Al B. Sure!
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Al B. Sure!
- Genres: Rhythm & Blues
Biography
During the late '80s, Al B. Sure! enjoyed a brief run as one of new jack swing's most popular romantic singers. Born Al Brown in Boston, he grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, listening to smooth crooners like Marvin Gaye and Johnny Mathis; he later became interested in rap and added that skill to his vocal repertoire. At age ten, he and a friend performed on a song written by Ellie Greenwich for the soundtrack of Sesame Street, and later he began writing songs with his cousin Kyle West. While in high school (where he quarterbacked the football team), he became friends with Edward Ferrell, aka DJ Eddie F, who was working with rapper Heavy D at the time. Eddie F introduced the still-teenaged Al B. Sure! to Heavy D's manager/Uptown label head Andre Harrell, who had him sing backing vocals on several Heavy D tracks and helped him get a deal with Warner Brothers. Featuring production from DJ Eddie F and a number of co-writes with West, Al B. Sure!'s debut album, In Effect Mode, was released in 1988 and became a platinum-selling sensation thanks to the single "Nite and Day," which reached the Top Ten on the pop charts and topped the R&B charts for three weeks. The follow-up, "Off on Your Own (Girl)," was also a number one R&B hit, and he became a bona fide star among urban audiences, though he didn't remain a presence on the pop charts. His second album, Private Times...and the Whole 9, appeared in 1990 and produced another R&B number one in "Misunderstanding," as well as a duet with Diana Ross called "No Matter What." His third album, 1992's Sexy Versus, wasn't as successful, and he took a hiatus from recording, eventually landing a vice president position at Motown. In 1996, he survived a potentially nasty car accident in New York, and in 2002, he began hosting a quiet storm-style radio show in the San Francisco Bay Area. Signed to the Hidden Beach label, he finally returned with Honey I'm Home, his first album in 17 years, in 2009. ~ Steve Huey, RoviRelated Videos:
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Al B. Sure!
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Al B. Sure!
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| Al B. Sure | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Albert Jason Brown III |
| Born | June 4, 1968 |
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | Urban, New Jack Swing, Quiet Storm, R&B |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, record producer, musician, disc jockey |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboard |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records, Hidden Beach Records |
| Associated acts | Quincy Jones, Heavy D., Keith Sweat |
Albert Jason Brown III (born June 4, 1968, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He grew up in Leonia, New Jersey, and Mount Vernon, New York.[1] During the late 1980s under the stage name Al B. Sure!, he enjoyed a brief run as one of New Jack Swing's most popular romantic singers[2] and producers.
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Contents
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Music career
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. Subsequently, Brown went on to work with Jones on several projects, most notably the platinum 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.
His debut album from 1988, In Effect Mode, sold more than two million copies, topping the Billboard R&B chart for seven straight weeks. The album included the single "Nite and Day," which topped the R&B chart and reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. 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. He also won several New York Music Awards. In addition, his 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 introduced the multi-platinum group Jodeci and teen R&B performer Tevin Campbell (also one of Quincy Jones's former protégés), as well as Faith Evans, Dave Hollister, Case, and Usher to the music industry.
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 in one week. The album Honey, I'm Home was released on June 23, 2009.
Other work
In 1991, Sure! co-starred with Martin Lawrence in a television pilot titled Private Times. Other cast members included ER's Michael Michele and The Five Heartbeats' Michael Wright. Sure!'s various talk show appearances include The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, The Arsenio Hall Show, Rolanda, and Donahue. Sure!'s television and acting performances include Showtime at the Apollo, Soul Train and The Soul Train Music Awards, the Grammys, the American Music Awards, Will Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and ABC's Magic Johnson Special from Hawaii. He also hosted MTV Jams.
In 2000, Sure!'s ABS Entertainment launched a television development division, and he served as co-executive producer of the HBO Comedy Special starring Jamie Foxx, filmed at the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California.
Recently, Sure! teamed with the ABC Radio Network to produce a romantic nighttime show, The Secret Garden, hosted by him and featuring a blend of music and celebrity guests.
Sure! participated in the Bless the Children Foundation 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 work of Sure!'s ABS Ken-Struk-Shen in refurbishing parts of the city. Reid proclaimed October 19 Al B Sure! Day.
