Arlene Smith, an original member of The Chantels who wrote and was the lead singer for the group’s 1957 hit, “Maybe,” died on Wednesday. She was 84.
Smith died of natural causes in a hospital in her hometown of New York City, her friend, Matt Beckoff, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Born on Oct. 5, 1941, Smith had received classical training and performed when she was 12 at Carnegie Hall when she and Lois Harris, Sonia Goring, Jackie Landry and Renée Minus auditioned for record producer Richard Barrett, according to the entertainment news website.
Arlene Smith, Lead Singer and Co-Founder of The Chantels, Dies at 84 https://t.co/Izrt3g48d2
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 29, 2026
They were signed during the summer of 1957 by End Records. Their first single, “He’s Gone,” peaked at No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In December 1957, The Chantels released its second single and signature hit, "Maybe.“ It was recorded at a church in midtown Manhattan and rose to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart.
The group released two more singles in 1958: “Every Night (I Pray)” peaked at No. 40 on April 7, 1958, and “I Love You So” reached No. 42 on June 30, 1958.
The Chantels also released a self-titled album in 1958.
In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked “Maybe” at No. 199 on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
Smith went solo in 1959, and The Chantels returned to the top 20 in 1961 with “Look in My Eyes,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the 1970s, Smith was the lead singer of a group named Chantels that featured future “Doctor’s Orders” singer Carol Douglas and Louise Bethune, the entertainment news website reported.
The Chantels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. The group was a finalist for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and 2009, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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