Jerome “Little Anthony Gourdine was born on January 8, 1941, to Victoria Stafford and Thomas Elliot Gourdine. He grew up in the Fort Greene Housing Project in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Boys High School. While in high school, Gourdine and his friends created a doo-wop group called, The Duponts In 1957, Gourdine joined a new group called the, The Chesters, as the lead vocalist. The group recorded, “Tears on My Pillow,” which became an instant success. The Chesters, changed their name to Little Anthony & The Imperials, in 1959, and released their second hit single, “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop,” which sold one million records.