The Crests

Recognized among the premier integrated doo wop ensembles, the Crests laid down their enduring ballad "16 Candles" during 1959. Having come together in 1956, the group initiated sessions the following year at Joyce, achieving modest pop chart entry via "Sweetest One." Transitioning to the fledgling Coed imprint, the soothing tenor of Johnny Maestro, born May 7, 1939, propelled "16 Candles" to widespread success, while similar fusions of pop and R&B such as "The Angels Listened In" and "Step by Step" performed strongly as well. Taking a solo path in 1960, Maestro achieved a hit the subsequent year on Coed with "Model Girl," even as the Crests endeavored to persist independently. He later restored his prominence heading Brooklyn Bridge, a group comprising eleven members whose 1968 release "Worst That Could Happen" achieved chart success.