Sure! was a DJ on the Los Angeles radio station KHHT, and played old-school hip hop and R&B. He was one of 590 Clear Channel employees downsized in April 2009.
One of his three sons, known as Li'l B. Sure!, was featured on MTV series Rock the Cradle.
In 2010, Sure! appeared as one of the 12 contestants on the TV One reality television dating game show The Ultimate Merger.[3] The series was produced by Donald Trump and starred former Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth, whom Sure! dated previously.[4]
Personal life
Sure! has three sons: Quincy Brown (born June 4, 1991), with Kimberly Porter (Who also made an appearance on Keeping Up with the Kardashians); Albert Brown IV (who is an aspiring singer with the stage name Li'l B. Sure!); and Devin, who resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He also has a goddaughter, Paige Hurd.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. R&B | |||
| 1988 | In Effect Mode
|
20 | 1 |
|
| 1990 | Private Times...and the Whole 9!
|
20 | 4 |
|
| 1992 | Sexy Versus
|
41 | 2 | |
| 2009 | Honey I’m Home
|
85 | – | |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Adult | U.S. Dance Singles | |||
| 1988 | "Nite and Day" | 7 | 1 | 19 | 1 | In Effect Mode |
| 1989 | "Off on Your Own (Girl)" | 45 | 1 | – | 8 | |
| "Killing Me Softly" | 80 | 14 | – | – | ||
| "Rescue Me" | – | 3 | – | 33 | ||
| "If I'm Not Your Lover" | – | 2 | – | – | ||
| "Somebody for Me" (Heavy D & The Boyz featuring Al B. Sure!) | – | 8 | – | 7 | Big Tyme | |
| 1990 | "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" (Quincy Jones featuring Al B. Sure!, Barry White, James Ingram & El DeBarge) | 31 | 1 | 26 | – | Back on the Block |
| "Misunderstanding" | 42 | 1 | – | 19 | Private Times...and the Whole 9! | |
| "Had Enuf" | – | 28 | – | – | ||
| 1991 | "No Matter What You Do" (featuring Diana Ross) | – | 4 | – | – | |
| 1992 | "Right Now" | 47 | 1 | – | 11 | Sexy Versus |
| "U & I" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Natalie" | – | 56 | – | – | ||
| 1993 | "I Don't Wanna Cry" | – | 83 | – | – | |
| "Black Tie White Noise" (David Bowie featuring Al B. Sure!) | – | – | – | – | Black Tie White Noise | |
| 2009 | "I Love It (Papi Aye, Aye, Aye)" | – | 72 | – | – | Honey I'm Home |
References
- ^ Holden, Stephen. "The Pop Life", The New York Times, October 31, 1990. Accessed March 30, 2011. "The singer, who lives in northern New Jersey, was born in Boston, lived in Leonia, N.J., for several years, then moved to Goshen, N.Y., and went to high school in Mount Vernon, N.Y."
- ^ Huey, Steve. "Biography: Al B. Sure!". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p50835. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ "Al B. Sure! Among Competitors for Omarosa's Love.", BlackAmericaWeb.com, June 17, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ Bland, Bridget (June 14, 2010). "Omarosa Says New Reality Show Isn't Run-of-the-Mill 'Love' Fare". AOL Black Voices. http://www.bvnewswire.com/2010/06/14/omarosa-new-realty-show-love-ultimate-merger/. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ "Al B.Sure!". Soulsystem.it. http://www.soulsystem.it/artist.asp?artist=514. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ Billboard 200 Billboard.com
- ^ "Al B. Sure! -| Official Site | www.AlBSure.net – Home". Honeyimhome2009.com. http://www.honeyimhome2009.com/. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Hidden Beach – Al B. Sure! :: Honey I'm Home :: Full Album :: Honey I'm Home [CD ALBUM] – AUTOGRAPHED – 30 Available". Shop.hiddenbeach.com. http://shop.hiddenbeach.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=30499. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "AL B. SURE! – Honey I'm Home – In stores June 23". Hiddenbeach.com. http://hiddenbeach.com/albsure/. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
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