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Singer Robin Gibb passes away

Singer Robin Gibb passes away

THE singer and songwriter Robin Gibb has passed away. He was 62 and had been battling cancer.

Mr. Gibb won worldwide success both as a solo artist and with his bothers Maurice and Barry in their group the Bee Gees. 

Together the brothers helped to turn disco music into a global phenomenon when their music provided the main tracks for the hit movie Saturday Night Fever (1977). 

Robin and his twin Maurice and older brother Barry were born on the Isle of Man. Their father, a band leader, first moved the family to Manchester before emigrating in 1958 to Australia where the closely-knit brothers began to develop their musical and writing skills.

They took the name Bee Gees (an abbreviation of Brothers Gibb) and were soon building a reputation with local audiences.

The brothers then returned to the U.K. in the mid-60s. Several early hits led to tensions within the group with Robin quitting the set up in 1969. But the next year the brothers reformed, going on to sell milllions of records.

Their hits include Massachusetts, I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You, Stayin’ Alive and How Deep Is Your Love.

Robin was described by friends as being a sensitive, teetotal vegetarian. The hits that he wrote for both the family group and other singers sold more that 200 million records.

Following the death of his twin Maurice in 2003, Robin concentrated on his solo career and on a number of charitable interests including a campaign, which was successful, to establish a memorial in London to the men of Bomber Command. 

His last stage appearance was in February (2012) in the Coming Home concert at the London Palladium in support of injured servicemen and women.

He is survived by his second wife Dwina, who is from Northern Ireland, and children Spencer, Robin-John and Melissa.

To see the Bee Gees perform How Deep Is Your Love, click here.

 

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