The Crests--16 Candles (1958)

     The Crests were formed in 1955 by J.T. Carter and included Talmadge Gough, Harold Torres, and Patricia Van Dross (the older sister of singer Luther Vandross). The next year, when vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (later known as Johnny Maestro) joined the group, they began to take shape. They had a minor hit  with, "Sweetest One" in the summer of 1957 on the Joyce label, it was late in 1959 however that their fortunes began to change.
     "16 Candles" was written by Luther Dixon and Allyson R. Khent, and was the number 2 hit in the country for two weeks during the winter of 1958/59. It began a two year run on the charts which scored them four trips to the top 40 until Maestro left to pursue a solo career.
     The song was revived again by it's use in the John Hughes movie, "Sixteen Candles" with Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall.