New Bedford honors iconic music group Tavares with street, Tavares Brothers' Way
NEW BEDFORD — Tavares Brothers' Way is now an official city street honoring the five New Bedford brothers who made their community proud with a run of hit albums, hit songs and a Grammy during the '70s.
The new street replaces Griffin Court, from South Second Street to JFK Memorial Boulevard, which has no houses or businesses.
The R&B group Tavares featured brothers Feliciano, aka “Butch,” Perry Lee, aka “Tiny,” Antone, aka “Chubby,” Arthur “Pooch" and Ralph Tavares, who grew up in Providence and later New Bedford.
City Councilor Derek Baptiste made the motion for the group's special recognition.
He spoke during Thursday's public hearing to rename the street in their honor.
"They've been around the world and every time they were introduced New Bedford, Mass. was attached to it. They were at the forefront of a whole era," he said.
It was especially appropriate because the area selected was once a thriving Cape Verdean community, Baptiste added.
He said after the meeting that it was important for the city to provide a lasting tribute for not only them and their families, but the Cape Verdean community and New Bedford community as a whole.
It's a tribute that tourists coming to the city can seek out in the future.
Councilor Brian Gomes said, "They have brought joy and fun to this city — and as my colleague has said — to the world. Tavares deserves this recognition."
He said appropriate signage with illustrations should be placed at the site.
A number of supporters attended the meeting, as well as family members.
Tiny Tavares was also in attendance.
He said after the meeting, "It's a privilege to finally have it done. I'm glad it's being done, especially on behalf of my family. I want my brothers to witness it. We've lost one (Ralph Tavares passed away in 2021), and I don't want to lose anymore before it happens."
Tavares' stunning history of successes
They had eight singles on Billboard's Top 40, 12 singles on the R&B Top 10 Chart (including three No. 1 records), three Dance Chart Hits, including a No. 1, and 10 Hit Albums.
This included their best-known 1976 hit "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel" and the Bee Gees song "More Than a Woman.”
They won a Grammy in 1978 for their work on the soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever,” one of the most successful soundtracks in history.
According to a biography, the boys' musical talent came from their dad Feliciano Tavares who was known as “Flash” as he created a name for himself in the Cape Verdean-American music scene for many decades.
In a previous article, Chubby remembers it fondly, "We were poor, but we had music,” Chubby says. “We were introduced to music by my father 'Flash' Vieira Tavares, and my aunt Vicky Enos Tavares, and my mother Albina was always singing around the house. Our dad was a singer and guitarist who would occasionally invite me to sing with him at his local shows.”
Their journey began as a trio with Chubby, Pooch, and Butch called Chubby & The Realities playing at high school and Catholic Youth Organization dances across New England. Later in the 1950s, under the direction of famed studio musician and record producer Marvin Holzman, they became Chubby & The Turnpikes.
They released their first record in 1968, “I Know The Inside Story” and became big news in the New England music scene. It would later be considered one of the finest Northern Soul records ever made.
All five brothers joined together in the 1970s as their popularity soared and became known as just Tavares.
The brothers were inducted into the Cape Verdean Museum Hall of Fame in 2006; in 2013, they were honored with "Lifetime Achievement Awards" by The National R&B Music Society Black Tie Gala; and they were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Tavares Way in New Bedford recognizes the hometown music icons
