Johnny Maestro Dies Wed March 24, 2010

Johnny Maestro, founder of the rock-and-roll and doo-wop band Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, died of cancer at the age of 70 on Wednesday.

He was first known as the lead singer of The Crests in the 1950s, a group best known for their hit "Sixteen Candles" before he formed The Brooklyn Bridge in 1968.

Born Johnny Mastrangelo, Johnny Maestro didn't seek attention off-stage and lived a relatively quiet life despite his distinctive voice in the industry. He recorded occasionally later in life and was living in Cape Coral, Florida, when he died.