{"id":23561,"date":"2026-07-31T21:42:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T16:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23561"},"modified":"2026-07-31T21:42:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T16:42:50","slug":"arlene-smith-dead-co-founder-of-1950s-girl-group-the-chantels-dies-at-84","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=23561","title":{"rendered":"Arlene Smith Dead, Co-Founder of 1950s Girl Group The Chantels Dies at 84"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tArlene Smith, one of the co-founders and lead vocalists of the pioneering 1950s girl group The Chantels, has died at 84. The news was confirmed by Smith\u2019s manager and friend, Paul Errante, to the <em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/arlene-smith-dies-chantels-955708c1eb10814e989934514294f3ca\">Associated Press<\/a><\/em>, who said the singer, who co-wrote and sang lead on the group\u2019s signature yearning 1957 Billboard Hot 100 No. 15 hit \u201cMaybe,\u201d had died of a heart attack at a New York City hospital on Wednesday (July 29).<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-related-artists \/\/ lrv-u-margin-tb-1 lrv-u-flex u-flex-direction-column@desktop-xl u-flex-direction-column@desktop-xl-max lrv-u-align-items-center lrv-u-margin-l-00@desktop-xl a-glue@desktop-xl lrv-a-glue--t-0 lrv-a-glue--l-0 u-margin-t-29px@desktop u-margin-t-250@mobile-max u-margin-lr-auto@desktop-xl-max u-max-width-400@desktop-xl-max u-width-100p@mobile-max u-max-width-80@desktop-xl\">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  lrv-u-color-white a-font-primary-fancy-m lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-text-align-center a-article-related-module-title lrv-u-padding-tb-050\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tExplore\t\t<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<div class=\"a-article-related-module-wrap lrv-u-flex u-flex-direction-column@desktop-xl lrv-u-flex-grow-1 u-width-100p\">\n<div class=\"o-card lrv-u-flex u-flex-direction-column@desktop-xl u-flex-direction-column@desktop-xl-max u-align-items-center lrv-u-position-relative u-flex-basis-100p lrv-u-padding-b-075\">\n<div class=\"o-card__image-wrap lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column u-width-80 u-width-160@mobile-max lrv-a-glue-parent lrv-u-flex-shrink-0\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image  lrv-u-height-100p\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/artist\/billboard\/\" class=\"c-lazy-image__link lrv-a-unstyle-link\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-crop-1x1 lrv-u-height-100p\" style=\"\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-billboard-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-billboard-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" alt=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"\" data-lazy-sizes=\"\" height=\"\" width=\"\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"o-indicator lrv-a-glue a-glue--b-n050 lrv-a-glue--r-0 a-glue--t-auto a-glue--l-0 lrv-u-margin-lr-auto u-pointer-events-none lrv-u-background-color-brand-primary lrv-u-border-radius-50p u-width-20 u-height-20 a-icon-related-artist lrv-a-icon-after\"><\/p>\n<p>\t<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"c-tagline  a-font-secondary-fancy-xxxs@desktop-xl a-font-secondary-fancy-s@desktop-xl-max lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-black u-padding-t-13 lrv-u-padding-b-2 lrv-u-margin-tb-00 lrv-u-text-align-center lrv-u-border-t-1 lrv-u-border-color-black lrv-u-width-100p\">See latest videos, charts and news<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe Chantels were formed in early 1950s by a group of school friends from St. Anthony of Padua in the Bronx and were one of the first Black girl groups to score national chart success. With a combination of flawless harmonies and emotion-packed lovesick ballads such as \u201cThe Plea\u201d and \u201cHe\u2019s Gone,\u201d the group\u2019s mix of doo wop, soul and R&amp;B swing helped distinguish them at a time when Black female pop acts were a rarity on the charts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tBorn on Oct. 5, 1941, Smith was a classically trained vocalist who got her break when as a 12-year-old she scored an audition alongside her childhood friends and future bandmates Sonia Gorin, Lois Harris, Jackie Landry and Ren\u00e9e Minus for record producer Richard Barrett (of the doo-wop group The Valentines) when the group\u2019s members were all in their teens, ranging from 14 to 17.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAccording to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vocalgroup.org\/inductees\/the-chantels\/\">Vocal Group Hall of Fame<\/a>, the women had been singing together for seven years by the time they were discovered, with one of their signature vocal exercises \u2014\u00a0singing Gregorian chants \u2014\u00a0helping them seamlessly change notes and trade vocal parts. Smith\u2019s classical gospel background and simple, yet emotionally resonant songwriting launched them into national prominence when she wrote what would become the group\u2019s signature song at 16, penned with a particular boyfriend in mind during one of her piano practices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThey landed a recording contract in 1957 with End Records, future home to such groups as Little Anthony and the Imperials and The Miracles, and their debut single, the barbershop quartet-meets-soul lament \u201cHe\u2019s Gone\u201d \u2014\u00a0co-written by Smith and Barrett \u2014\u00a0landed at No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100. That set the table for their breakthrough with the Barrett-penned \u201cMaybe,\u201d the aforementioned boyfriend heartbreak ballad about trying to win back a lover who is \u201cgone, gone, gone\u201d that ran all the way up to No. 2 on the <em>Billboard<\/em> R&amp;B chart and is considered one of the greatest girl group songs of all time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cMy thing was, \u2018The guys are not the only ones that can do this,\u2019\u201d Smith told the authors of the 2023 oral history\u00a0<em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/titles\/laura-flam\/but-will-you-love-me-tomorrow\/9781668633274\/\">But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tRecorded in a makeshift studio in a church, Smith\u2019s vocals on the song sound both impassioned and exhausted by romantic woe, reportedly because Barrett had them cut the track more than 50 times to get it just right. The work paid off, as the <em>AP<\/em> reported that the song went on to sell more than one million copies and was later covered by Janis Joplin, The Three Degrees and, on their <em>Live at Slane Castle<\/em> video from 2003, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2023, <em>Rolling Stone<\/em> slotted \u201cMaybe\u201d at No. 199 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tAfter two other singles from the group\u2019s 1958 debut album, <em>We Are the Chantels<\/em>, \u201cEvery Night (I Pray)\u201d (No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100) and the desperate \u201cI Love You So\u201d (No. 42) charted in 1958 the quintet were dropped by End Records in April 1959 when the label went bankrupt. While the Chantels continued on with a rotating group of vocalists, Smith departed to launch a solo career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tShe went on to study at New York\u2019s prestigious Juilliard School, briefly worked with producer Phil Spector in 1961 and recorded the single \u201cLove, Love, Love\u201d with him before re-forming the group as Chantels in the 1970s with new singers Barbara Murray and Pauline Moore. Smith then receded from music, got her master\u2019s degree in education and taught music at a Bronx elementary school until her retirement in the 2000s. The Chantels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002 and made the final ballot for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and 2009, but have so far not made the final cut.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ubpass.co\/billboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/2HpFicp.png\" alt=\"Billboard VIP Pass\" style=\"max-width: 100%;height: auto\"\/><br \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-content-image \/\/  \">\n<figure class=\"o-figure   size-large alignnone lrv-u-max-width-100p\" style=\"width:100%; max-width:1012px;\">\n<div class=\"c-lazy-image   lrv-u-margin-t-125 u-padding-b-10 u-margin-t-26@mobile-max lrv-u-display-inline-block lrv-u-width-100p\">\n<div class=\"lrv-a-crop-16x9\" style=\"padding-bottom:calc((1024\/1012)*100%);\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-billboard-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/chantels-1957-billboard-1200.jpg?w=297\" alt=\"(L-R) Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Arlene Smith and Jackie Landry (seated) of the R&amp;B vocal group \" the=\"\" chantels=\"\" pose=\"\" for=\"\" a=\"\" portrait=\"\" session=\"\" in=\"\" new=\"\" york=\"\" city=\"\" york.=\"\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/chantels-1957-billboard-1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/chantels-1957-billboard-1200.jpg?resize=297,300 297w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(min-width: 87.5rem) 1000px, (min-width: 78.75rem) 681px, (min-width: 48rem) 450px, (max-width: 48rem) 100vw\" height=\"1024\" width=\"1012\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><figcaption class=\"c-figcaption  lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column a-font-accent-xs lrv-u-color-black u-margin-t-n4px lrv-u-padding-lr-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-b-1 u-font-size-11 u-line-height-19px u-word-spacing-n0156px u-letter-spacing-0026 u-padding-b-0625@mobile-max\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">(L-R) Sonia Goring, Rene Minus, Arlene Smith and Jackie Landry (seated) of the R&amp;B vocal group \u201cThe Chantels\u201d pose for a portrait session in 1957 in New York City, New York.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"u-letter-spacing-0094 lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-font-size-10 u-margin-t-2px\">Michael Ochs Archives\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arlene Smith, one of the co-founders and lead vocalists of the pioneering 1950s girl group The Chantels, has died at 84. The news was confirmed by Smith\u2019s manager and friend, Paul Errante, to the Associated Press, who said the singer, who co-wrote and sang lead on the group\u2019s signature yearning 1957 Billboard Hot 100 No&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/arlene-smith-chantels-2005-billboard-1800.jpg?w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23561","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23561","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23561\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/23562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}