Little Anthony & the Imperials - 2009 Performer category
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I say YES YES YES !! The IMPERIALS most DEFINITELY should be inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.In fact, they should have been among the FIRST groups inducted. They, along with THE MIRACLES and DELLS ,were the only groups of the DOO WOP era of the 1950's to maintain consistant success well into the '60's and '70's. That alone should have gotten them inducted.Their songs have become recognized classics ,having been recorded by artists as diverse as SERGIO MENDEZ,LINDA RONSTADT, FRANK SINATRA,and others, the LETTERMEN,for one, seem to have re-recorded every song they ever made.Songs such as TEARS ON MY PILLOW,HURT SO BAD,I'M ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN,GOING OUT OF MY HEAD,SHIMMY SHIMMY KO KO BOP,{which was featured in the TOM HANKS hit movie "BIG"},TAKE ME BACK,OUT OF SIGHT-OUT OF MIND,I MISS YOU SO,HURT,HELP ME FIND A WAY,and others have been recorded and re-recorded many times by others over the last 45 years. GOING OUT OF MY HEAD,for one, has had over 100 recorded versions, but none sounds as good as Little Anthony and The IMPERIALS'original version. They have also influnced an entire generation of artists , such as THE STYLISTICS, DELFONICS,BLUE MAGIC,MANHATTANS,CHI-LITES,and many more.In fact,the entire Philidelphia-based soft - soul movement of the 1970's,as exmplified by producers such as KENNY GAMBLE,LEON HUFF,THOM BELL,VAN MCCOY,and others ,can be traced directly back to the IMPERIALS'ground breaking early '60's recordings with TEDDY RANDAZZO and the late DON COSTA.Go back to the earliest days of rock and roll and they are there, with appearances on such shows as THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW,PERRY COMO'S KRAFT MUSIC HALL,ABC'S SHINDIG,NBC'S HULLABLOO - all the way to their show stopping performances on the 2002 & 2003 PBS MUSIC SPECIALS-the IMPERIALS-ANTHONY, ERNEST,CLARENCE,& SAMMY-most definitely SHOULD {along with the MIRACLES,who STILL haven't been inducted }-be inducted into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME !!
