholarship to the University of Iowa to pursue a music career. In 1987, Quincy Jones selected Brown as the first winner of the Sony Innovators Talent Search. He went on to work with Jones on several projects, most notably the platinum 1990 single "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" from Jones' double-platinum-certified album Back on the Block. On this recording, Brown was one of a quartet with Barry White, El DeBarge, and James Ingram.
Brown's 1988 debut album In Effect Mode×In Effect Mode3 May 1988 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Nite and Day4:042Oooh This Love Is So4:393Killing Me Softly4:514Naturally Mine4:145Rescue Me3:586Off on Your Own (Girl)4:097If I'm Not Your Lover4:058Just a Taste of Lovin’4:219Noche y dia4:02 sold more than three million copies, topping the Billboard R&B chart for seven straight weeks. It included the single "Nite and Day×Nite and Day1988 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracksA1Nite and Day (Dusk mix)6:01A2Nite and Day (Dawn mix)2:38A3Nite and Day (single edit)4:00B1Nuit et jour (extended version)5:35B2Nuit et jour (instrumental)6:10B3Nuit et jour (single edit)4:00", which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Off on Your Own (Girl)×Off on Your Own (Girl)1988 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Off on Your Own (Girl) (remix)8:25A2Off on Your Own (Girl) (radio edit)4:40B1Off on Your Own (Girl) (street mix)8:50B2Noche y dia4:16", which also topped the R&B chart. He received numerous Grammy and American Music Award (AMA) nominations, and won an AMA for Best New R&B Artist. He also received several Soul Train Award nominations, and won the award for Best New Artist. Brown also won several New York Music Awards. In addition, his 1-900 phone line was third in generating revenue, following those for New Kids on the Block and Run-D.M.C.
As a writer and producer, Brown helped introduce to the music industry such multi-platinum acts as Jodeci and teen R&B performer Tevin Campbell (who was also one of Prince's and Quincy Jones' former protégés), as well as Faith Evans, Dave Hollister, Case.
In 2009, Brown signed with Hidden Beach Recordings. His first single for the label, "I Love It (Papi Aye, Aye, Aye)," entered the Radio & Records Urban AC chart at No. 33. The album Honey, I'm Home was released on June 23, 2009.

Other work

In 1991, Brown co-starred with Martin Lawrence in a television pilot titled Private Times.
In 1993, Brown provided vocals to the title track of the David Bowie album Black Tie White Noise. He performed the song live with Bowie on The Tonight Show the same year.
In 2000, Brown's ABS Entertainment launched a television development division, and he served as co-executive producer of an HBO Comedy Special starring Jamie Foxx, filmed at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California. Then, Brown teamed with the ABC Radio Network to produce and host a romantically themed nighttime music program, The Secret Garden, featuring a blend of music and celebrity guests.
Brown participated in Bless the Children Foundation's celebrity auction along with NFL stars Charles Woodson and Anthony Dorsett. He was presented with the key to the city of Oakland by city council member Laurence E. Reid in recognition of the participation of Brown's ABS Ken-Struk-Shen in refurbishing parts of the city. Reid proclaimed October 19 Al B. Sure! Day. Brown was a DJ on the Los Angeles radio station KHHT, and played old-school hip hop and R&B. He currently hosts a daily morning-radio show on iHeart Radio.
In July 2019, Brown became the new host of Urban One's nationally syndicated evening quiet storm/slow jams program Love and R&B, replacing the previous host, John Monds. The show, syndicated through Urban One subsidiary Reach Media and based in Dallas, Texas, is heard on urban adult contemporary format radio stations such as WZAK in Cleveland, WMMJ in Washington, and WDMK in Detroit among others.
In 2010, Brown appeared as one of the 12 contestants on the TV One reality television dating game show The Ultimate Merger. The series was produced by Donald Trump and starred former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, whom Brown dated previously.
In 2023, Brown and Al Sharpton founded a health equity organization called Health Equity in Transplantation following a March decision made by a private Medicare administrative contractor on behalf of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Coverage (CMS). The organization seeks to support underserved communities by supporting blood testing for early detection of organ rejection. Brown serves as the Executive Chairman.
Brown was featured in the Peacock documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy, which was his first time speaking on camera about Kim Porter's death and relationship with Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Personal life

Al B. Sure! has three sons. His eldest son Albert Joseph Brown IV, as Al B. Sure! Jr, was featured on the MTV series Rock the Cradle. His second son Devin Brown is an R&B singer who goes by the name of Devin LOUD. While publicly dating Niki Haris in 1991, he had a son by Kim Porter, Quincy Brown, who was later allegedly adopted by mogul music producer Sean "P Diddy" Combs. In that same year, he co-wrote a song called "Forever My Lady" in honor of Kim and his son. The song was performed by Jodeci and produced by Al B. Sure! and Jodeci-member DeVante Swing. He then started a relationship with singer Karyn White in 2012.
In 2022, it was revealed that Al had suffered from multiple illnesses including renal failure. He eventually was intubated and fell into a coma. He received a liver transplant, and has been recovering since 2023.