Doo Wop Groups
The song “Step by Step,” which was written by Billy Dawn Smith and Ollie Jones, went #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. The Crests were a New York R&B doo wop group formed by bass vocalist J.T. Carter in the mid 1950s. They had a big hit with “16 Candles” in 1958. Group members on this song are Johnny Maestro (Mastrangelo), J.T. Carter, Talmadge “Tommy” Gough, and Harold Torres. Over the years, there were numerous personnel changes (it’s a fluid business) as people left and were replaced. Just to name a few of the changes are the following iterations. At one point early in their history, Patricia Van Dross, sister of R&B legend Luther Vandross, was a member. Maestro went on to a solo career in 1961 and then joined the Del-Satins. They merged with The Rhythm Method and became Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge.