Michael ‘Tunes’ Antunes, Beaver Brown Band Saxophonist, Passes Away

Michael “Tunes” Antunes, the New Bedford native who went on to international success as saxophonist with John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band and starred in both of the Eddie and the Cruisers films, has passed away.

Antunes died Tuesday, August 19, just nine days after his 85th birthday and 10 days after his final performance at the Narrows Center in Fall River. The band had even sung “Happy Birthday” to Antunes during that final show.

Antunes reportedly passed away from kidney failure, although no official obituary has yet been published.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Born in New Bedford, Antunes began his performing career at age 13 while still attending Dartmouth High. He came from a musical family, as his father Peter played upright bass, guitar and Hammond organ throughout New England, and his grandfather Joaquim, an immigrant from Cape Verde, played guitar and violin here once he came to America.

Breakthrough with John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band

Antunes joined the Narragansett, Rhode Island-based Beaver Brown Band in the 1970s, after more than a decade of playing throughout the New England music scene.

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The band went on to release two singles in 1980, “Wild Summer Nights” and “Tender Years,” which got them the job of providing music for the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers about a legendary bar band whose lead singer is presumed dead after his car goes into a river in the 1960s.

Both “Wild Summer Nights” and “Tender Years” also appeared on the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack, which went quadruple platinum thanks to repeated showings of the film on HBO. Another song, “On the Dark Side,” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Hollywood Spotlight: Eddie and the Cruisers

Antunes was the only member of the Beaver Brown Band to also have a role in the film; he played the Cruisers’ sax player, Wendell Newton. Even though his character died of a drug overdose in the original film, Antunes reprised the role in the 1989 sequel, Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!

He also showed his Dartmouth Indian pride to a national audience in 1985, when he wore a Dartmouth football hat in the video for the Beaver Brown Band’s hit song “C-I-T-Y.”

Family and Musical Legacy

Antunes leaves behind his wife Jennifer, with whom he had 11 children. Two of his sons are also involved in the music industry; Kevin is the musical director and keyboardist for Madonna, as well as the musical designer for the Michael Jackson ONE show by Cirque du Soleil, and Matthew worked as the musical director for Tavares.

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Tributes from the Music World

The official John Cafferty Facebook page posted a heartfelt tribute along with a video of “Tunes” playing his heart out.

“Our hearts are filled with so many emotions today. Love, gratitude, respect, joy for our precious time together and sadness for our gentle fond farewell,” the post read. “It will always be one of life’s true gifts to have travelled the world over these many years within Tunes’ inner circle of love and magic on this amazing musical journey we’ve been blessed with. Love Always & Forever, John Cafferty, Gary Gramolini, Kenny Jo Silva, Jackie Santos, Dean Cassell, Steve Burke, Don Culp, Mike Lebeau, Rich McMahon, Klem Klemik, Andrew Clark.”

Guitarist Barry Goudreau, formerly of the band Boston and who played with Antunes for a number of years in Ernie Boch, Jr.’s band Ernie and the Automatics, posted a tribute to him on Facebook.

“Greatest soloist I ever played with,” Goudreau wrote. “A kind, sweet person.”

Guitarist Jon Butcher of Jon Butcher Axis also wrote a Facebook post in honor of Antunes.

“One of the finest people I’ve ever known,” he wrote. “And one of the most soulful players to ever join Heaven’s band. Farewell my friend, see you on the other side.”