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Arlene Smith The Voice Behind Maybe | Oakland News
Arlene Smith, the powerhouse voice behind the Chantels’ timeless hit “Maybe,” has passed away at 84 after a heart attack in New York. A trailblazer in doo-wop, she helped break barriers as one of the first Black girl groups to dominate nationally — recording that iconic track in a church studio and inspiring legends like Janis Joplin. After leaving the group in 1959, she earned a master’s degree and spent decades teaching music in NYC schools. Inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002, her raw, soulful delivery reshaped early rock and roll for women — and she never married or had…
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