Formed:

1958 (Brooklyn, New York, NY)

Genres:

Doo-wop, R&B, Pop Vocal, Soul, Pop-soul

Principal Members:

Little Anthony (b. Jerome Anthony Gourdine, Janoary 8, 1940, Brooklyn, New York, NY): lead vocals (falsetto)
Ernest Wright, Jr. (b. August 24, 1939, Brooklyn, New York, NY): vocals (first tenor)
Clarence Collins (b. March 17, 1939, Brooklyn, New York, NY): vocals (baritone)
Sammy Strain (b. December 9, 1940, Brooklyn, New York, NY): vocals (second tenor)

Contributions to music:

• Began as one of Brooklyn's finest doo-wop groups
• Lead singer Anthony Gourdine has one of the most unique and dramatic voices in pop history, perfectly suited to heartbroken ballads
• Had a longer chart history than almost any other vocal group, largely due to their decision to abandon doo-wop for adult pop standards
• Helped create and define the sophisticated Sixties genre known as "uptown soul"
• Also known for harder-edged R&B, dance, and a brief early-Seventies flirtation with "Philly Soul"

Early years:

A veteran of Brooklyn's notorious Fort Greene projects, Anthony Gourdine sang on street corners for years before his success, most notably with a doo-wop group called the Duponts. When that group split, he formed the Chesters with what would become the classic Imperials lineup; after an appearance at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater and one flop single ("Lift Up Your Head") on the theater's custom label, Richard Barrett of End Records signed them and suggested the famous name change -- but only of the group, not Anthony.

Barrett then gave the group a song called "Tears On My Pillow."

Success:

"Tears" was a huge smash in 1958, selling over one million copies. (DJ Alan Freed, noticing Anthony's diminutive stature, airchecked the group as "Little Anthony and the Imperials," a name which stuck.) But even though the flip got enough airplay to become a minor hit, the next few years saw the group vainly attempting to replicate the original's success, scoring only with the strange novelty "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop." Finally in 1964, childhood friend Teddy Randazzo of DCP Records steered them in an adult-pop direction, creating wonderfully overblown pop operettas perfect for Anthony's sense of vocal drama.

Later years:

The mid-to-late Sixties were glory years for the Imperials (not to be confused with the other, Anthony-less doo-wop group of the same name from Detroit). The Seventies saw soul becoming slicker and smoother, yet ironically, the kings of Uptown Soul couldn't manage another big pop hit, despite the best efforts of Philly hitmaker Thom Bell, among others. Sammy Strain left in the mid-Seventies, and Anthony a few years later, effectively ending the group; however, three of the original members (minus Strain) reformed in 1992 and have been recording and playing the oldies circuit ever since.

Other facts:

• Other Imperials members have included: Glouster "Nat" Rogers (tenor vocals, 1958-1961) and Tracy Lord (bass vocals, 1958-1961)
• "Shimmy Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop" was the last song played by Alan Freed at New York station WINS before he left due to the "Payola" scandal
• Sammy Strain was co-author of the Chips' 1956 novelty hit "Rubber Biscuit," later a hit for the Blues Brothers
• "Goin' Out Of My Head" has been played on US radio over five million times
• Sammy Strain joined the O'Jays in 1977; Wright has toured with a version of the Platters
• Gourdine is a born-again Christian who recorded a religious album with B.J. Thomas in 1980

Awards/Honors:

• Long Island Music Hall of Fame (2006)
• Rhythm And Blues Foundation Pioneer Award (1993)
• Vocal Group Hall Of Fame (1999)

Recorded work:

Top 10 hits:
Pop:

• "Tears On My Pillow" (1958)
• "Goin' Out Of My Head" (1964)
• "Hurt So Bad" (1966)

R&B:

• "Tears On My Pillow" (1958)

Other popular recordings: "Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop," "I'm On The Outside (Looking In)," "Take Me Back," "I Miss You So," "Oh Yeah," "Cha Cha Henry," "When You Wish Upon A Star," "River Path," "So Near And Yet So Far," "Only Sympathy," "Formula Of Love," "Dream," "Say Yeah," "Two People In The World," "So Much," "The Diary," "It's Not For Me," "Wishful Thinking," "A Prayer And A Juke Box," "I'm Alright," "My Empty Room," "I'm Taking A Vacation From Love," "Take Me Back," "Please Say You Want Me," "Traveling Stranger," "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind," "Hurt," "Ten Commandments Of Love," "Better Use Your Head," "Gonna Fix You Good (Everytime You're Bad)," "I'm Hypnotized," "Yesterday Has Gone," "Help Me Find A Way (To Say I Love You"
Covered by: Linda Ronstadt, The Zombies, Kylie Minogue, Cilla Black, Lorrie Morgan, Sergio Mendes, Frank Sinatra, Reba McEntire, The Lettermen
Appears in the movies:Anthony Gourdine: "Siren" (2006)