Ralph Tavares Dead: Eldest Brother of R&B Quintet Tavares Was 79 – Billboard

About the Song

Emerging from the vibrant music scene of Rhode Island in the 1960s, Tavares established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the realm of R&B and soul music. With their silky-smooth harmonies, infectious grooves, and heartfelt lyrics, the five brothers – Chubby, Pooch, Butch, Ralph, and Tiny – captivated audiences worldwide. Their music transcended cultural and generational boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of popular music.

Amongst their extensive repertoire of hits, one song stands out as a timeless masterpiece, a ballad that has resonated with listeners for decades – “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel”. Released in 1976, this soulful gem became an instant sensation, topping the charts in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

“Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” is an ode to the transformative power of love, a testament to the profound impact a special someone can have on our lives. The song’s opening notes, a delicate piano melody, set the stage for a journey of emotional depth. As the Tavares brothers’ voices intertwine, they weave a tapestry of adoration and longing, painting a vivid picture of a love that transcends the ordinary.

The lyrics, penned by Freddie Perren and Keni St. Lewis, are infused with poetic imagery and heartfelt emotion. The singer describes their beloved as an angel descended from heaven, possessing an otherworldly beauty and grace that has captivated their soul. The chorus, a soaring declaration of love, is the song’s emotional crescendo:

“Heaven must be missing an angel Since you came down here from above You’re everything I’ve ever wanted And more, my darling, you’re my love”

“Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” is not merely a love song; it’s an affirmation of the transformative power of human connection. The song speaks to the ability of love to elevate us, to inspire us to be better versions of ourselves. It’s a reminder that amidst the chaos and uncertainty of life, love can be a beacon of hope, a source of strength and solace.

The song’s enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless message and universal appeal. It has been covered by numerous artists across genres, from soul legends like Luther Vandross to pop icons like Kylie Minogue. Each rendition brings a unique perspective to the song, yet they all capture the essence of the original – a love story as old as time itself.

“Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” remains a cornerstone of Tavares’ legacy, a song that continues to touch hearts and inspire generations of music lovers. It’s a reminder that the power of love knows no bounds, capable of transcending time, culture, and circumstance. As the Tavares brothers’ voices harmoniously proclaim, love is indeed a gift from heaven, a precious treasure to be cherished and celebrated.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Tavares Brothers still touring U.S. and Europe +VIDEOS

Video

Lyrics: Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel

Heaven must be missing an angel
Missing one angel, child, cause you’re here with me right now
(Your love is heavenly, baby)
(Heavenly to me, baby)

Your kiss, filled with tenderness
I want all I can get of your sexiness
Showers, your love comes in showers
And every hour on the hour
You let me feel your loving power

There’s a rainbow over my shoulder (ooh, ooh)
When you came, my cup runneth over (ooh, ooh)
You gave me your heavenly love
And if one night you hear crying from above

It’s cause heaven must be missing an angel
Missing one angel, child, cause you’re here with me right now
(Your love is heavenly, baby)
(Heavenly to me, baby)

Ooh (heaven, heaven)
Ooh (heaven, heaven)
Ooh (heaven, heaven)
(Heaven, heaven)

Ooh, I’m captured by your spell (ooh, ooh)
You’re different, girl, I can tell (ooh, ooh)
When you’re laying on my pillow, baby
Above your pretty head, there’s a halo, that’s why I know

(Heaven) must be missing an angel
(Heaven) missing one angel, child cause you’re here with me right now, mmm, ha
(Your love is heavenly, baby)
(Heavenly to me, baby)

Ooh, my sweet little angel
(Heaven) my pretty little angel
(Heaven) I love you, love you, love you, love you, love you, baby, say right now
(Heaven)

(Heaven) ooh, heaven
(Heaven, heaven) must be missing an angel
(Heaven, heaven) missing one angel, child cause you’re here with me right now
(Heaven, heaven) oh, my heaven
(Heaven) missing an angel
(Heaven)
(Heaven)
(Heaven)

You must have slipped away along the Milky Way
It’s cause (your kiss) your kiss (filled with tenderness)
You came C.O.D. on a moonbeam straight to me
Just like (showers) showers (showers, showers, showers)
(Ooh, ooh, ooh)
(Ooh, ooh, ooh)
(Ooh, ooh, ooh)
(Ooh, ooh, ooh)

Your heavenly power gets stronger by the hour
(Heaven must be missing an angel)
I’m captured by your spell, oh, girl, can’t you tell
(Heaven) heaven (must be missing an angel)

(Heaven, heaven) Ooh, ooh
(Heaven, heaven) Ooh, ooh
(Heaven, heaven) Ooh, ooh
(Heaven, heaven) ooh say so-so good, say so-so good, say so-so good, baby, mmm
(It’s just so good, so good, so good) yeah
(It’s just so good, so good, so good) I love the way you move
I love the way you groove
(It’s just so good, so good, so good) ooh
(It’s just so good, so good, so good) Just like heaven, oh, baby
(It’s just so good, so good, so good) Heaven, yeah

(Heaven, heaven)
(Heaven, heaven) ooh, heaven
(Heaven, heaven) ooh, your love is so good
(Heaven, heaven) oh, baby, got to have your love, yeah
(Heaven, heaven) need it bad, Lord, baby, yeah
(Heaven, heaven) I got to have your love, yeah
(Heaven, heaven) [?] Sit down, sit down, sit right down[?]

You Missed

HE WROTE THESE WORDS AS A LIGHTHEARTED TRIBUTE TO A FRIEND — BUT NO ONE KNEW IT WOULD BECOME THE ANTHEM OF HIS FINAL BATTLE. Back in 2017, during a charity golf event at Pebble Beach, Toby Keith found himself sharing a cart with the legendary Clint Eastwood. Clint was nearing his 88th birthday, yet he was still working, still directing, and still full of life. Toby, curious about how the Hollywood icon stayed so sharp, asked for his secret. Clint’s answer was simple but profound: “I just don’t let the old man in.” Toby was so moved by that philosophy that he went straight home and turned those words into a song. When he recorded the first demo, Toby actually had a bad cold. His voice was unusually gravelly, tired, and raw. Clint heard that “imperfect” version and insisted it stay exactly that way for his 2018 movie, The Mule. Back then, it was just a quiet, soulful track that most of the world barely noticed. Everything changed in 2021 when Toby received his stomach cancer diagnosis. Suddenly, the song he wrote for Clint became the story of his own life. Those lyrics were no longer just a tribute—they became a daily prayer for strength. The world finally felt the true weight of that song in September 2023. Toby stepped onto the People’s Choice Country Awards stage to accept the Icon Award. He was visibly thinner, and his hands trembled slightly, but his spirit was unbroken. He joked about his “skinny jeans,” then he began to sing. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Overnight, a song from five years prior surged to the top of the charts. After playing his final trio of shows in Las Vegas that December, Toby peacefully passed away on February 5, 2024, at age 62. Clint Eastwood later shared a photo of them together, a final salute to his friend. Time eventually catches up to everyone, but Toby Keith showed us all how to face it with dignity, courage, and a guitar in hand. Do you remember the title of this final, powerful masterpiece by Toby Keith?

HE WAS 70, STRUGGLING TO STAND, AND THE INDUSTRY HAD ALREADY WRITTEN HIM OFF — UNTIL HE COVERED A TRACK BY A ROCK STAR HALF HIS AGE AND BROKE THE WORLD’S HEART. By 2002, Johnny Cash was a man surviving on memories. He had outlived most of his peers. His record label of nearly three decades had abandoned him. His health was a wreckage of diabetes, pneumonia, and failing nerves. There were moments in the recording booth when his producer, Rick Rubin, could hear the literal sound of a voice breaking. Then Rubin presented him with a raw, industrial rock song about the depths of depression and self-harm. Cash made one simple change — replacing a profane lyric with “crown of thorns” — and transformed a young man’s angst into his own final testament. The music video was shot inside his shuttered museum in Nashville, a place crumbling under the weight of dust and silence. June Carter was there, looking at him with an expression of profound, tragic realization. She would be gone in three months. He would follow her just four months later. When the original songwriter finally saw the footage alone one morning, he broke down. He later admitted that the song no longer belonged to him. The video went on to win a Grammy and was hailed by critics as the greatest music video ever filmed. It has been streamed hundreds of millions of times since. But its true power isn’t in the numbers or the awards. It continues to haunt us two decades later because it is the sound of a man who has stopped running from the end — a man who sat down in the fading light and finally told the absolute truth.

NO ONE KNEW WHY TOBY KEITH KEPT VISITING THE OK KIDS KORRAL EVERY WEEK DURING HIS FINAL 2 YEARS — EVEN AS HIS OWN CANCER WAS TAKING OVER… UNTIL A NURSE FINALLY TOLD THE TRUTH In 2006, Toby Keith launched a foundation for children battling cancer, inspired by the loss of his lead guitarist’s 2-year-old daughter to a tumor in 2003. By 2014, he turned that vision into reality, opening the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City—a sanctuary where families of pediatric patients could stay for free. Then, in 2021, the world stopped when Toby was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Yet, instead of retreating into his own pain, Toby began appearing at the Korral every week. He wasn’t there to sign autographs or put on a show. He would simply stand in the quiet hallways, watching the children go about their days. Outsiders assumed he was inspecting the building. The staff figured he was there to lift spirits. But following Toby’s passing in February 2024, a veteran nurse finally shared what really happened. She had asked him why he pushed himself to come when he was so exhausted. Toby leaned heavily against the wall and whispered: “These kids showed me how to be a warrior long before I ever had to fight for my own life. I’m just here to pay my respects—while time still allows.” The world believed Toby Keith built the Korral to rescue those children. In reality, it was those children who were quietly holding him together at the end. What remained a secret until his very last visit—just 11 days before he slipped away—was how Toby stopped in front of a single name on the memorial wall: the little girl whose story began it all two decades earlier. He stood there in total silence, longer than anyone had ever seen him stay in one place.