Octet Step By Step Keeps The Flame Burning For The Late Johnny Maestro
Step By Step is an octet of four musicians and four vocalists from six different areas of New Jersey: Lakewood, Jackson, North Brunswick, Branchburg, Bayville and Keansburg. Their mission statement is to “keep the essence of Johnny Maestro’s music alive.” To that end, they’ve performed all over the state and beyond at theaters, township events, oldies shows and festivals.
Johnny Maestro [1939-2010] was the 19-year old vocalist who took “16 Candles” to #2 when he sang lead for The Crests. It is one of the most recognizable of all the doo-wop classics and remains to this day a favorite of the era. Paul Simon loves it. So does every generation since its 1958 release. They were one of the first multi-racial pop acts and within the next four years placed six songs in the Top 20. Maestro went solo in the early ‘60s before forming The Brooklyn Bridge in 1968. Their first hit, a cover of The Fifth Dimension’s “Worst That Could Happen,” written by Jimmy Webb, soared to #3 in 1969. Going solo again in the 1970s, he was produced by Tony Orlando on the 1971 “Yours Until Tomorrow” but returned to The Brooklyn Bridge for the remainder of his career.