How did a little kid raised in the projects in Brooklyn make it all the way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? With a big talent. Little Anthony and his group The Imperials burst onto the scene in 1958 with their million-selling hit, Tears on My Pillow. With follow-up hits like Going Out of My Head, Hurts So Bad and Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Pop, the band defined the sound of an era.

Life wasn’t always easy for Anthony. He battled a deep depression for years and watched in sadness as he lost friends to overdoses and addictions. For the first time, he’s opening up about those experiences in his new book, Little Anthony: My Journey, My Destiny.

Little Anthony tells Growing Bolder how he’s Surviving & Thriving®, and reveals why, at the age of 76, he’s still just as passionate about the music business.