Tavares

Biography

Tavares (also known as The Tavares Brothers) is an American R&B and soul music group composed of five Cape Verdean-American brothers. Some were born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, and they would move back and forth between the two cities throughout their childhood. They are best known for their hits "It Only Takes a Minute" in 1975, and "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel×Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel1976 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAHeaven Must Be Missing an Angel, Part 13:28BHeaven Must Be Missing an Angel, Part 23:10" in 1976.
Tavares was inducted into the Atlantic City Walk of Fame at Brighton Park on April 27, 2026.

History

The brothers, whose parents were of Cape Verdean descent, started performing in 1959 as The Del Rios. The Del Rios featured John, Ralph, Arthur "Pooch" and Antone "Chubby" Tavares, as well as their cousin, Peter "Boo" Nicholaus. They would sometimes back local singer, Linda Steele. In 1962, they were discovered by producer Juggy Murray who sent them to New York and recorded a single for Crackerjack records, "Come On, Let Me Try / I Don’t Want To Be Loved", which flopped. After the release of the single, the group slowly fell apart, as Linda left the music scene, Boo left to pursue a solo career, and Arthur was drafted into the army, and Pooch and Chubby moved to Connecticut.
Shortly after, Pooch and Chubby formed Chubby and The Realities with younger brother Feliciano "Butch" Tavares. They started out performing at high schools and youth clubs as all three of them hadn't yet turned eighteen. While Ralph was still in the army, he would spend weekends travelling to The 20 Grand nightclub, where he saw then unknown acts like Four Tops, The Countours and The Marvelettes performing, and realised that his brothers couldn't not do anything these groups were doing, so when he was discharged in 1964, he tracked down the three performing, and after seeing them perform for limited pay, Ralph agreed to rejoin them and help seek a major label.
By around 1967, they were Chubby and The Turnpikes, and soon after, met the band The Preachers at Basin Street in New Orleans, where the Turnpikes were opening for The O'Jays. The Preachers included saxophonist Quinn Harris, drummer Jim Atkins, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell. The Preachers then became a backing band for the Turnpikes. Chubby and The Turnpikes signed with Capitol Records in 1967 and had a couple of local hit records including "I Know the Inside Story" in 1967 and "Nothing But Promises" in 1968.
Future Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer appeared as the drummer with the group in a later incarnation called simply The Turnpikes from the fall of 1969 until September 1970, when he was invited to join Steven Tyler's band. He was later replaced with drummer Paul Klodner and bassist Steve Strout, which gave them a tight, punchy rhythm section.
In 1969, the band gained two more Tavares brothers, Victor and Perry "Tiny" Tavares.
By 1973, they had changed their name to Tavares and scored their first R&B top 10 (Pop top 40) hit with "Check It Out×Check It Out1973 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1If That's the Way You Want It2:49A2Strangers in Dark Corners3:57A3That's the Sound That Lonely Makes3:42A4Check It Out3:25A5Wish You Were With Me Mary3:23B1I'll Never Say Never Again2:35B2Little Girl2:35B3Let's Make the Best of What We Got3:35B4I'm in Love3:58B5Mama's Little Girl3:05", and soon began charting regularly on the R&B and pop charts. Their first album was also the only that included brother Victor, who sang lead on "Check It Out", but dropped out of the group shortly afterward. In 1974, Tavares had their first No. 1 R&B hit with Hall & Oates's "She's Gone".

