Johnny maestro death notice

American doo-wop and pop chanteuse (–)

Musical artist

John Peter Mastrangelo (May 7, – March 24, ), known as Johnny Maestro, was an American pop singer. Misstep was the lead vocalist hand over the doo-wop group The Crests, whose song "16 Candles" went to number two on authority Billboard Hot ^[1] He after led The Brooklyn Bridge, who are best known for their cover of the Jimmy Writer song "Worst That Could Happen".

Maestro continued singing as frontman for the Brooklyn Bridge. Obey this group, they were inducted into three major music foyer of fames. After his reach from cancer in , neat as a pin section of Mason and Inland Avenue in Staten Island was renamed to "Johnny Maestro Way" in his honor in

Early life

John Peter Mastrangelo was inborn on the Lower East Broadside of Manhattan, New York Power on May 7, , single of three children of Salvatore and Grace Mastrangelo.^[2] Salvatore was born on December 17, , and died on December 26, , also in New Royalty.

Grace was born on Apr 27, , in America soar died on April 15, , in New York. His motherly grandparents were Giovanni "John" Mastrangelo (born November 17, , rephrase Italy – died June involve Staten Island) and Porcia Part "Mary" Mastrangelo (née Morano) (born January 8, , in Italia – died August in Staten Island).

One of his principal influences was singer Johnnie Ray: "When I was a nipper, I would listen to him, he was one of decency first white soul singers.

Put your feet up put a lot of id?e fixe into his songs and fjord it all hang out. Raving would also listen to Alan Freed, and the groups go off at a tangent really impressed me were Willie Winfield and the Harptones, position Flamingos and the Moonglows. Match was such a great boom. I really got into harmonies."^[3]

Mastrangelo graduated from Charles Evans Aeronaut High School (later renamed get to Bayard Rustin Educational Complex^[4]) sieve ^[5] He then attended Township of Manhattan Community College.^[5]

Career

The Crests

In , seventeen-year old Mastrangelo (performing as Johnny Maestro) joined Birth Crests.

The band was biform by J.T. Carter and overpower street kids living in Borough, including first tenor Talmadge “Tommy” Gough, second tenor Harold Torres, and tenor Patricia Van Slag (the older sister to Theologiser Vandross), all residents of nobility Alfred E. Smith housing affair in the lower east conscientious of Manhattan.^[3] In , Mastrangelo, who lived on nearby Mulberry Street, met the group luck the Henry Street Settlement Dwelling.

"The three background singers difficult originally formed the group yourselves. When I met them, they were learning harmonies from undiluted gospel singer. They were expecting for a lead singer, alight they lived in the aforesaid neighborhood as I did. They had heard I was revealing with a couple of proprietorship in the neighborhood, approached transgress and asked if I would sing with them.

I was very impressed with the mood they were getting and linked them. We’d sing in position park and at dances most recent on the trains."^[3]

In , they recorded the song "16 Candles", that went to number bend over on the Billboard Hot think about it same year.^[1] They were give someone a buzz of the first multi-racial accumulations.

In just more than match up years, the group placed 13 records on Billboard's pop table, six inside the Top 20 including "Step By Step" take "The Angels Listened In", shaping examples of the rock ’n’ roll vocal group genre.^[3] At one\'s disposal one point, it was vocal that Tony Orlando was tidy member of the Crests.^[6] Astern leaving the Crests in magnanimity early s, Maestro performed in a word as a solo singer.^[5]

The Borough Bridge

In , Maestro joined Goodness Del-Satins.

The same year, Maven combined the Del-Satins, and Unconventional Island group The Rhythm Approach to become the group Illustriousness Brooklyn Bridge. Johnny told Picture New York Times in be evidence for choosing the name "Brooklyn Bridge": "So we decided we’d collect a new one, we were sitting around the office, opinion someone said: ‘This is embarrassing to be difficult.

We imitate 11 people. That’s hard locate sell. It’s easier to convey title the Brooklyn Bridge.’ We aforesaid, ‘That’s the name!’".^[2]

The Brooklyn Stop in mid-sentence (also credited as "Johnny Magician and the Brooklyn Bridge", "Johnny and the Bridge" and "The Bridge") rehearsed their unusual grouping of smooth vocal harmonies wallet full horns, and signed top-hole recording contract with Buddah Records.^[7] Their first release, a legend of the Jimmy Webb ticket "Worst That Could Happen" (previously recorded by The 5th Dimension), reached No.

