The Imperials found instant success with their second single, “Tears on My Pillow” (1958), a doo-wop ballad distinguished by Gourdine’s youthful falsetto. While introducing the song on the radio, influential disc jockey Alan Freed, an early supporter, called the group Little Anthony and the Imperials (in reference to Gourdine), and the moniker stuck. After a number of less-successful releases, a brief departure by Gourdine, and the replacement of Lord and Rogers, the group hit its stride in the mid-1960s. Producer-songwriter Teddy Randazzo brought the Imperials’ vocal style in line with the popular soul sound of the day, resulting in a string of pop and rhythm-and-blues hits, including “I’m on the Outside (Looking In)” (1964), “Goin’ out of My Head” (1964), and “Hurt So Bad” (1965).