The Bee Gees were once one of the world’s most successful and renowned musical acts. The trio included three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.
Aside from their spectacular careers as singers, the brothers’ personal lives were as intriguing. Only one of the three brothers who formed the musical group is still alive, and he recently disclosed something quite unusual.
If the name Barry Gibb seems familiar, that’s because it does. Gibb is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer best known as a member of the Bee Gees. The musical act gave the globe amazing singles like “How Deep Is Your Love,” “More Than A Woman,” and, of course, the classic “Stayin’ Alive.”
Barry Gibb, who made up one-third of the trio, was well renowned for his extremely outstanding high-pitched falsetto. While the singer’s vocals merit credit, he was also well-known for his songwriting abilities, which gained him as many, if not more, awards as John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
In 1994, Gibb and his siblings received induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1997, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Gibb as a member of the Bee Gees. In 2002, he was named Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and in 2018, he was knighted.
While his work life has been quite successful, his personal life has been fraught with many terrible incidents. He lost both of the brothers he was in the Bee Gees with. His love life had been a continual source of anguish for him until he met Linda Gray, the former Miss Edinburgh. The couple hit it off and married on September 1, 1970. Since then, they’ve gone through everything together.
However, there was a difficult period in which a successful actor had his sights set on Gray and attempted to steal her away from Gibb.
The brothers all struggled with fame and turned to narcotics to help them cope. Gibbs’ brother Andy died in 1988, at the age of 30. Maurice followed in 2003, dying during surgery. According to sources, Barry and Maurice were not communicating when he died. Finally, Robin passed away in 2012 from cancer.
Barry Gibb’s wife was the sole reason he didn’t turn to drugs or become addicted. He reportedly said, “My brothers had to deal with their demons, but I was married to a lady who wasn’t going to have it.” He added, “I could smuggle narcotics inside the house, but they’d end up in the toilet. She never allowed me to take that route. I had to contend with my brothers’ constant presence, but I was fortunate.
Aside from my brothers, I also experienced the loss of my mother and father. All these experiences have taught me to accept the inevitable. Following the passing of his siblings, Gibb embarked on his solo career.
Before marrying Gray, Gibb was married to Maureen Bates. This was his first marriage, which lasted four years. The pair split in July 1970, only two months before he married Gray. However, his marriage to Gray has stood the test of time. She supported him through his most devastating losses.
According to stories from their initial meeting, the two of them felt an instant connection. They first connected on TV’s “Top of the Pops,” during the Bee Gees’ scheduled performance of their new song, “Massachusetts.”
He slipped out with Gray to a neighboring studio to spend some alone time, according to insiders. Later, Gibb stated of their first meeting, “She was the hostess for one week; the week ‘Massachusetts’ hit No. 1. She had no prior knowledge of it. We simply noticed each other across the room, and something unexpected happened.
The couple has been married for nearly 50 years, and they have five children and seven grandchildren. They received American citizenship in 2009. Before their natural meeting, a mutual friend tried to set them up.
“I do remember (Australian tennis star) Evonne Goolagong trying to get me to go out with her about 25 years ago,” Gibb told me. “She asked me if she should come over!”
According to Gibb, his wife had little trouble finding a suitor. He revealed that even celebrity Steve McQueen was interested in her. He stated, “One time, we were at the Record Plant in Los Angeles, and Steve McQueen attempted to flee with Linda on the back of his motorcycle! She’s a stunning lady who has just as many possibilities as I do!”
However, the pair stayed committed to one another, and their commitment has resulted in a wonderful life together.