Arlene Smith, an original member of the pop R&B girl group The Chantels who co-wrote and sang lead on the classic 1957 hit “Maybe,” has died at the age of 84. One of her friends confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Smith died on Wednesday of natural causes in New York City. Smith and the other members of The Chantels had already been singing together for years when they formed the group while still in high school in 1957. Smith, who received classical training and performed at Carnegie Hall at age 12, wrote the lyrics to their songs, including their first single “He’s Gone.” It was their second single, “Maybe,” that put them on the road to stardom, selling more than one million copies. The Chantals broke up in 1959, with Smith embarking upon a solo career. The group would later reform, although without Smith, although Smith fronted another group called Chantels in the 1970s. She later became an elementary teacher in the Bronx after leaving the music business. In 2003, Rolling Stone placed “Maybe” at No. 199 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Read it at The Hollywood Reporter
