AFTER-THE-SHOW

Little Anthony & The Imperials usually do an hour and 40 minute concert and after a show, we’re all pretty tired and the last thing you want to do is stay after-the-show. Our fans though are very close to us and like our pr guy said, “Little Anthony & The Imperials is a people’s group”. Our fans want to meet us and get autographs, take pictures etc. It’s a social thing and like country music artists, we make it a point to meet & greet our fans as often as possible. 

Originally, I was against doing this meet & greet after-the-show but my buddy, Imperials founder Clarence Collins and friend Jim Full brought to my attention the importance of after-the-show. They told me that we owe it to our fans. Jim also introduced me to Marie and Donny Osmond. Those two great guys convinced me to do the after-the-show and I’m so glad they did. They were onto something.

Little Anthony & The Imperials longevity in show business is all fan-related. As a performer, you want to protect your privacy and you “want to be alone” like Greta Garbo immortally said. At some point, as a performer you have to give back to your fans and that relationship between artist and fan is something special. You hear stories and tales concerning your songs. This is a plus because the stories are happy, hopeful, sad, redeeming, memorable, jarring, stirring, etc. I’ve watched fans’ faces light up with joy and they tell us what our songs and concerts mean to them.

I’ve had people in wheelchairs, army vets, Viet vets, baby boomers, R&B fans, parents, grandparents, their children come up and say how much LA&TIs mean to them. One Viet vet said, “man, your songs got me through Nam and I had to let you know just what you did for me”. It gave me an appreciation I never fully thought about.

I did not realize the impact we had at first and although, I didn’t want to do the after-the-show, I am so grateful I do now. When you are wrong, you’re wrong but it doesn’t mean you can’t get it right thereafter. The fans provided me with something I will always be grateful for. 

There are fans who are just so happy to meet us. To tell the truth, sometimes I get more joy and satisfaction than they get – wow.

BEWARE – IT MAY LOOK EASY BUT IT’S NOT

I’ve always been the type of person who liked to be adventuresome. As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, I would take the subway wherever I had to go. I thought nothing of it. I’d meet a girl and then take the train uptown or out to Long Island just for a date. It was an adventure for me and often, a challenge. At my age now, I mellowed a lot but I still like a good challenge. 

I did an interview with the Laughlin Entertainer recently. The editor, JoAnn Smith did the interview and she was great to talk to. We started talking about how one stays young and how you approach life in general. JoAnn seemed to have the same thirst for living by the way she asked her questions. It led to a discussion on how sometimes in life you try certain things you have never experience previously. JoAnn told me about an adventure she had when she was 30-something. She took a ride on a speed boat ride and I’m not talking about “your father’s speed boat” either. I’m talking about one of the fastest speed boats around. JoAnn said she took the challenge and swallowed her fears. She stepped onto the boat and braced herself for the ride of her life.

The speed boat was small and confined and that didn’t help matters. She said that at that point, maybe this isn’t a good idea but it was too late. When she arrived back at the dock, a friend of hers said that “now that wasn’t that bad”. Yes it was and she vowed never again. The moral of her story was she experienced something exhilarating and a ride of lifetime but once was enough. 

I went through a similar “ride of lifetime” about two years ago in Hawaii. I was on the beach and saw a beautiful sight. A bunch of folks were kayaking along and I said, I want to do that. I was on vacation with my wife. She said let’s play golf and forget about the kayaking. I told Linda I had to do kayak and she said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you”. I thought “how hard can it be?” I convinced Linda and her sister, Brenda to join me. We signed up and took out two kayaks. I went solo and that was my first mistake. The waters were calm and I thought this is a piece of cake. I paddled out to open water and began to realize this isn’t as easy as it looks.

As I neared two coral reefs, a wave hit me and flipped the kayak over. “Oh boy this ain’t good at all”. I didn’t panic and help arrived thankfully. Like JoAnn that was it for me except maybe, just maybe I might try kayaking on a lake or a river the next time. The coral came to close for comfort. It gave me a fright but it was rewarding to. Someone once said, “it is a wise man who knows his limits” and I pushed mine that day.

LEAVING PARADISE

Little Anthony & The Imperials have been represented by Paradise Artists for the last 3 years but it was time for a change. Clarence and I moved our concert business to Artists In Management/Steve Green, who is based in Boca Raton. FL. The people at Paradise were not in step with the strides our career was taking during our 50th anniversary.

Our performance on Late Night With David Letterman is still being talked about and that was 3 months ago. We appreciated the work Paradise did but we are closing out our career. In the years to come, we want to tour as extensively and that was a factor in our decision to change agents. Paradise wasn’t on the same page with us unfortunately.

Leaving Paradise wasn’t easy for us but Steve Green proposed a “bus tour” and we liked that idea a lot. It was creative, in tune with our career and a throwback to the days when we toured with Dick Clark’s Caravan Of Stars.

Steve is also looking into dates in Sweden, the UK and the Far East as well. Since this is our 50th anniversary, touring like that, in the next few years, is an adventure we look forward to. Like Clint Eastwood recently said that his next film, “Grand Torino” will be his last movie. The next few years for Little Anthony & The Imperials will be our last. Clint said, “he wanted to go out on top” and The Imperials and I feel the same – it will “make our day” and our fans’ day. 

WHY WE LOVE AMERICA, LAS VEGAS AND NEW YORK 

I know I mentioned this previously but Las Vegas is now home. We are so accepted and respected here. When you grow up in any city those two factors are so important. Did you ever wonder why someone joins a gang? It’s all about “substitute family and respect”. You seek it out and you never have enough. 

As a teen, prior to our singing success, I belonged to gang in Brooklyn. A lot of us did. Dion and The Belmonts were gang members too. The corner was our world in Brooklyn of the ‘50s and it was our turf. Maybe we were shortsighted then. Life took us on a path away from the gang life thankfully and now as a grandfather and an American entertainer, Las Vegas has welcomed us with open arms, like The Journey hit song says.

Both New York and Las Vegas are home for me and I love those cities. We performed regularly in Vegas and New York in the day. We used to hang with Elvis and Sammy Davis Jr. all the time. We were on the Ed Sullivan Show 3 times. It’s now, all come full circle in 2008 and Little Anthony & The Imperials are not done yet.

Today, we try to set a good example as not only entertainers, but as Americans who care. I think that is what President Obama will attempt to do because I think he really cares. It was a historic day – Election Day for sure. I would love to meet him and maybe, we can perform at the White House. It would be another Little Anthony & The Imperials milestone and like Clint, we’ll be going out on top. The legacy we leave behind is still being written.