Bee Gees' singer Robin Gibb in a coma, suffering from pneumonia
BEE Gees pop legend Robin Gibb is in a coma and may have only days to live, according to reports.
The 62-year-old singer’s wife Dwina, brother Barry, 65, and children are keeping a bedside vigil at a private hospital in London, The Sun reported.
Doctors believe that Gibb, who appeared to have made a recovery from colon and liver cancer, has developed a secondary tumour and is also thought to be fighting pneumonia, the British newspaper wrote.
The hit-maker’s failing health became apparent on Thursday, when he was unable to attend the London premier of a requiem he had written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of The Titanic.
The music was co-written with his son Robin-John, known as dubbed RJ.
RJ said at the concert that his father was heartbroken to miss the live performance.
“It was the one place he really wanted to be and he couldn’t be,” he said.
Gibbs’ health problems started in October 2010, when he had surgery to treat a blocked bowel, followed by more surgery to treat a twisted bowel - the condition that killed his twin brother Maurice in 2003 at the age of 53.
Gibb, who moved from the UK to Australia with his family as a child and lived in Brisbane and Sydney before returning to Britain in 1967, was then diagnosed with colon cancer, which spread to his liver.
The Bee Gees, made up of Robin, Barry and Maurice, sold more than 200 million records with hits including Gotta Get A Message To You, Massachusetts, Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever.
Their younger brother Andy Gibb was also a successful singer, with chart-toppers including I Just Want to be your Everything. He struggled with drug addition and died of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, in 1988 at the age of 30.
In an interview with The Sun last month, Robin Gibb wondered whether his illness was ‘karma’ for the career success his family enjoyed.
“I sometimes wonder if all the tragedies my family has suffered - like Andy and Maurice dying so young and everything that’s happened to me recently - is a kind of karmic price we are paying for all the fame and fortune we’ve had,” he said. --The Australian
Robin Gibb death: Isle of Man charity pays tribute
A Manx charity has paid tribute to Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb who has died following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Sir Miles Walker, from Hospice Isle of Man, said he would be greatly missed by everyone at the charity.
Gibb, who died aged 62, was born at the Jane Crookall Maternity Hospital, Douglas, in 1949. He was described as a "compassionate and popular" man.
Sir Miles said: "Robin had a quiet and shy way about him, and everyone enjoyed having him as one of the locals.
"Our heart-felt support goes out to his family and friends on this very sad day."
The Gibb brothers were all born in the Isle of Man, although the family later moved to Manchester and Australia.
'Magical' island
Robin Gibb owned a home in the west of the island near Peel, where he and his wife Dwina returned to for holidays.
In 2009, along with his brothers, Maurice and Barry, he was made a Freeman of the Borough of Douglas, the island town of their birth.
Barry and Robin Gibb both attended the event which was held at the Town Hall.
Speaking in an interview in 2009, Robin Gibb said: "The Isle of Man is ancient, mystical and magical, that is why I have always loved this place."
Robin Gibb in Isle of Man Robin Gibb received Freedom of the Borough of Douglas in 2009
In 1998, the Bee Gees raised thousands of pounds for a Manx children's charity by recording a version of Ellan Vannin, the unofficial Manx national anthem.
In 2008, Robin Gibb did another recording, this time featuring the choir from King William's college in Castletown.
His association with the Isle of Man Hospice brought much publicity for the charity and in 2009, Gibb officially opened a new facility for the organisation called Rebecca House, a hospice especially for children.
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BBC News
Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb has died aged 62 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The announcement was made by his family with "great sadness".
British-born Gibb's musical career began when he formed the Bee Gees with his brothers Barry and Maurice in 1958.
The group are among the biggest-selling of all time with hits spanning five decades, including Stayin' Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Massachusetts and Night Fever.
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“Start Quote
He had an incredibly witty sense of humour and was fun to be around”
End Quote Dionne Warwick Singer
Gibb's family said in a statement: "The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery.
"The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."
Broadcaster Paul Gambaccini described the singer as "one of the major figures in the history of British music".
The singer Dionne Warwick, whose biggest hit Heartbreaker was written by the Gibb brothers, said of Robin: "He was wonderful. He was a jokester.
"He had an incredibly witty sense of humour and was fun to be around. All three of them were sensational gentlemen first, just fun loving guys."
'Phenomenal legacy'
Ringo Starr on 'cool' Robin Gibb
The Gibb brothers were born in the Isle of Man but grew up in Manchester, later moving to Australia.
The Bee Gees notched up album sales of more than 200 million worldwide since their first hits in the 1960s.
"Everyone should be aware that the Bee Gees are second only to Lennon and McCartney as the most successful songwriting unit in British popular music," Gambaccini said.
