A look at 62-year-old Bee Gees star, Robin Gibb's life, whose fast deteriorating health is a matter of concern for this family and friends, as the actor was struck down with pneumonia last week, and is in coma currently.
Robin Gibb, one of the Gibb brothers of pop group The Bee Gees, has died at the age of 62 in Chelsea, West London. Mr Gibb, who was in remission from colon and liver cancer, fell into a coma in April after becoming ill with pneumonia. He astounded doctors by waking up from his coma, and being able to chat with his family. But died on Sunday following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery.
Ahead, a look at his life and career.
Robin Gibb was the lead singer of The Bee Gees trio of which the other two members were his twin Maurice and elder brother Barry. The Bee Gees shot to fame in the late 1960s, and continued to make music till the 80s. With record sales of over 200 million, The Bee Gees were one of the most successful pop groups of all time.
Robin Gibb was born to English parents, Barbara and Hugh Gibb, on 22 December, 1949, in Isle of Man, and then later moved to Australia in the early 60s.
His career as a lead singer began in 1963, when the band performed their song The Battle of the Blue & Grey on Australian television. The band then moved to Britain in 1967 to try their luck there.
The Bee Gees were a smash hit in the UK during the 60s and 70s and the band became internationally known when their song New York Mining Disaster 1941 made it to the USA music charts. Other hits include: Massachusetts (their first number one in UK), I Started a Joke and I've Gotta Get a Message to You which topped both American and British music charts.
The Bee Gees were torn by sibling rivalry, especially between Robin and Barry who jostled for vocal space in their songs. In 1969, Robin Gibb quit the band in pursuit of a solo career. His first chart topper was Saved by the Bell, which sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc as well.
However, his first solo album, Robin's Reign, was unsuccessful and he returned to The Bee Gee in 1970.
In 1971, the Bee Gees had their first US No. 1 hit, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, but after that the band fell into decline for a couple of years.
In 1974, with new producer Arif Mardin, The Bee Gees were back on the top of the charts with Blue-Eyed Soul. The 70s were the golden era for the band and they produced some of their greatest hits at this time - like Jive Talkin, You Should Be Dancing, Stayin' Alive, and How Deep Is Your Love and Night Fever which was 1978's biggest hit.
The 80s spelt professional and personal downward spirals for The Bee Gees. Robin Gibb released three solo albums - How Old Are You in 1983, Secret Agent in 1984, and Walls Have Eyes in 1984, none of which did well either in the UK or the US. However, his 1984 single Boys Do Fall in Love did reach the Billboard Magazine Top 40 list of hits.
In 1988, tragedy struck the Gibb brothers when Andy Gibb, who had several number one hits himself, died of a cocaine overdose in England.
In 1993, the group made a comeback of sorts with the album Size Isn't Everything, which produced modest hits like For Whom the Bell Tolls, Paying the Price of Love and Above and Beyond.
In January 2003, Robin's twin, Maurice, died of heart failure and the band once again disbanded. Robin Gibb did release solo album Magnet in Germany which featured the Bee Gees song, Wish You Were Here, from the 1989 album One, in a new acoustic version. He also released a solo single Please which had lyrics about loss.
. In late 2009, the two remaining Bee Gees – Robin and Barry – announced that they would reunite and perform again. And they did – on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing. They also inducted Swedish supergroup Abba into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and made a surprise appearance in the season finale of American Idol 9.
In recent years, Robin Gibb sang the vocals to the opening titles to the British ITV show The Dame Edna Treatment. In 2008, Mr. Gibb released the song Alan Freeman Days in tribute to the Australian DJ Alan Freeman. He also completed a solo album in the same year, 50 St. Catherine's Drive, but it was never released. He served as guest mentor on the Australian version of The X Factor, with pop singers Natalie Imbruglia and Ronan Keating.
Robin Gibb was married twice and had three children. He was married to first wife Milly Hullis from 1968 to 1980. They had two children together – son Spencer and daughter Melissa. Mr Gibb the married Dwina Murphy and had a son named Robin-John.
With Robin-John, Mr Gibb wrote the score for The Titanic Requiem, recorded by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
Awards and Achievements: In 1997, the Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
In May 2004, Robin and Barry both received Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Music from The University of Manchester in Manchester, England.
In 2005, Robin Gibb received the Steiger Award (Miner Award) in Bochum, Germany for accomplishments in the arts.
