Antone "Chubby" Tavares

Antone "Chubby" Tavares, the lead singer of the famed R&B group Tavares, died November 29, 2025, at the age of 81. According to a family post on the group's official social-media page, Tavares died "in peace and comfort."

Antone Lawrence Tavares was born on June 2, 1944, in Providence, Rhode Island. His grandmother nicknamed him "Chubby," reportedly because he weighed nearly 11 pounds at birth.

When he was 16, he moved with his family to New Bedford, Massachusetts, a city that would become the center of his musical life. He began performing professionally in 1959 with his brothers under the name Chubby and the Turnpikes; that group would eventually become Tavares.

Under the name Tavares, the group signed with Capitol Records and in 1973 released their first successful single, "Check It Out."

Throughout the mid-1970s and early 1980s, with Chubby often on lead vocals, Tavares became one of the defining voices of soul, R&B, funk, and disco. Their hits included "It Only Takes a Minute," "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel," "She's Gone," "Don't Take Away the Music," and "Whodunit."

Their soulful version of "More Than a Woman" appeared on the soundtrack of "Saturday Night Fever," helping the soundtrack album win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1979.

At the height of their fame, Tavares placed eight singles on the Billboard Top 40, achieved three No. 1 hits on R&B charts, toured internationally, and became celebrated ambassadors of their Cape Verdean heritage.

In later years, Chubby Tavares explored solo music, releasing such albums as "Amazing Ride" (2018) and "Unlikely Hero" (2022).

In 2022, citing ongoing health issues, he announced his retirement, effective December 30, 2022. His final performances with Tavares were held in May 2023 at New Bedford's Zeiterion Performing Arts Center.

Chubby Tavares helped define a generation of soul, R&B and disco music. As lead voice of Tavares, he contributed to a string of hits that remain staples of the genre. Their music bridged traditional R&B with emerging disco and funk sounds, leaving a lasting imprint on American popular music.

The group's achievements earned them numerous honors - including induction into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014. In their 2024 campaign to honor the group, the city of New Bedford renamed a street where the brothers spent their youth to "Tavares Brothers Way."

By Legacy News Staff

(Image: TPLP/Getty Images)