Robin Hugh Gibb is a talented singer and songwriter from Manchester. He gained worldwide popularity and the love of listeners around the world thanks to his participation in a group Bee Gees. That band also included his brothers, the elder Barry and his twin brother Maurice. The three brothers managed to achieve extreme popularity in the 1960s. However, they became truly outstanding performers of disco music in the 1970s. Learn more at manchester-trend.
MUSICIAN’S CHILDHOOD
Gibb was born in Manchester in 1949. He grew up in a large family, having his twin brother Maurice, sister Lesley and two brothers Barry and Andy.
As a child, Robin and his brothers were petty hooligans. In particular, they committed burglaries and arson in Manchester. Although Robin demonstrated rebellious behaviour from a young age, he knew exactly what he wanted to achieve in life. Once, he told their neighbour that one day they would be rich and form a band. She couldn’t even imagine what Robin meant back then.
The first attempt to create a group took place in 1955. Then Robin and his brothers formed The Rattlesnakes band. Robin and his twin brother Maurice were on vocals, their brother Barry was on guitar, while their friends Paul Frost and Kenny Horrocks were on drums and bass respectively. In that composition, the group performed in city theatres.
The early work of The Rattlesnakes was influenced by the American rock duo The Everly Brothers, the British singer and actor Cliff Richard, as well as the famous Canadian pop, rock and jazz singer Paul Anka.
The Rattlesnakes lasted only a few years and disbanded after Paul and Kenny left in 1958.
After the breakup of the group, the Gibb family moved to Australia. There, Robin and his brothers began to create their music in earnest in the latter half of the 1950s.
CREATION OF BEE GEES AND WORLDWIDE SUCCESS
After Robin and his brothers returned to their native Manchester in the mid-1960s, they formed a new group, Bee Gees, with
- Robin on vocals
- Robin’s brother Barry on rhythm guitar
- Robin’s brother Maurice on bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals
- Colin Petersen on drums
- Vince Malouney on guitar and harmonica
- and Geoff Bridgford on drums.
In this composition, the group achieved their first success. In particular, their breakthrough hits were New York Mining Disaster 41 and To Love Somebody.
In the 1970s, Robin decided to develop further as a solo career. His first success was the single Saved by the Bell, which sold over a million copies. He also won a gold disc.
Robin recorded many hits, gave a huge number of concerts and performed at numerous festivals, gathering an audience of millions. He became a famous pop, jazz and rock performer as well as a legend of British music in the 1970s. Moreover, he made a huge contribution to the disco genre, shaping the trends of that era. Robin’s falsetto vocals were heavily used in disco hits such as Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love and Saturday Night Fever. He became famous for his unique and unusual voice. He had an emotional and high tenor. His voice was the highlight of Bee Gees.
LAST YEARS OF ACTIVITY
Robin was active until the end of his days. Throughout his life, he followed his dream of being a musician and the lead singer of a band. Until 2012, he actively recorded new hits and toured many countries around the world, giving live performances and participating in various TV shows. However, his health deteriorated significantly in the 2010s. In particular, he suffered from severe stomach pains. Therefore, he stopped his creative activity for a while and decided to undergo surgery. The treatment helped him, but, unfortunately, not for long.
In 2011, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer (also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer) that had metastasized to his liver. In 2012, the musician was hospitalised to undergo surgery. Then he cancelled all his scheduled performances to undergo rehabilitation. However, being in a weakened condition after the operation, he got pneumonia and fell into a coma in the same 2012. He spent almost a month in a coma, and shortly after regaining consciousness, he left this world forever.
Robin Gibb is a legendary performer whose work shaped an entire era of the music industry. He left behind a rich legacy of hits. The people of Manchester and other parts of Great Britain remembered him as a bright, extraordinary, talented and purposeful person.
His work has been repeatedly honoured with various awards, namely
- induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles;
- induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio
- the 1997 BRIT Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music
- appointing as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Manchester
- the Steiger Award
- and many more.
Moreover, one of the British TV presenters recognised that Bee Gees were “second only to Lennon and McCartney as the most successful songwriting unit in British popular music” and called Robin “one of the major figures in the history of British music”.
