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.
View previous In the News items: Fans pay tribute to queen of disco Donna Summer, Sculptor George Wyllie passes away, Tributes are paid to the bass guitarist Donald Duck Dunn, War photographer Horst Faas passes away, Celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon passes away, Tributes are paid to author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Actor and magician John Forrest passes away, Tributes are paid to actress Patricia Medina, World famous poker player Amarillo Slim passes away, Nobel Prize winner Renato Dulbecco passes away, Olympic boxing medalist Terry Spinks passes away, Art world mourns the passing of Louis le Brocquy, Environmentalist Ernest Callenbach passes away, Funeral of tragic mother and daughter to be held, Disability rights campaigner Lord Ashley passes away, Guitar legend Bert Weedon passes away, American TV legend Dick Clark passes away, Tributes are paid to founder of Corrymeela community, Computer pioneer Jack Tramiel passes away, Character actor Luke Askew passes away, Hero of the French Resistance Raymond Aubrac passes away, Popular painter Thomas Kinkade passes away, Music world bids farewell to Banjo Barney, Music world pays tribute to guitar amp maker Jim Marshall, Pinball wizard Steve Kordek passes away, Funeral takes place of former politician Addie Morrow, Banjo player Earl Scruggs passes away, Former pirate radio DJ Tom Lodge passes away, Skateboard innovator Larry Stevenson passes away, Tributes are paid to Scottish darts legend Jocky Wilson, Former aerospace chief Sanford McDonnell passes away, Respected Northern Ireland journalist passes away, Tributes are paid to motorcycle expert Mick Walker, Actress Faith Brook passes away, Chemist who warned of global warming passes away, Illustrator behind the famous Ponderosa map passes away, Ashes of singer Davy Jones to be brought back to UK, Songwriter Robert Sherman passes away, Star Wars artist Ralph McQuarrie passes away, Bishop says Frank Carson was the prime minister of fun, Tributes are paid to Richard Carpenter of Catweazle fame, The actress Marion Mathie passes away, Actor Peter Halliday passes away, Fans pay tribute to comedy legend Frank Carson, Last of the buccaneers John Fairfax passes away, Tributes are paid to opera singer Elizabeth Connell or Rock musician Michael Davis passes away
If you have a relative or a friend who has passed away and feel they should be mentioned in our In the News section, then please email us.
Our Email Alerts system means that if you register a name with us, we will send you a message if it appears on our website.