Little Anthony and the Imperials is an American rhythm and blues/soul/doo-wop vocal group from New York, first active in the 1950s. Lead singer Jerome Anthony Little Anthony Gourdine was noted for his high-pitched falsetto voice, influenced by Jimmy Scott. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4, 2009, 23 years after the groups first year of eligibility for induction. In 1957, a doo-wop group known as the Chesters existed with members Clarence Collins, Tracy Lord, Nathaniel Rodgers, and Ronald Ross. Anthony Gourdine, a former member of the Duponts, joined as lead vocalist. Ernest Wright took over from Ross, and the group recorded briefly for Apollo Records.[citation needed] Changing their name to the Imperials, they signed with End Records in 1958. Their first single was Tears on My Pillow, which was an instant hit. (While playing this song, D.J. Alan Freed came up with the name Little Anthony.) The B-side, Two People in the World, was also a hit. The group followed up with Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko Ko Bop in 1960. When their success dwindled in 1961, Gourdine left to attempt a solo career. Original Imperials member Nate Rogers was drafted into the service and Tracey Lord, another original member, left to get married. and the line-up then became Collins, Wright, Sammy Strain,(a childhood friend who had grown up together with the Imperials in Brooklyn), and George Kerr. Kerr was replaced by Kenny Seymour after a short time. This line-up had little success. Gourdine returned in 1963, replacing Seymour. The groups classic line-up – Gourdine, Wright, Collins, and Strain – was now complete. With the help of record producer/songwriter Teddy Randazzo (a childhood friend of the group), the Imperials found success on the new DCP (Don Costa Productions) label with the dramatic pop-soul records Im On The Outside (Looking In) (1964), Goin Out Of My Head (1964), Hurt So Bad (1965), I Miss You So (1965), Take Me Back (1965), Hurt (1966), Better Use Your Head (1966), and Out of Sight, Out Of Mind (1969).[3] In 1965, the Imperials appeared on the CBS-TV special Murray The K - Its Whats Happening, Baby, where they performed Im Alright before a live audience in New York at the Brooklyn Fox Theatre. At the height of their career, the group made two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, at the time televisions top talent showcase, on March 28, 1965, and again on January 25, 1970 They also performed on many other popular television variety shows during the sixties, including Shindig!, Hullabaloo, Perry Comos Kraft Music Hall, Soul Train, Dick Clarks American Bandstand, and The Tonight Show. youtu.be/cyUtEWaJI-g
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 04:01:12 +0000
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