Grammy Award-winning R&B vocal group TAVARES, best known for their infectious, close-harmony sound that has spawned numerous iconic hits, will return to the UK for a Greatest Hits Tour, with a date at St David’s Hall in Cardiff last night (12th September).
The group, who are icons of popular soul and disco music, began their 10-date UK tour at Southend Cliffs Pavilion. The have a date later this week at London’s Indigo at the O2, before its finale in Liverpool on 18th September. The one we’re interested in has to be the show at St David’s Hall in Cardiff.
We were there for a musical trip down memory lane, and what a night it was as these die-hard Tavares fans told us…….
Tavares are Cape-Verdean American brothers CHUBBY, TINY and BUTCH, best-known for their meteoric rise to fame in the 1970’s with ubiquitous hits such as ‘It Only Takes a Minute Girl’, ‘Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel’, ‘She’s Gone’ and ‘More Than a Woman’ (from the iconic Grammy Award-Winning soundtrack ‘Saturday Night Fever).
Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, they were one of the most heavily covered bands of the Disco era and sold tens of thousands of copies of their sheet music to club bands and budding musicians all over the world.
The eldest member RALPH died last year two days short of his 80th birthday. He was the fifth of 10 brothers and enjoyed the success with his four younger siblings.
In 1984, Ralph left the group and spent many years working as a court officer in New Bedford. But the call of the stage was too much and in 2013, he reunited with his brothers to perform at the National R&B Music Society Black Tie Gala, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as they were honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
It was actually the first time in 37 years they all sang together on stage.
With so much to talk about we had to put a Zoom call in to TINY TAVARES to see what the guys have been up to and what we can expect when they get to Cardiff next month.
Tiny was in his car, parked by the harbour just outside of New Bedford, the place he was born. The Zoom call was a little glitchy at times but that didn’t stop us talking about the old days, the passing of his beloved brother Ralph and what the guys have been doing during lockdown.
I also spotted a Beatles T.Shirt on the back seat of Tiny’s car, which I just had to ask about.
The Tavares story is a big and exciting one and something you can read about on their website HERE.
Chubby, Tiny and Butch carry on the Tavares family tradition, as they continue to perform sold-out concerts around the world with no end in sight!
