Robin Gibb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robin Gibb
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Gibb in 2008
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Robin Hugh Gibb
22 December 1949 |
| Died | 20 May 2012 (aged 62) London, England
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| Years active | 1955–2012 |
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| Children | 4, including Spencer |
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| Musical career | |
| Origin | Manchester, England |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
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Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a famous British singer and songwriter. He became known worldwide as a member of the Bee Gees pop group. He sang with his older brother Barry and his twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also had a successful music career on his own. Their youngest brother Andy was also a singer.
Robin Gibb was born on the Isle of Man to English parents. His family later moved to Manchester, England, and then to Redcliffe, Australia. He started his music journey with his brothers. When the Bee Gees became popular, they moved back to England. In 2002, the Bee Gees were honored for their great "contribution to music".
The Bee Gees sold over 200 million records, making them one of the most successful pop groups ever. Music expert Paul Gambaccini called Robin Gibb "one of the major figures in British music." He also said Robin had "one of the best white soul voices ever" because of his unique singing style. Robin Gibb was President of the UK-based Heritage Foundation from 2008 to 2011. This group celebrates important people in British culture. Robin performed his last concert in February 2012. He sang at a charity event in London to support injured British soldiers. He passed away on 20 May 2012, at age 62.
Robin Gibb played several instruments, mainly keyboards. He played piano, organ, and Mellotron on the Bee Gees album Odessa (1969). He also played acoustic guitar and organ on his first solo album, Robin's Reign (1970).
Contents
Early Life and Family
Robin Hugh Gibb was born on 22 December 1949, in Douglas, Isle of Man. His parents were Barbara and Hugh Gibb. He was the fraternal twin of Maurice Gibb. Robin was born 35 minutes before Maurice. He had one sister, Lesley Evans, and two other brothers, Barry and Andy.
A neighbor in Douglas, Helen Kenney, remembered the Gibb children. She said, "Barry and the twins used to come into Mrs Beck's house. Robin once told me, 'We're going to be rich one day, we're going to form a band!'" She didn't realize then how serious he was.
Music Career
The Rattlesnakes Begin
In 1955, the Gibb family moved back to Manchester, England. There, the brothers formed a band called the Rattlesnakes. The band included Barry on guitar and vocals, and Robin and Maurice on vocals. They performed in local theaters in Manchester. They were inspired by popular groups like the Everly Brothers. In May 1958, the group changed its name. In August 1958, the family moved to Australia.
Becoming the Bee Gees
The brothers eventually changed their name to the Bee Gees while living in Queensland, Australia. Their first TV appearance was in 1960. They signed with Festival Records in 1963 and released their first song, "The Battle of the Blue and the Grey". In 1964, their song "Claustrophobia" was the first to feature Robin playing an instrument, the melodica. Robin sang lead vocals for the first time on a Bee Gees record in 1965, on "I Don't Think It's Funny". In 1966, he wrote his first credited song, "I Don't Know Why I Bother With Myself".
The Bee Gees became very popular in the late 1960s, starting with "New York Mining Disaster 1941". They toured Europe and the US. Their first UK No. 1 hit was "Massachusetts", with Robin singing lead.
Robin co-wrote "Only One Woman" for The Marbles, which was a hit in many countries. The Bee Gees' song "I Started a Joke," with Robin on lead vocals, was a Top 10 hit in the US. Robin said the song's tune came from the sound of a jet engine.
In January 1969, Robin helped write and produce another song for The Marbles. However, some disagreements led Robin to leave the Bee Gees to start a solo career. This happened after his song "Lamplight" was placed on the B-side of Barry's song "First of May". Robin's last recording session with the Bee Gees was in February 1969.
Robin's Solo Career
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On 19 March 1969, Robin announced he was leaving the Bee Gees. He quickly found success on his own with the song "Saved by the Bell". This song reached No. 2 in the UK and sold over one million copies. He performed it on German TV. Robin also went on a mini-tour, appearing on TV shows in many countries to promote his new song.
Robin's first solo album, Robin's Reign (1970), was not as successful. He soon realized that being a solo artist was not as fulfilling for him. In January 1970, Robin started recording his second solo album, Sing Slowly Sisters. However, this album was not released until 2015.
