For the past two years, Al B Sure! has been documenting his medical journey on Instagram. Now the singer-songwriter has opened up in a new interview.
The “Off on Your Own” performer sat down with Fox 5 New York, to discuss surviving a string of life-threatening health problems and his plans for a comeback.
In the interview, posted online Dec. 12, Al B Sure! talked about emerging from a two-month coma.
“What people don’t truly understand — unless you’ve been through this type of medical journey — is taking for granted breathing, tying your shoes, speaking,” he said.
Related Story: Al B Sure! Details ‘Life-Changing’ Medical Crisis on Instagram
His most recent medical crisis began in July 2022, when he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.
After waking up from the coma, he learned the extent of his health problems, including suffering renal failure and getting an organ transplant.
“I was intubated. I was on a ventilator. I had a tracheotomy,” he explained. “There were so many things going on, to the point where [doctors] were considering sending me to hospice.”
Born, Albert Joseph Brown III, the singer entered a talent competition in the 1980s and was selected as the winner by Quincy Jones.
He became a household name and a heartthrob with the release of his debut album “In Effect Mode” in 1988. The disc sold more than three million copies and topped the Billboard R&B chart.
Related Story: Al B. Sure! Improving After Being Told He Had ‘4 to 6 Months’ to Live
After years of hard living, his weight climbed to 309 pounds.
“As time progresses, more steak dinners, more late nights in the studio,” he said in the interview. “After a while, the lifestyle changes and the metabolism does as well.”
He said Quincy Jones urged him to lose weight.
“He cares. He said, ‘Hey man I need you to live. You have stuff to do,” the New Jack Swing singer and radio host recalled being told. “‘But we need you around to do them, so get your act together.'”
Al B. Sure! got bariatric surgery after that conversation and slimmed down. Now he wants to encourage others to focus on their health.
“If I can influence or help or inspire someone else, I did my job,” he said.
The singer-songwriter is grateful to be alive, and is writing a book about his life, working on a podcast, and producing new music.
Watch the interview below.
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