Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees has died.
Gibb died after a long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery, according to a statement on his official website.
"The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time," the statement said.
Robin and his brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb racked up dozens of hit songs in their five decade career. Robin Gibb, who had cancer, was 62.
The Bee Gees might be forever linked to the 1970s, the era of polyester outfits and blow-dried hair, thanks to the songs they wrote and performed for the movie Saturday Night Fever.
Disco, however, didn't make the Bee Gees. Their vocal harmonies and songwriting skills were hugely popular a decade earlier, like on their first U.S. release in 1967, New York Mining Disaster 1941.
If you skip over "Saturday Night Fever," their body of work was impressive. Solid writing, nice melodies, and beautiful harmonies. I wish I had seen them live before they started dying off.The Gibb family suffered a number of personal tragedies. Brother and solo singer Andy Gibb committed suicide in 1988. Robin's twin, Maurice, died of a heart attack in 2003. Robin Gibb continued the tradition of working with family up until this year. He and his son wrote The Titanic Requiem, which premiered with the Royal Philharmonic.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTQiT58AbE0[/youtube]
This was covered years later by Rev. Al Green.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRNTQvXSsfA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xvFCeqHcK4[/youtube]
Released in 1967. This was covered decades later by Michael Bolton, Rod Stewart, and several others.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbkbGF27JyY[/youtube]
They also wrote this, which I listened to on the way to Carlisle last week:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiwcOaaRo1Y[/youtube]
I bought this non-US release in Thailand back in 1995 and wore it out:
I wish I didn't lose it.