Bee Gees Reunion
In June 1970, Robin and Maurice reunited and recorded four songs. They soon announced that the Bee Gees were back together. In August, Barry rejoined the group. Their first song after the reunion was "Lonely Days", which reached No. 3 in the US. The Bee Gees then had their first US No. 1 hit, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart". Robin helped write this song and sang the first part.
In 1976, on the album Children of the World, Robin sang lead on "Love Me". He also used his high-pitched falsetto voice on this song. On the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Robin did not sing lead vocals on any Bee Gees songs. However, four songs from this album became UK Top 10 hits, including "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever".
In 1978, Robin sang on the Sesame Street Fever album for the children's TV show Sesame Street. He sang on the title track and a song called "Trash" for the character Oscar the Grouch.
Collaborations and More Solo Work
In 1980, Robin helped write and produce Jimmy Ruffin's album Sunrise. The song "Hold on to My Love" from this album was a US Top 30 hit. Also in 1980, Robin sang with Marcy Levy on the song "Help Me!" for the film Times Square. Most of Barbra Streisand's album Guilty was co-written by Robin and Barry.
Robin released his second solo album, How Old Are You?, with Maurice's help. The main song "Juliet" was very successful in Europe. In 1984, he released his third solo album, Secret Agent. The song "Boys Do Fall in Love" from this album reached the Top 40 in the US. In 1985, he released his fourth solo album, Walls Have Eyes. These three solo albums were more popular in Europe than in the UK or US.
In late 1986, the Bee Gees started working on their album ESP, released in 1987. In 1998, the Bee Gees recorded their own version of "Ellan Vannin". Robin sang lead vocals on this song. It was released to help the Manx Children in Need charity. In 2001, the Bee Gees released their last album, This Is Where I Came In. This album included Robin's last song for the Bee Gees, "Embrace".
Later Years and Final Performances
On 27 January 2003, after Maurice's sudden death, Robin released a solo album called Magnet. This album included a new version of the Bee Gees song "Wish You Were Here". The main song, "Please", had lyrics about 'loss', which was a sad coincidence. In 2004, Robin went on a solo tour in Germany, Russia, and Asia. He released a CD and DVD of his live performances from the German part of the tour.
In January 2005, Robin joined his brother Barry and other artists for a charity song called "Grief Never Grows Old". This song helped people affected by the Asian tsunami. In June 2005, Robin sang with the band G4 at a concert in London. In December 2005, a recording of this performance was released as a single.
In May 2006, Robin and Barry performed at the Prince's Trust 30th birthday Concert in London. They sang three Bee Gees songs: "Jive Talkin'", "To Love Somebody", and "You Should Be Dancing". In November 2006, Robin released his last album during his lifetime, My Favourite Christmas Carols. This album included a new song called "Mother of Love", inspired by Maurice. Robin gave all the money from this song to a charity. He dedicated the album to his mother, Barbara.
In 2008, Robin finished a new solo album called 50 St. Catherine's Drive, but it was not released until 2014. One song, "Instant Love", was a collaboration with his son, Robin-John. In 2009, Robin went back to the top of the UK charts. He worked with singers Ruth Jones, Rob Brydon, and Tom Jones on a new version of "Islands in the Stream". This song was written by Robin and his brothers. The new version was made to help the charity Comic Relief.
In 2010, Robin was a guest mentor on the Australian version of The X Factor. He also toured Australia with Bonnie Tyler. In September 2011, Robin recorded the Bee Gees song "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" with British Army men The Soldiers for a charity single. This was produced with his son, Robin-John.
On 30 January 2012, Robin planned to perform at the Coming Home Concert in London. This concert helped British soldiers returning from Afghanistan. It would be his last performance on stage. Over two years, Robin and Robin-John wrote music for The Titanic Requiem. This music was recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was to remember the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Robin was supposed to attend the first performance on 10 April 2012, but his health prevented him. He passed away the next month.
Personal Life
In 1968, Robin married Molly Hullis. They had two children, Spencer (born 1972) and Melissa (born 1974). They divorced in 1980.
Robin's second marriage was to Dwina Murphy, an author and artist, from 1985 until his death. They had a son, Robin-John (born 1983). Robin-John's first big music project was the Titanic Requiem (2012), which he wrote with his father.
