It’s not that the group is tired of Doo Wop. Actually, it’s quite the contrary, as the group describes its current time in the spotlight at its “second prime.” Instead, Anthony and the guys want to get away from the short, half-hour appearances where the group is sandwiched between other vocal performers on shows billed as Doo Wop reunions.

Said the group’s founder and lead vocalist Anthony Gourdine:

“We headlined those dates for years and it was all about making a living, really. We re-grouped at one of those ‘Doo Wop shows’ and it seemed like a natural progression. For a time, they were OK to do but since our performance on David Letterman last year, the release of our CD You’ll Never Know and our induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 4th, our audiences have re-discovered us. It was obvious to me that it was time to move on and get back to our R&B roots.”

That said, Little Anthony & The Imperials will play their last Doo Wop reunion gig on June 13 at E. Rutherford, N.J.’s Izod Center. Then it’s off to play headline engagements. The group’s Summer calendar includes stops at the Hollywood Casino in Grantville, Penn., June 28; The Cannery in Las Vegas July 11; Tanner Park in Babylon, N.Y., July 17 and City Park in Lyndhurst, N.J., July 18.

Other stops include Charlotte’s Ovens Auditorium Sept. 4; Durham, N.C.’s Performing Arts Center Sept. 6; and the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Sept. 13.

For more information, please click here for the Little Anthony & The Imperials Web site.