Bobby Kris & The Imperials were a 1960s Toronto folk-rock band, that had a local hit with Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Walk On By".
Around May 1965, the group changed its name when Bobby Kris (real name: Bob Burrows), who was studying philosophy at the University of Toronto, joined as lead vocalist.
In early 1966, the group opened for Wilson Pickett at Toronto's Masonic Temple (when Jimi Hendrix was his guitarist) and supported The Beach Boys in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay).
In a surprising coupling, the band appeared at the O'Keefe Centre on April 13, 1966, with the Canadian National Ballet Company, playing in the lobby during the intermission.
Bobby Kris & The Imperials supported Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs at the Club Kingsway in Toronto on October 22, 1966, alongside The Ugly Ducklings and The Ardels.
The new lineup started to experiment more and played regularly at the Concord Tavern where the band performed a cover of The Beatles' "A Day in the Life".
Bobby Kris reformed the band in mid-1968 with MacBain, Oskirko, Davis and former Jon and Lee & The Checkmates guitarist Larry Leishman (born April 4, 1947, Dunfermline, Scotland).