The Chantels

The Chantels were one of the first and most popular of the girl groups. The five girls (all between 14 and 17) had been singing together in their Bronx parochial school choir since childhood. Led by Arlene Smith, the group was named after Saint Francis de Chantelle School, the rival school of their own alma mater, Saint Anthony of Padua. Richard Barrett of the Valentines produced their first singl...