# Al B. Sure!
**Al B. Sure!** (born Albert Joseph Brown III, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and radio host who was one of the most popular performers of new jack swing, the R&B style that dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1](https://www.musicvf.com/Al%2BB.%2BSure%21.alb) His 1988 debut album *In Effect Mode* topped the Billboard R&B Albums chart and produced the number-one R&B single "Nite and Day," and he has received three Grammy Award nominations, an American Music Award, and Soul Train Awards.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1100436/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Albert Joseph Brown III, born 1968 in Boston, Massachusetts; raised in Mount Vernon, New York[3](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode) |
| Breakthrough | Debut album *In Effect Mode*, released May 3, 1988 on Warner Bros.; reached the top of the Billboard R&B Albums chart[3](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode) |
| Signature single | "Nite and Day," number 1 on the R&B Singles chart and number 7 on the Hot 100[3](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode) |
| Grammy record | 0 wins, 3 nominations: "Nite and Day" (1989), "Missunderstanding" (1991), and "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" with James Ingram, El DeBarge, and Barry White (1991)[4](https://www.grammy.com/artists/al-b-sure/14047/) |
| Other honors | American Music Award and Soul Train Awards for Best New Artist[5](https://aalbc.com/interview/Al-B-Sure-The-Ultimate-Merger-Interview) |
| Later career | Host of the nationally syndicated radio program *Love and R&B*[6](https://unitedmasters.com/a/officialalbsure) |
| Health crisis | In October 2022 he woke from a two-month coma after multi-system organ failure, 38 days on a ventilator, kidney dialysis, and a liver transplant[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1100436/bio/) |
## Early life and discovery
Brown was a star quarterback at Mount Vernon High School in New York, but after graduation he turned down an athletic scholarship to the [University of Iowa](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-iowa) to study music.[3](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode) In 1987 he entered the Sony Innovators Talent Search and was selected as the winner by [Quincy Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/quincy-jones), the producer and executive who became his mentor; by the following year he had released his debut album under the stage name Al B. Sure His entry into the industry also ran through Uptown Records, the label [Andre Harrell](https://www.edgepedia.org/andre-harrell) was starting when the two met in January 1987, and he was introduced to the public in 1988 by Quincy Jones, Warner Bros. executive Benny Medina, Harrell, and DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz.[7](https://soulculture.com/al-b-sure-co-producer-kyle-west-recalls-the-making-of-in-effect-mode-1988-return-to-the-classics/) • [6](https://unitedmasters.com/a/officialalbsure)
## In Effect Mode and new jack swing
Brown's musical foundation was originally in rap: he wanted to be a rapper and was close friends with Eddie Ferrell of Heavy D & the Boyz, but after hearing the R&B music his cousin Kyle West was producing he switched to singing, and in about six months he taught himself to write, arrange, and produce R&B songs in the vein of his idol [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson).[7](https://soulculture.com/al-b-sure-co-producer-kyle-west-recalls-the-making-of-in-effect-mode-1988-return-to-the-classics/)
*In Effect Mode* was produced variously by Brown, Teddy Riley, and Kyle West, and it arrived as new jack swing, the Riley-led fusion of R&B singing with hip-hop production, was taking over the genre after [Keith Sweat](https://www.edgepedia.org/keith-sweat)'s *Make It Last Forever*. The album helped demonstrate how commercially viable the style could be and spurred a wave of new jack swing performers through the late 1980s and early 1990s.[7](https://soulculture.com/al-b-sure-co-producer-kyle-west-recalls-the-making-of-in-effect-mode-1988-return-to-the-classics/) The first song Brown recorded for the album was "Nite and Day," which became a number-one R&B hit and a number-seven pop hit.[3](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode) The album delivered a second R&B number one with "Off on Your Own (Girl)," the number-two R&B hit "If I'm Not Your Lover" (featuring [Slick Rick](https://www.edgepedia.org/slick-rick)), the number-three hit "Rescue Me," and a cover of "Killing Me Softly" that reached number 14 on the R&B chart.[3](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode) Brown co-wrote every song on the set except that cover.[8](https://www.rhino.com/aod/in-effect-mode-al-b-sure) Rhino describes *In Effect Mode* as a million-selling album.[8](https://www.rhino.com/aod/in-effect-mode-al-b-sure)
