The Chantels Biography

Many believe The Chantels were the best female group of all time! With their choir-like vocals and harmonies, they brought a new dimension to rock and roll and R&B; songs. The Chantels consisted of Arlene Smith, Lois Harris, Sonia Goring, Jackie Landry and Rene Minus. They began singing Gregorian chants at St. Anthony of Padua school in the Bronx and thus developed their ground-breaking style.

Arlene Smith, the lead singer of the group, was also one of the very few female singers who could also write lyrics. This gave the group an advantage in the industry. Their first hit single, “He’s Gone” was released in 1957 and by the end of September, the record was on the Billboard national Top 100 but stopped short at number 71. Their next hit, “Maybe”, recorded in a nearby church, reached number 15 in the Pop charts and went to number 2 in the R&B; Charts!

Other songs released by The Chantels were, Sure of Love, I Love You So, Every Night, Whoever You Are and Memories of Nod. Their last hit, I Love You So hit number 42 on the Pop Charts and number 14 on the R&B; Charts. Although the girls continued to record and release songs, they never had another hit.

In 1960, manager Richard Barrett and re-formed another version of The Chantels after Arlene Smith and Lois Harris went their own way. Annette Smith (no relation to Arlene) joined the group along with Sonia, Jackie and Rene. They continued to record and release songs and make small impacts on the charts. The group disbanded in 1970.

Read more on The Chantels at http://www.history-of-rock.com/chantels.htm

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