Overview
- Smith died on Wednesday, July 29, at age 84, a fact confirmed to the Associated Press by her manager Paul Errante.
- Reports differ on how and where she died: Errante told AP she suffered a heart attack at a New York City hospital while a friend told other outlets she died of natural causes at a rehabilitation center in New York City.
- Smith co‑wrote and sang lead on The Chantels’ 1957 hit “Maybe,” which reached No. 15 on the pop chart, No. 2 on R&B charts, sold more than one million copies, and later appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of greatest songs.
- Her career began in the Bronx after classical training and a childhood Carnegie Hall performance, and after the Chantels’ 1950s success she briefly pursued solo work, later earned a master’s in education, and taught elementary music in New York.
- The Chantels helped open national chart space to Black girl groups, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002, and Smith’s death could renew attention to mid‑century industry practices that miscredited Black artists and left some groups underrecognized.