Robin and his wife lived in Peel, Isle of Man, Miami, Florida, and Thame, Oxfordshire.
Robin experienced much loss in his family. On 10 March 1988, his younger brother Andy died. On 12 January 2003, his twin brother Maurice died from complications after surgery.
Robin supported several charities. He was the organizer of the Sunseeker Ball, which helped the Outward Bound Trust. He also worked to raise money for the RAF Bomber Command Memorial in London.
Health and Passing
In August 2010, Robin began feeling stomach pains while performing in Belgium. He had emergency surgery in an Oxford hospital. He recovered and continued to perform concerts. However, in April 2011, he had to cancel a tour due to health problems. In October 2011, he was rushed to the hospital again with severe stomach pains.
In November 2011, Robin was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. In March 2012, he was hospitalized for intestinal surgery. In April, he got pneumonia and fell into a coma, but he later woke up. Robin Gibb passed away in London on 20 May 2012, at the age of 62. While it was first reported he died from cancer, his son Robin-John said his father's cancer was in remission. The cause of death was kidney failure.
His funeral was held on 8 June 2012. He was buried near his home in Thame, Oxfordshire. In September of that year, a blue plaque was placed on his house to honor him. In 2015, a headstone was placed with lyrics from Bee Gees songs, including "How Deep Is Your Love".
Tributes to Robin
Robin and his brother Barry had disagreements over the years. But at Robin's funeral, Barry gave a speech. He said, "Even right up to the end we found conflict with each other, which now means nothing. It just means nothing." Barry also spoke about Robin's pain after losing his twin brother Maurice. He said, "I think the greatest pain for Robin in the past ten years was losing his twin brother."
The Who's Roger Daltrey remembered Robin as "A lovely, lovely guy." He added, "Robin's voice had something about it that could move me and, I'm sure, millions of others." John Travolta said, "I thought Robin was one of the most wonderful people, gifted, generous and a real friend to everyone he knew. And we'll miss him." Tim Rice called Gibb "a charming man." Robin's friend Cliff Richard said, "Robin is another one of us who's gone too soon." Ringo Starr said, "Robin will be remembered as a musician and as a singer and part of the Bee Gees." Dionne Warwick said, "He was wonderful. He was a jokester. He had an incredibly witty sense of humour and was fun to be around."
Many other artists also paid tribute to Robin Gibb. These included Justin Timberlake, Ronan Keating, Liam Gallagher, Elton John, and Bryan Adams.
Last Album Release
Robin Gibb's final studio album, 50 St. Catherine's Drive, was released after his death. It came out on 29 September 2014 in the UK. The album included songs recorded in 2007 and 2008 that had not been released before. His first collection album, Saved by the Bell – The Collected Works of Robin Gibb: 1969–70, was released in May 2015. It contained Robin's songs from 1969 and 1970, including demos and unreleased material.
Awards and Honors
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In 1994, Robin Gibb was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as a member of the Bee Gees. At the 1997 BRIT Awards in London, the Bee Gees received an award for their amazing contribution to music.
In 2002, Robin Gibb was honored as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). His brothers Maurice and Barry also received this honor. The official ceremony was delayed until 2004 because Maurice passed away.
In May 2004, Robin and Barry both received honorary music degrees from the University of Manchester, England. In 2005, Robin received the Steiger Award in Germany for his achievements in the arts. On 10 July 2009, both brothers were given the title of Freemen of Douglas, Isle of Man. Maurice also received this honor after his death.
Radio and TV presenter Paul Gambaccini said the Bee Gees were "second only to Lennon and McCartney as the most successful songwriting unit in British popular music." He also called Robin Gibb "one of the major figures in the history of British music." Robin Gibb was a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
Discography
- Robin's Reign (1970)
- How Old Are You? (1983)
- Secret Agent (1984)
- Walls Have Eyes (1985)
- Magnet (2003)
- My Favourite Christmas Carols (2006)
- 50 St. Catherine's Drive (2014)
- Sing Slowly Sisters (2015)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 1968 | Frankie Howerd Meets the Bee Gees | Himself | TV series |
| 1978 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Dave Henderson | film |
| 2009 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Himself (contestant) | TV game show |
See also
In Spanish: Robin Gibb para niños