Robin Gibb had "one of the best white soul voices ever", he said, adding that the group's accomplishments had been "monumental".
"Not only have they written their own number one hits, but they wrote huge hit records for Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Celine Dion, Destiny's Child... the list goes on and on."
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Very sad to hear about yet another great singer dying too young”
End Quote Bryan Adams Singer
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair, a friend of Gibb, has paid tribute, saying he would "miss him very much".
"Robin was not only an exceptional and extraordinary musician and songwriter, he was a highly intelligent, interested and committed human being," Mr Blair said.
Musicians have been taking to Twitter to pay their respects.
Canadian singer Bryan Adams wrote: "Robin Gibb RIP. Very sad to hear about yet another great singer dying too young."
Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks wrote: "The soundtrack of my wonder years is vaporizing one artist at a time with these iconic musical losses lately."
Justin Timberlake, meanwhile, described Gibb as "a truly brilliant musician", adding: "One of my idols. My heart goes out to the Gibb family in this time of sorrow."
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who was a family friend, said: "Robin had the voice, the pathos, and he was a great writer.
"He had a gift for melody and a gift for lyrics and left a phenomenal legacy, a phenomenal catalogue."
Referring to the Bee Gees, he said: "They had every award, every gold disc, every platinum disc, the Grammys, the lot, and had been doing it so long but were still so good at it."
Gibb had battled ill health for several years.
In 2010, he cancelled a series of shows after suffering severe stomach pains while performing in Belgium. He went on to have emergency surgery for a blocked intestine.
His twin brother and band partner Maurice died in 2003 aged 53 following complications from a twisted intestine.
Robin Gibb cancelled a series of shows in Brazil in April 2011, after again suffering from abdominal pains.
Robin Gibb speaking in 2011: "We felt we had licence to go into areas where other people would fear to go"
Later that year, he was found to have cancer of the colon after having surgery on his bowel for an unrelated condition.
He was later also diagnosed with cancer of the liver, and underwent chemotherapy and surgery.
Last month the singer fell into a coma after contracting pneumonia.
Four weeks ago, he regained consciousness and was said to have been making a positive recovery. But his death was announced at 23:30 BST (22:30 GMT) on Sunday.
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music".
Quite an interesting life the Gibbs had. Born on The Isle Of Man, then to Manchester to Australia finally to England...an amazing genius filled musical career.
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music".
jamestkirk wrote:
Sad news...you got it before us is NZ, Roughie.
Probably just the time difference.
Quite an interesting life the Gibbs had. Born on The Isle Of Man, then to Manchester to Australia finally to England...an amazing genius filled musical career.
Indeed. I quite often think a life of moving around helps creativity.
Starting pre production on a sketch show. More soon.
I’m very sad about Donna Summer passing away. She was the Queen of Disco. And her records– from “Last Dance” to “MacArthur Park” to “Bad Girls,” “Hot Stuff,” etc are classics. Her untimely death is a tragedy.
But too many people are lumping her in with Robin Gibb, who passed away yesterday at age 62. The Bee Gees were not a disco group. They happened to have success during the disco era because of “Saturday Night Fever.” But they were actually a British folk-pop group who evolved into something more interesting: a blue eyed soul group.
Their original phase of hits like “Words,” “Holiday,” “I Started a Joke”–were pure pop. They were right in the realm of the Hollies and the Kinks. In 1970-71 they re-emerged with two gigantic hits, “Lonely Days” and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” The latter has been covered by so many R&B stars–not disco. The Al Green version is tremendous. As well, another Bee Gees song from their early days, “To Love Somebody,” is a favorite of R&B singers. It’s also been covered by the greats.
It was in 197? when they teamed with Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin at Atlantic, that the Bee Gees found their true calling. “Jive Talking,” “Nights on Broadway,” “Fanny (Be Tender with My Love)” are simply brilliant.
Because of the “Saturday Night Fever” movie they were drafted into the Robert Stigwood Organization. But everything from that album, plus “Tragedy” and “How Deep Is Your Love”–the latter a mini masterpiece–is a product of that Miami studio time with the Atlantic geniuses. It all stems from that.
What a terrible shame that Barry Gibb has lost all of his brothers, even Andy, the youngest. The Bee Gees music was so profound for pop, so ebullient with an underscore of sorrow. They deserved a better legacy. Robin and Maurice were always in the background but they made he group. Their loss is our loss. I hope when they see George Harrison and John Lennon and Brian Jones and Keith Moon they can all have a good laugh.
Anyway, find James Carr singing “To Love Somebody.” That will set you straight.
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music".
