Tavares

Tavares, known officially as The Tavares Brothers, is an American R&B and soul music group comprising five Cape Verdean-American brothers. The group initiated their musical journey in 1959 under the name Chubby and the Turnpikes, with their youngest member being nine years old at the time. They spent their early years performing in New England, refining their sound while pursuing a record deal. By 1967, they secured a contract with Capitol Records, leading to local hit singles such as “I Know the Inside Story” in 1967 and “Nothing But Promises” in 1968. This early period established their foundation in the music industry.

The group officially became Tavares in 1973, marking a turning point with their first R&B Top 10 and Pop Top 40 hit, “Check It Out.” This success was followed by their first No. 1 R&B hit in 1974 with their rendition of Hall & Oates’ “She’s Gone.” The year 1975 proved to be their most commercially successful, featuring a Top 40 Pop album, “In the City,” and the Top 10 Pop/No. 1 R&B single “It Only Takes a Minute.” This period solidified their presence in popular music, leading to appearances as an opening act for The Jackson 5 and tours alongside KC and The Sunshine Band. Their career further evolved with mainstream recognition through their contribution to the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack in 1977, where their version of “More Than a Woman” earned them their only Grammy Award.

Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Tavares continued to release albums and achieve R&B success, despite shifting music industry trends. They signed with RCA Records in the early 1980s, releasing further albums and earning a Grammy nomination for the ballad “A Penny for Your Thoughts” in 1982. The brothers have been recognized with various honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from The National R&B Music Society in 2013 and induction into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014. The group has experienced member changes over the years, including departures and rejoining, with the current touring iteration featuring Tiny and Butch Tavares alongside new generation family members.