Little Anthony and
The Imperials take
center stage:
Together Forever

Little Anthony and The Imperials never dreamed they would eventually become internationally famous when they first got together in Brooklyn, New York while still in their pre-teens.

Anthony Gourdine, a.k.a. Little Anthony, Clarence Collins, Ernest Wright, and Sammy Strain hit gold record status with 'Tears On My Pillow' which sold more than 4 million copies, and 'Two People In the World' on the other side sold 800,000. In late 1959, the group released the doo wop novelty tune 'Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop,' their third hit, selling more than one million copies.

By the end of 1961, with two singles failing to make the charts, Anthony was pressured to go 'solo.' Neither Anthony nor the other three members working as The Imperials made any progress in the hit record category, so in 1963, the group got back together. Their manager at the time got them together with Teddy Randazzo, a producer/composer and long-time admirer, who loved Anthony's sound and had the perfect song for him. The result was the smash hit 'I'm On the Outside Looking In.'

The group was signed to a recording contract in the summer of 1964 to DCP Records (Don Costa Productions). They enjoyed a great resurgence with more ballads under Randazzo's tutelage. They appeared on Murray the K's Paramount Theatre show billed as 'The Return of Little Anthony and The Imperials.' 'I'm On the Outside Looking In' became their biggest hit since 'Tears On My Pillow.' More hits followed.

Little Anthony and The Imperials is one of the few groups that successfully maintained a powerful importance through the Motown sound and the British invasion. Two other chart breakers, 'Going Out of My Head' along with 'Take Me Back' brought the group solidly into the late '60s.

They appeared on TV's Hit Parade, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Dick Clark shows, and performed in leading nightclubs throughout the country including the famed Copacabana, in the Caribbean, and at sold-out concert halls.

In 1975, Anthony officially separated from The Imperials. It was an amicable parting; Anthony simply felt it was time to go on his own. He became a solo artist from 1975 to 1991.

In 1992, Little Anthony and The Imperials came together for their first reunion show in New York City and decided to get back together. They have been so well-received by critics and fans alike that they now plan to stay together forever.

- Claridge Entertainment