What caused Brooklyn Bridge singer Johnny Maestro’s death?

Johnny Maestro is best remembered as the powerful tenor voice behind Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge, a group that rose to fame with their 1968 hit cover of Jimmy Webb’s “The Worst That Could Happen.”

He began his career as the lead singer of The Crests, one of the first successful interracial doo-wop groups, which notably included Patricia Vandross, sister of soul legend Luther Vandross.

Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge was formed through the merger of two earlier bands — The Del-Satins and The Rhythm Method — creating a distinctive blend of doo-wop, R&B, and pop that defined their signature sound.

Personal life

Born John Mastrangelo, he spent his youth in New York City. In the last years of his life, he lived in Cape Coral, Florida.

Johnny Maestro married his first wife, Alma Jean Degler Mastrangelo-Ferguson, in 1964. Born on November 24, 1942, in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Alma passed away on July 5, 2000, in Billings, Montana. In December 1985, he married his second wife, Grace, with whom he remained until his passing.

Upon Maestro’s death, Joe Esposito took over as lead vocalist of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Cause of death

Maestro passed away at the age of 70 on March 24, 2010.

The cause was cancer, said Les Cauchi, an original member of the Brooklyn Bridge, which continues to perform before graying audiences, swaying to the tunes of their teenage years.

He was survived by his wife Grace and three children Lisa, Brad, and Tracy.