Robin Gibb Biography

(Member of the ‘Bee Gees’ Pop Group)

Birthday: December 22, 1949 (Capricorn)

Born In: Douglas, Isle of Man

Robin Gibb was a British singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. He along with his brothers, Barry and Maurice Gibb, formed the Bee Gee in the late 1950s which went on to become one of the most successful music groups of all time. The Gibb brothers were interested in music from a young age and formed their first band, The Rattlesnakes, while they were still young boys. They performed in local theatres and were quite popular in their city. Eventually they changed the group’s name to Bee Gees and released their first single ‘The Battle of the Blue and the Grey’. They became a pop sensation over the next few years and were prominent performers of the disco music era. The group was one of the top pop groups in the late 1960s and early 1970s and has sold in excess of 220 million units worldwide. Following his success as a part of the Bee Gees, Robin embarked on a solo career after leaving the group. He did find success as a solo artist, but eventually reunited with his brothers and became a part of the Bee Gees again. The group’s name was retired in 2003 after 45 years following Maurice’s sudden death.

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Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In December

Also Known As: Robin Hugh Gibb

Died At Age: 62

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Dwina Murphy-Gibb, Molly Hullis

father: Hugh Gibb

mother: Barbara Gibb

siblings: Andy Gibb, Barry Gibb, Lesley Gibb, Maurice Gibb

children: Melissa Gibb, Robin-John Gibb, Snow Evelyn Robin Juliet Gibb, Spencer Gibb

Born Country: England

Pop Singers Rock Singers

Height: 5'9" (175 cm), 5'9" Males

Died on: May 20, 2012

place of death: London, England

Diseases & Disabilities: Colorectal Cancer

Grouping of People: Twins

Cause of Death: Kidney Failure

Childhood & Early Life
Robin Hugh Gibb was born on 22 December 1949 to Barbara and Hugh Gibb, in the Isle of Man, United Kingdom. His father was a drummer and bandleader. He had three bothers: Maurice, Barry, and Andy, and one sister, Lesley. He was a troublemaker as a child and loved to play with fire.
Because of their father’s influence, the brothers became interested in music early on. In 1955, his brother Barry formed a rock and roll group, The Rattlesnakes, in which Robin and Maurice became the vocalists. The group also had their friends Paul and Kenny in the line-up. The group disbanded in 1958 after the friends left.
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Career
In 1958, the Gibb family moved to Australia. While living there, the brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin re-created their music group and named it the Bee Gees. The group became popular locally and made its debut television appearance in 1960 in Desmond Tester's ‘Strictly for Moderns’.
After achieving moderate success in Australia the brothers returned to the UK in 1967. They released the albums ‘Horizontal’ (1968), ‘Idea’ (1968), and ‘Odessa’ (1969) in the late 1960s.
They also toured extensively during this period which made the group immensely popular. The group also filmed a BBC television special with Frankie Howerd called ‘Frankie Howerd Meets The Bee Gees’, written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
Due to some misunderstandings with his brothers, Robin Gibb quit the group in mid-1969 and launched a solo career. Even though he found moderate success as a solo artist, he decided to get back with his brothers and rejoined the Bee Gees in 1970.
During the early 1970s they appeared on several television shows including ‘The Johnny Cash Show’, ‘Johnny Carson's Tonight Show’, ‘The Andy Williams Show’, and ‘The Dick Cavett Show’. These appearances added to their already burgeoning popularity and they became one of the most sensational pop groups in the UK.
The group developed a more R&B and dance oriented music during the mid-1970s. The disco-crazy youngsters of the era fell in love with their music and many of their singles became chart toppers. One of their most successful singles was ‘Jive Talkin’ in 1975 that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top-five on the UK Singles Chart.
After ruling the hearts of the fans throughout the 1970s, the Bee Gees fell out of favor in the 1980s as the disco culture was beginning to wane. During this time Robin released two solo albums, ‘How Old Are You?’ and ’Secret Agent’.
The Bee Gees made a comeback in 1987 and released the album ‘E.S.P.’ which sold over three million copies. The single ‘You Win Again’ peaked at No. 1 in several countries.
Over the next few years the Bee Gees found considerable success with albums like ‘High Civilization’ (1991), ‘Size Isn't Everything’ (1993), and ‘Still Waters’ (1997).
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Bee Gees’ final album ‘This Is Where I Came In’ was released in 2001. This album reached the Top 10 in the UK and the Top 20 in the US. This was followed by the Bee Gees’ last concert in 2002.
Major Works
The album, ‘Spirits Having Flown’ was one of the Bee Gees’ most successful albums. All of the album’s first three tracks peaked at No. 1 in the US and the album was the group’s first and only UK No. 1 album. Certified multi-platinum, it has sold 20 million copies worldwide.
The Bee Gees’ live album, ‘One Night Only’, featuring the group's concert at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 1997 was another one of their best selling albums. The album had several of their hit songs from every decade from the 1960s to the 1990s, and evoked a sense of nostalgia in their fans. The album was accredited multi-platinum in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
Awards & Achievements
Robin Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California, in 1994.
He was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) along with his brothers Maurice and Barry in the New Year Honours 2002.
He was a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
The Bee Gees were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.
Personal Life & Legacy
He married Molly Hullis, a secretary in Robert Stigwood's organization, in 1968. The couple had two children and they divorced in 1980.
In 1985, Robin Gibb married Dwina Murphy, an author and artist, with whom he had a son. This marriage lasted until his death.
In addition to his marriages, he also had an affair with his housekeeper Claire Yang that resulted in the birth of his fourth child.
Robin Gibb was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2011. The cancer had metastasized to his liver and his health deteriorated over the next few months. He died in London on 20 May 2012 at the age of 62.
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