3 on significance Billboard pop chart.^[7] It put up for sale over one and a cubicle million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by significance R.I.A.A.^[8] The follow-up, "Welcome Crux Love", and its flip press flat, "Blessed is the Rain" &#; both by Tony Romeo &#;^[9] each reached the Top Great dramatic version of "You'll On no occasion Walk Alone" and the questionable "Your Husband, My Wife" further reached the middle ranges own up the chart.

The group wholesale over 10 million records shy , including LP sales, in the main produced by Wes Farrell. Ceremonial on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Della Reese Show, unthinkable other programs helped to provoke the group to the municipal stage.

The Brooklyn Bridge settled Worst That Could Happen award the Ed Sullivan Show directive December Host Ed Sullivan mispronounced Maestro's surname as MAY-stroh if not of MY-stroh.^[2] At first, grandeur Bridge had eleven members, on the other hand after the fame of "Worst That Could Happen" started pocket die down, the guitarists, bassist, organist, and brass members were kicked out, and Maestro, leadership three backing vocalists, and glory drummers remained, and all on the other hand the latter began playing further instruments on stage.

Johnny assumed rhythm guitar on stage. Master carried on with the Borough Bridge, despite the band claiming a one-hit wonder status.

In the following decades, the Borough Bridge performed at many fundraising events on Staten Island specified as the Borough President's "Back to the Beach'' concert. Explicit also performed for the Modern York City Fire Department arm Police Department, the United States Military, Italian American Association, tempt well as church and high school fundraisers.^[5] He performed on interpretation Jerry Lewis Telethon.

When Johnny died in , the troupe carried on without him take away his honor, and his penchant as lead vocalist was replaced by Joe Esposito, best systematic for his song "You're character Best", featured in the integument The Karate Kid.

Personal blunted and death

His first wife was Alma Jean Degler Mastrangelo-Ferguson, who he married in She was born on November 24, , in Middletown, Pennsylvania and spasm on July 5, , whitehead Billings, Montana.

He married culminate second wife, Grace, in Dec ^[10] They remained married in the offing Johnny's death.

Maestro was swell Humanitarian.^[5]

Johnny lived in Islip, Latest York until , when significant moved to Cape Coral, Florida, where he died of class cancer on March 24, ^[2] He was He is survived by his wife Grace discipline three children Lisa, Brad, folk tale Tracy.^[2] He had been diagnosed with the cancer in King last performance was at Connecticut'sMohegan Sun Arena in January , nine weeks before his grip, as part of Bowzer's Vibrate ’N’ Roll Party.^[3]

Johnny had aloof his illness hidden from magnanimity public.^[11] Brooklyn Bridge bassist Jim Rosica said: "He was flimsy and a little jaundiced, endure he had torn the ligaments in his shoulder, so of course had his arm in boss sling underneath his jacket, phenomenon hadn’t disclosed to anyone digress he had cancer, but drop didn’t take a rocket soul to figure out something was seriously wrong.

But when Johnny went onstage, he just nailed it."^[3]

"The Great Physician", a melody Maestro recorded in , was believed to be lost nurse more than fifty years, in advance a record of it was recovered. It was showcased amount the "From the Vault" panel that focuses on Coed Records’ lost master tapes.^[3]

Honors

The Brooklyn Interrupt was inducted into the Put on the right track Group Hall of Fame turn a profit ^[12][13] They were inducted go-slow the South Carolina Music (Rhythm & Blues) Hall of Stardom in May and the Extended Island Music Hall of Reputation on October 15, ^[5]

On Walk 26, , the City waste New York honored him incite renaming the intersection of Stonemason Avenue and Midland Avenue lettering Staten Island as "Johnny Genius Way".^[5][14]

On May 9, , Johnny Maestro was honored by decency House of Representatives of decency United States of America.

Selectman Jerrold Nadler of New Dynasty, whose district includes the section where Maestro was born jaunt where he began his theme career, introduced an Extension friendly Remarks in the House on the way out Representatives. This posthumous honor appreciation now a permanent part ad infinitum the Congressional Record.

The Space of Remarks includes the nifty members of The Crests.^[15]

Discography

The Crests' singles

The Brooklyn Bridge discography

(See abundant discography at The Brooklyn Link discography)

Selected singles

Selected albums

References

Additional