The Bee Gees were one of the most successful and popular musical acts in the world at one point in time. The group consisted of three brothers; Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.
Apart from their glamorous lives as singers, the brothers personal lives were also interesting. Only one of the three brothers who made up the musical act now remains alive and he revealed something very interesting recently.
If the name Barry Gibb sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Gibb is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who is best known for having been a member of the Bee Gees. The musical act gifted the world tremendous hits which include “How Deep Is Your Love,” “More Than A Woman,” and of course the classic, “Stayin’ Alive.”
Barry Gibb who made up a third of the group was best known for his very impressive high-pitched falsetto. And while his vocal deserve praise, the singer was also well known for his song writing skills which earned him as many if not more accolades as John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with his brothers in 1994. In 1997, he gained the honor of being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Bee Gees. In 2002 he was even appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire and then finally knighted in 2018.
While his professional life has gained him so much success, his personal life has been filled with a lot of unfortunate events. He lost both the brothers he was in the Bee Gees with. His love life was also a constant area of pain for him till he met the former Miss Edinburgh, Linda Gray. The pair hit it off and married on September 1, 1970. Since then they have been together through thick and thin.
But in between there was a turbulent time where a successful actor had his sight set on Gray and was trying to take her away from Gibb.
The brothers all had trouble dealing with fame and turned to substances to ease all of it. Gibb’s lost his brother Andy in 1988 when he died at just 30 years old. Maurice followed in 2003, losing his life during an operation. Barry and Maurice were not speaking to one another at the time of his death according to reports. And finally, Robin passed away in 2012 due to cancer.
The only way Barry Gibb got through it all without leaning on substances or giving into addiction was because of his wife. He said once, “My brothers had to deal with their demons, but I was married to a lady who wasn’t going to have it.” He explained, “I could bring drugs into the house, but they would end up down the toilet. She never allowed me to go in that direction. I had to deal with my brothers being pretty much out there, but I was lucky.”
“I’ve had to deal with loss, not just my brothers but my mother and father. But what I’ve learned from all of it is that things just roll on, and you roll on with them.” After he lost his brothers, Gibb embarked on his solo career.
Before he married Gray, Gibb has been married to Maureen Bates. It was his first marriage which for four years. The couple got divorced in July 1970, just two months before he married Gray. But his marriage to Gray has withstood the test of time. She stood by him through his biggest losses.
According to reports about their first meeting, the two of them felt a spark immediately. They met on TV’s “Top of the Pops,” where the Bee Gees were scheduled to perform their new song “Massachusetts”
He snuck off with Gray to a nearby studio so the two of them could have some time alone, according to sources. Later Gibb said of their initial meeting, “She was the hostess for one week, the week ‘Massachusetts’ was No. 1. And she’d never heard of it. We just saw each other across the room and something happened.”
The couple has now been together for over 50 years and have five children and seven grandchildren together. In 2009, they became American citizens. According to the couple, even before they met one another organically, one of their mutual friends had tried to set them up.
“I do remember (Australian tennis star) Evonne Goolagong tried to get me to go out with her about 25 years ago,” Gibb recalled. “She asked me if she should come over!”
According to Gibb, his wife did not have any issues with finding a suitor. He shared how even actor Steve McQueen was interested in her. He said, “One time we were at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and Steve McQueen tried to take off with Linda on the back of his motorbike! She’s a very beautiful woman, and had just as many opportunities as me!”
However, the couple remained loyal to one another and their loyalty has paid off in a beautiful life together.
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