1975 turned out to be their most successful year chartwise, with a Top 40 Pop album (In the City×In the City1975 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1It Only Takes a Minute3:59A2Fool's Hall of Fame3:28A3The Love I Never Had3:26A4Nothing You Can Do3:54A5In the Eyes of Love3:42B1Ready, Willing and Able4:17B2We Fit to a Tee3:08B3Free Ride2:57B4I Hope She Chooses Me3:22B5In the City3:12), the No. 25 hit "Remember What I Told You to Forget", and their biggest hit, the Top 10 Pop/No. 1 R&B smash "It Only Takes a Minute", which was later successfully covered by both Jonathan King and Take That, and sampled by Jennifer Lopez. They parlayed this success into a spot as an opening act for The Jackson 5. KC and The Sunshine Band was also on this tour. "Minute" was followed by a string of hits: "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel×Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel1976 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAHeaven Must Be Missing an Angel, Part 13:28BHeaven Must Be Missing an Angel, Part 23:10", "Don't Take Away the Music" (both 1976), and "Whodunit" (1977, another No. 1 R&B hit). In 1977 they also recorded "I Wanna See You Soon", a duet with Capitol labelmate Freda Payne, which received airplay on BBC Radio 1 but failed to chart.
Many of their hits, however, underplayed their R&B background and gave the group the image of being a disco act. This perception was reinforced by their appearance on the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever in 1977. Tavares recorded the Bee Gees song "More Than a Woman×More Than A WomanOctober 1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAMore Than a Woman3:16BKeep in Touch3:47", and their version reached the Pop Top 40 that year. The soundtrack became one of the most successful in history, giving Tavares their only Grammy Award.
Later albums, such as Madam Butterfly×Madam Butterfly1978 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Straight From Your Heart4:232Games, Games4:313Madame Butterfly4:364Let Me Heal the Bruises4:305Never Had a Love Like This Before4:316One Telephone Call Away4:287My Love Calls5:118Positive Forces3:009I’m Back for More3:03 and Supercharged×Supercharged3 December 1979 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Bad Times7:16A2We Both Tried4:17A3Can't Get Enough3:49A4Why Can't We Fall in Love4:08B1I Can't Go on Living Without You5:14B2I Don't Want You Anymore4:06B3Paradise4:58B4Got to Have Your Love3:47, strayed from the disco format (although they continued to have Top 10 R&B hits such as "Never Had a Love Like This Before", and the popular sociopolitical "Bad Times", written by British singer-songwriter Gerard McMahon). At the start of the 1980s, Tavares left Capitol Records, signing with RCA Records. They had one last major hit, the ballad "A Penny for Your Thoughts", for which they were nominated for a Grammy in 1982; their last major release was Words and Music in 1983.
In 1984, Ralph stepped down from the group. Pooch took over as the non-commissioned business/booking agent for Tavares from 1984 to 2014. Tiny left in 1988 to pursue his solo career, while the other three brothers continued to tour. Tiny rejoined the group in 2009. Musician Feliciano "Flash" Vierra Tavares, the family patriarch and father of all members of Tavares, died in 2008.
Chubby Tavares released his first solo album, Jealousy, on July 17, 2012, a few months after Tavares, the Four Tops (who recorded the original version of "Remember What I Told You to Forget"), and The Temptations toured the UK together. Preceding the album, a digital-only single was released called "It's Christmas". On December 17, it reached No. 5 on Amazon's Acid Jazz chart. Both the album and the single were produced by Carla Olson, and the album was released by "Fuel Records"/Universal Records.
In 2013, the brothers were honored with "Lifetime Achievement Awards" by The National R&B Music Society Black Tie Gala, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. All six brothers attended and performed on stage together for the first time in 37 years.
In 2014, Pooch suffered a stroke and the business/booking for Tavares was turned over to Oriola Mngmt LLC. He regained his health and opted for retirement.
Ralph Tavares died on December 8, 2021, two days before his 80th birthday.
Chubby retired from singing due to a pulmonary illness on May 14, 2023.
Pooch Tavares died on April 15, 2024, at the age of 81.
On November 29, 2025, Chubby Tavares died at the age of 81.
On April 27, 2026, Tavares was inducted into the Atlantic City Walk of Fame presented by, The National R&B Music Society. Stuart Bascombe of Black Ivory inducted them. Sister Sledge, Melba Moore, Billy Paul, Roy Ayers and Black Ivory were also inducted as part of the 2026 Class.

Band members

The five brothers who sung in the core lineup of Tavares were:

Ralph Edward Vierra Tavares (December 10, 1941 – December 8, 2021)
Pooch – Arthur Paul Tavares (November 12, 1942 – April 15, 2024)
Chubby – Antone Lee Tavares (June 2, 1944 – November 29, 2025)
Butch – Feliciano Vierra Tavares Jr. (born May 18, 1947)
Tiny – Perry Lee Tavares (born October 23, 1949)
The Del Rios (1959–1962)

John Tavares
Ralph Tavares
Arthur "Pooch" Tavares
Antone "Chubby" Tavares
Peter "Boo" Nicholaus
Chubby & The Realities (1962–1967)

Antone "Chubby" Tavares (1962–1967)
Arthur "Pooch" Tavares (1962–1967)
Feliciano "Butch" Tavares (1962–1967)
Ralph Tavares (1964–1967)
Chubby & The Turnpikes (1967–1969) / The Turnpikes (1969–1973)

Antone "Chubby" Tavares (1967–1973)
Arthur "Pooch" Tavares (1967–1973)
Feliciano "Butch" Tavares (1967–1973)
Ralph Tavares (1967–1973)
Victor Tavares (1969–1973)
Perry "Tiny" Tavares (1969–1973)
Tavares (1973–present)

Antone "Chubby" Tavares (1973–2023)
Arthur "Pooch" Tavares (1973–2014)
Feliciano "Butch" Tavares (1973–present)
Ralph Tavares (1973–1984, 2013)
Victor Tavares (1973–1974, 2013)
Perry "Tiny" Tavares (1973–1988, 2009–present)

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards:

Inducted into the Cape Verdean Museum Hall of Fame (2006)
Lifetime Achievement Award by The National R&B Music Society (2013)
Inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame (2014)
Griffin Court in New Bedford, MA, renamed Tavares Brothers' Way (2024)