In the United Kingdom his chart impact was modest: "Nite and Day" peaked at number 44, "Off on Your Own" at number 70, and "If I'm Not Your Lover" with Slick Rick at number 54, for a total of ten weeks on the UK singles chart between April 1988 and June 1989.[9](https://www.charttimemachine.com/?artist_id=4306&view=artist)
## Later albums and collaborations
Brown's second album, *Private Times...And the Whole 9!* (1990), produced another R&B number one with "Misunderstanding," and his third, *Sexy Versus* (1992), yielded the R&B number one "Right Now."[1](https://www.musicvf.com/Al%2BB.%2BSure%21.alb) He also appeared on the 1994 *Above the Rim* soundtrack with a cover of "I'm Still in Love with You."[1](https://www.musicvf.com/Al%2BB.%2BSure%21.alb)
**Collaborations.** Known for the velvety falsetto on his romantic songs, Brown recorded duets with artists including [Diana Ross](https://www.edgepedia.org/diana-ross), David Bowie, and [Al Green](https://www.edgepedia.org/al-green).[5](https://aalbc.com/interview/Al-B-Sure-The-Ultimate-Merger-Interview) His 1991 single "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)," recorded with [James Ingram](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-ingram), El DeBarge, and Barry White, was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[4](https://www.grammy.com/artists/al-b-sure/14047/) His soundtrack and appearance credits span films and series such as *New Jack City*, *Jason's Lyric*, *Above the Rim*, and *New York Undercover*, and he was featured in the BET documentary *Inside the Label* as the first platinum artist on Uptown Records.[6](https://unitedmasters.com/a/officialalbsure)
## Awards
The Recording Academy lists Brown with zero wins from three nominations, all in R&B categories: Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for "Nite and Day" at the [31st Annual Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/31st-annual-grammy-awards) (1989), and both Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male for "Missunderstanding" and the duo-or-group nomination for "The Secret Garden" at the 33rd (1991).[4](https://www.grammy.com/artists/al-b-sure/14047/) He won [Soul Train](https://www.edgepedia.org/soul-train) and American Music Awards for Best New Artist over the course of his recording career.[5](https://aalbc.com/interview/Al-B-Sure-The-Ultimate-Merger-Interview)
## Radio, family, and health
Brown later became the host of *Love and R&B*, a nationally syndicated radio program, and has used the platform to amplify social justice and civil rights issues.[6](https://unitedmasters.com/a/officialalbsure) He has a son, Quincy, with Kim Porter, named after his mentor Quincy Jones; Quincy performs under the stage name B Sure Jr.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1100436/bio/)
In October 2022 Brown woke from a two-month coma after a medical crisis that involved multi-system organ failure, thirty-eight days on a ventilator, kidney dialysis, and a liver transplant.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1100436/bio/) He has since described the experience in interviews and spoken about a new mission following his recovery.[10](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/r-b-star-al-b-210555550.html)
## References
1. [Al B. Sure! albums, Music VF](https://www.musicvf.com/Al%2BB.%2BSure%21.alb)
2. [Al B. Sure! Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1100436/bio/)
3. [Happy 30th: Al B. Sure!, IN EFFECT MODE, Rhino](https://www.rhino.com/article/happy-30th-al-b-sure-in-effect-mode)
4. [Al B. Sure! Grammy Awards and Nominations, Recording Academy](https://www.grammy.com/artists/al-b-sure/14047/)
5. [Al B. Sure – “The Ultimate Merger” Interview, AALBC](https://aalbc.com/interview/Al-B-Sure-The-Ultimate-Merger-Interview)
6. [Al B. Sure! on UnitedMasters](https://unitedmasters.com/a/officialalbsure)
7. [Al B. Sure! co-producer Kyle West recalls the making of In Effect Mode (1988), SoulCulture](https://soulculture.com/al-b-sure-co-producer-kyle-west-recalls-the-making-of-in-effect-mode-1988-return-to-the-classics/)
8. [In Effect Mode, Rhino Album of the Day](https://www.rhino.com/aod/in-effect-mode-al-b-sure)
9. [Al B Sure! Discography, The Chart Time Machine](https://www.charttimemachine.com/?artist_id=4306&view=artist)
10. [R&B star Al B. Sure! reflects on miracle survival, Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/r-b-star-al-b-210555550.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › R&B singers, 1990s and 2000s › R&B singers of the 1990s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license