Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Little Anthony will return to New York City on Sunday, October 18, for a special performance at The Cutting Room, celebrating an extraordinary 70 years in the music business.
Born Jerome Anthony Gourdine, the legendary singer has spent seven decades entertaining audiences with his unmistakable voice and timeless hits, including “Tears on My Pillow,” “Goin’ Out of My Head,” “Hurt So Bad,” and “I’m on the Outside (Looking In).” Now, at 85 years old, Little Anthony continues to perform and record new music, showing no signs of slowing down.
His musical journey began in Brooklyn, where he grew up surrounded by the sounds of doo-wop and early rock and roll. As a teenager, he performed with local vocal groups, including The Duponts and The Chesters. In 1958, The Chesters signed with End Records and became The Imperials. Legendary New York radio DJ Alan Freed later gave Gourdine the nickname “Little Anthony,” a name that would become synonymous with some of the most memorable songs of the era.
That same year, Little Anthony and The Imperials released their breakthrough single, “Tears on My Pillow,” which reached No. 4 on the Billboard pop chart and sold more than a million copies. The group followed with “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko Bop” before enjoying another wave of success during the 1960s with “Goin’ Out of My Head” and “Hurt So Bad,” both of which became Top 10 hits despite fierce competition from the British Invasion.
Over the decades, Little Anthony and The Imperials established themselves as one of the most enduring vocal groups in American music. Their influence and contributions were recognized with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, with Smokey Robinson presenting the honor. The group was also inducted into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2006.
Seventy years after his first professional performance in Brooklyn at just 15 years old, Little Anthony’s return to New York City brings his remarkable career full circle.
And he isn’t relying solely on nostalgia. Little Anthony has also released a new four-song EP, Never Say Never, which has been submitted for Grammy consideration. The project marks another chapter in a career that has stretched across generations, from the earliest days of rock and roll to the present.
Sunday’s performance at The Cutting Room offers fans an opportunity to experience one of the surviving voices of rock and roll’s formative years in an intimate setting. With a catalog spanning seven decades and new music to share, Little Anthony continues to prove that age is no barrier to doing what he loves.
Little Anthony performs at The Cutting Room, located at 44 East 32nd Street in Manhattan, on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets start at $75, with VIP options also available.
Tickets and additional information are available through The Cutting Room and Eventim.
