Arlene Smith obituary

The Guardian UK Thursday 06 August 2026, 12:37 UTC By Richard Williams 1 min read

Key Points

Singer who formed one of the first ‘girl groups’, the Chantels, whose 1950s hit Maybe sold more than a million copiesAlmost before the five Bronx schoolgirls who called themselves the Chantels had finished their unaccompanied delivery of a song called The Plea in his office on Broadway one day in 1957, the record label owner George Goldner was fishing in his desk for a contract they could take home and show their parents. Within months the group were high in the charts with a ballad called...

Singer who formed one of the first ‘girl groups’, the Chantels, whose 1950s hit Maybe sold more than a million copies

Almost before the five Bronx schoolgirls who called themselves the Chantels had finished their unaccompanied delivery of a song called The Plea in his office on Broadway one day in 1957, the record label owner George Goldner was fishing in his desk for a contract they could take home and show their parents. Within months the group were high in the charts with a ballad called Maybe, featuring the powerful lead voice of the 16-year-old Arlene Smith.

The Chantels set the pattern for the success of such “girl groups”, as they became known, as the Shirelles, the Crystals, the Chiffons, the Ronettes, and many more.

Arlene Smith (PERSON) Chantels (ORG) Bronx (LOCATION) Broadway (LOCATION) George Goldner (PERSON) Shirelles (PERSON)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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Arlene Smith obituary

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