Arlene Smith, who founded and led the Chantels, died at age 84. The group emerged from St Anthony of Padua school in the Bronx, where Smith recruited fellow choir members to form a vocal ensemble that transitioned from sacred music to secular material.
Smith was motivated to create the group after hearing neighborhood boys perform doo-wop harmonies and learning that local groups had achieved national chart success. She and her bandmates—Jackie Landry, Renee Minus, Lois Harris, and Sonia Goring—began performing standards and R&B-influenced material. Manager Richard Barrett connected them with record label owner George Goldner after hearing them perform The Plea. The group’s breakthrough came with their 1957 recording of Maybe, which sold over a million copies and reached number 15 on the pop charts and number 2 on the R&B list.
The Chantels’ success established a template for the girl-group genre that would produce subsequent acts including the Shirelles, the Crystals, the Chiffons, and the Ronettes. Smith’s approach rejected what she characterized as cutesy vocal styles, instead emphasizing emotional depth and sophisticated harmonies. The group undertook a nationwide tour, though they faced segregated performances in the South. Financial troubles emerged when the record company ceased operations and the artists discovered their earnings had been lost to gambling.
Smith departed the group in 1959 to pursue a solo career that did not achieve significant commercial success, despite working with producer Phil Spector on a 1961 recording. She later returned to music education, earning a master’s degree and teaching in Bronx schools until retirement. She reunited with reformed versions of the Chantels and appeared in a 2023 documentary about doo-wop music.
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