Little Anthony and The Imperials bring their unique harmonies to the Jersey Shore on Thursday, July 5 as they kick off the Cape May Summer Concert Series. The show will be held at Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave. in Cape May, beginning at 8 p.m.
Known for his distinctive falsetto voice, Anthony Gourdine joined a vocal group known as The Chesters in 1957. The group changed its name to The Imperials, signed with End Records, and recorded “Tears on My Pillow,” which reached Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958. Not only did the record also produce a B-side hit, “Two People in the World,” but it also inspired Gourdine’s nickname, Little Anthony, coined by well-known disc jockey Alan Freed.
Between 1958 and 1974, the group recorded 18 additional Top 100 hits, including “Goin’ Out of My Head,” which reached Number 6 in 1964, and “Hurt So Bad,” which reached Number 10 in 1965. Other hits include “I’m On The Outside (Looking In),” “I Miss You So,” “Take Me Back,” “Hurt” and “Out of Sight, Out Of Mind.”
Little Anthony and The Imperials have made numerous television appearances, including “Murray The K – It’s What’s Happening, Baby,” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” “Shindig!” “Hullabaloo,” “Dick Clark’s American Bandstand,” “The Tonight Show,” The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Soul Train.” The group was featured on the Summer Concert Series of NBC’s “The Today Show” in 1997, and they appeared on two popular PBS specials: “Rock, Rhythm and Doo-Wop” in 2002, and “Soul Spectacular: 40 Years of R&B” in 2003.
Little Anthony and The Imperials’ contributions to the music industry have resulted in a number of honors, including the Rhythm and Blues Foundation’s Pioneer Award in 1993 and induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. In April 2009, the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and later that year, they performed “Two People in the World” at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert.
Tickets for this and all other summer concerts (with the exception of the free beach concert) are $48 for reserved seats and can be purchased in person at Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave., or online at DiscoverCapeMayNJ.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/capemaycity and follow us on Twitter @capemaycity. For more information, call (609) 884-9563 or (609) 884-9565.