RIP: Johnny Maestro, doo-wop singer

RIP: Johnny Maestro, doo-wop singer

From Spinner:

Doo-Wop singer Johnny Maestro has lost his battle with cancer. The Brooklyn Bridge tenor died Wednesday in Cape Coral, Fla., bandmate Les Cauchi told the Associated Press. Maestro was 70.

Maestro started his music career as a vocalist in the New York-based R&B doo-wop group the Crests in the 1950s. The group’s biggest hit was ‘16 Candles,’ which rose to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958 and eventually went gold. […] Known for songs like ‘Blessed Is the Rain’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,’ the band also had the opportunity to perform their big hit, ‘The Worst That Could Happen’ on the ‘The Ed Sullivan Show.’ The band went on to record 12 studio albums and released its most recent album, ‘Today Volume 2,’ in March 2009.

Before his death, Maestro thanked his fans on the band’s website for their ongoing support soon after he was diagnosed with the disease. “I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for their thoughts, get-well wishes and prayers while I am undergoing treatment for cancer,” he wrote. “I want everyone to know that when I read your messages, it brightens my day and gives me strength and determination to get back on stage. Your support is the best medicine.”

• Johnny Maestro: http://www.j-maestro-bklyn-bridge.com
• Johnny Maestro (Wikipedia): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Maestro

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