Died On This Date (March 24, 2010) Johnny Maestro / Doo Wop Singer; The Crests
themusicsover Johnny Maestro (Born John Mastrangelo)
May 7, 1939 – March 24, 2010
Johnny Maestro was a popular doo-wop singer who, over the course of his lengthy career, fronted two equally popular groups. As singer for the Crests, Maestro scored a #2 hit with 1958’s “16 Candles.” The song continues to be one of the most popular records of the era and has been covered by the Stray Cats and the Jackson 5, to name a few. The Crests are also notable for being one of the earliest completely interracial groups in pop music. It was made up of a Puerto Rican, an African American male and female, and an Italian American (Maestro). Ten years later, Maestro had a major hit again, this time with “The Worst That Could Happen” as singer for Brooklyn Bridge. The group has remained active up until the time of Maestro’s passing. On March 24, 2010, Johnny Maestro died from cancer. He was 70 years old.
What You Should Own
Sure it was the House That Ruth Built and home to Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees, but the legendary Yankee Stadium was also the site of numerous concerts over its storied 85 years. The first concert ever held there was an R&B festival on June 21, 1969. It was hosted by the Isley Brothers and included Tina Turner, Moms Mabley, the Edwin Hawkins Singers, Brooklyn Bridge, and Patti Austin on the bill. On August 23, 1973, over 44,000 music fans converged on the site to experience one of the most culturally significant Latin music shows the US had ever seen. What started out as a promotional concert by local Latin label, Farina Records to showcase their up-and-coming artists, turned out to be a symbol of the importance of Latin culture in New York City and the foundation of a Latin pride movement. On June 22, 1990, Billy Joel brought his rock and roll show to the stadium. Joel’s “Live At Yankee Stadium” was released on video in 1990 and is considered by many to be his best live recording ever. 1992 saw U2 performing two sold-out concerts there, followed by two sold out Pink Floyd shows in 1994.