Daijiworld Media Network – New York
New York, Jul 31: Arlene Smith, founding member of the pioneering girl group The Chantels and the lead singer and co-writer of the 1958 doo-wop classic Maybe, passed away on Wednesday following a heart attack. She was 84.
Smith died at a New York City hospital, her manager and close friend Paul Errante confirmed.
A trailblazer in the early years of rock 'n' roll, Smith helped break barriers for Black female vocal groups at a time when male harmony groups dominated the music scene. Alongside acts such as the Bobbettes, The Chantels paved the way for the rise of iconic girl groups in the 1960s, including the Shirelles, the Ronettes and the Crystals.
Released in 1958, Maybe became The Chantels' biggest hit, reaching the Top 20 charts and eventually selling more than one million copies. The emotionally charged ballad was later covered by artists including Janis Joplin and The Three Degrees.
Reflecting on her early musical journey, Smith had once said that she wanted to prove that female singers could achieve the same success as their male counterparts.
The Chantels also enjoyed success with songs such as Every Night (I Pray) and Look In My Eyes, although none matched the enduring popularity of Maybe.
In recognition of their contribution to popular music, Smith and The Chantels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002. A year later, Rolling Stone ranked Maybe among its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Music critics have credited Smith's powerful and emotional vocals with helping redefine doo-wop by bringing female voices to the forefront of a genre then dominated by male groups.
Smith left The Chantels in 1959 after the group's record label folded. She later recorded the single Love, Love, Love with legendary producer Phil Spector before her solo career gradually declined. During the 1970s, she continued performing with a new lineup of backing singers after parting ways with the original members of The Chantels.
Her legacy endures as one of the pioneering voices who helped shape the evolution of female vocal groups in American popular music.