Robin Hugh Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He became famous worldwide as a member of the Bee Gees, along with his older brother Barry and his twin brother Maurice. Robin Gibb also enjoyed a successful solo career.
Gibb was born at the Jane Crookall Maternity Home in Douglas, Isle of Man, to English parents Hugh and Barbara Gibb. The family moved to Manchester for three years, where Andy was born, and then settled in Redcliffe, just north of Brisbane, Australia. Gibb started his career with his brothers Barry and Maurice as a family trio. After their first success, the group returned to England and became famous around the world. In 2002, the Bee Gees were named CBEs for their “contribution to music,” but the ceremony at Buckingham Palace was delayed until 2004.
The Bee Gees sold over 200 million records, making them one of the most successful pop groups ever. Music historian Paul Gambaccini called Gibb “one of the major figures in the history of British music” and “one of the best white soul voices ever” because of his unique, soulful singing style. He faced many health problems in his final years, including colorectal cancer, and died in May 2012 at age 62 from liver and kidney failure.
Profile Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Robin Gibb |
| Birth Name | Robin Hugh Gibb |
| Date of Birth | 22 December 1949 |
| Place of Birth | Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Date of Death | 20 May 2012 (aged 62) |
| Place of Death | London, England |
| Burial Place | St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Thame, Oxfordshire, England |
| Occupations | Singer; Musician; Songwriter; Record Producer |
| Years Active | 1955–2012 |
Family Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Spouses | Molly Hullis (m. 1968; div. 1982); Dwina Murphy (m. 1985) |
| Children | 4, including Spencer |
| Father | Hugh Gibb |
| Relatives | Barry Gibb (brother); Maurice Gibb (twin brother); Andy Gibb (brother); Steve Gibb (nephew) |
Musical Career
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Origin | Manchester, England |
| Genres | Soul; Rock; Disco; Pop; New Wave |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Labels | Leedon; Festival; Spin; Polydor; Atco; RSO; Mirage; EMI America; SPV |
| Formerly Of | Bee Gees; The Rattlesnakes |
| Website | robingibb.com |
Age
Robin Hugh Gibb was born on 22 December 1949 in Douglas, Isle of Man.
Biography
The Jane Crookall Maternity Home, Douglas Isle of Man, where Robin Gibb was born on 22 December 1949.
Robin Hugh Gibb was born on 22 December 1949 at the Jane Crookall Maternity Home in Douglas, Isle of Man, to Barbara Gibb (née Pass) and Hugh Gibb. He was the fraternal twin of Maurice Gibb and was 35 minutes older. Besides Maurice, he had a sister, Lesley Evans, and two brothers, Barry and Andy. When they were children in Manchester, Gibb and his brothers got into trouble for petty burglary and arson.
Their neighbor in Willaston, Isle of Man, Marie Beck, was friends with his mother and her sister Peggy. Another neighbor, Helen Kenney, lived in Douglas Head. Kenney remembered, “Barry and the twins used to come into Mrs Beck’s house and we would talk to them. Robin once said to me, ‘We’re going to be rich one day, we’re going to form a band!’ Little did I realise he meant it.”
Personal life
In 1968, Gibb married Molly Hullis, a secretary in Robert Stigwood’s organisation. Not long before they were married they survived the Hither Green rail crash together. They had two children together, Spencer (b. 1972) and Melissa (b. 1974). The couple divorced in 1982 after years of living separate lives, with Gibb almost permanently in the US and Hullis remaining in the UK; she filed for divorce on 22 May 1980. The divorce became final in 1982. On 9 September 1983, Gibb was arrested and sentenced to 14 days in jail for speaking to the press about his previous marriage in breach of a court order.
Gibb’s second marriage, from 1985 until his death, was to Dwina Murphy, an author and artist who is interested in Druidry. They had an open relationship and a son, Robin-John (known as RJ), born on 21 January 1983. Robin-John’s first major musical project was the Titanic Requiem (2012), which he wrote with Gibb. It was first performed at Central Hall, Westminster, London, on 10 April 2012 by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and RSVP Voices.
In 2001, Gibb began an affair with his 25-year-old housekeeper, Claire Yang, and in 2008, had his fourth child with her.
Gibb and his wife divided their time between their homes in Peel, Isle of Man, their mansion in Miami, Florida and their main residence in Thame, Oxfordshire.
On 10 March 1988, younger brother Andy died in Oxford, of myocarditis. On 12 January 2003, twin brother Maurice died in Miami Beach, Florida, of complications from a twisted intestine.
More…
Gibb supported New Labour, the British Labour Party during Tony Blair’s time as Prime Minister. He launched a rally in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, before the 2005 General Election. Gibb was close friends with Blair, who was criticized for staying at Gibb’s Miami mansion during Christmas 2006. In 2008, Gibb said he still got on “like a house on fire” with Blair and mentioned that then Prime Minister Gordon Brown regularly listened to the Bee Gees. “He listens to our music every day. Gordon likes our music and I like Gordon,” Gibb told The Times. After Gibb’s death, Tony Blair paid tribute, saying: “Robin was not only an exceptional and extraordinary musician and songwriter, he was a highly intelligent, interesting and committed human being. He was a great friend with a wonderful open and fertile mind and a student of history and politics.”
Gibb supported several charities. He organized the Sunseeker Ball to help the Outward Bound Trust. Gibb served as president of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) from 2007 to 2012. He was also the longest-serving president of the Heritage Foundation from 2008 to 2011, which honors important figures in British culture and helped with his campaign for the Bomber Command Memorial Appeal.
Health Problems and Death
On 14 August 2010, while performing in Belgium, Gibb started having abdominal pain. Four days later, he had emergency surgery at a hospital in Oxford. After recovering, he performed concerts in New Zealand and Australia. In April 2011, he canceled concerts in Brazil when the pain returned. During this period, Gibb also helped raise funds for the RAF Bomber Command memorial in Green Park, London. He wrote The Titanic Requiem with his son Robin-John, which the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra recorded to mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking in 2012. Gibb continued to appear on television and at events after his surgery, but in April 2011, health problems forced him to cancel his Brazil tour.
On 27 October 2011, Gibb canceled an appearance just minutes before he was supposed to perform at the Poppy Appeal Concert in London. In November 2011, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, which later spread to his lower digestive system. Gibb was hospitalized for intestinal surgery and canceled his scheduled appearances while he recovered in March 2012. In April, he got pneumonia and fell into a coma, but later woke up that month. Gibb died in a London hospital on 20 May 2012 at age 62. Although it was first reported that he died from cancer, his son Robin-John said the cancer was in remission and the cause of death was kidney failure.
Gibb’s funeral was held on 8 June 2012, and he was buried at the Church of St Mary the Virgin near his home in Thame, Oxfordshire. In September that year, a blue plaque was placed on his house. In 2015, a headstone engraved with lyrics from his group’s songs, including “How Deep Is Your Love,” was added.
Acclaim and recognition
In 1994, Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. In 1997, he entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, as a member of the Bee Gees. At the 1997 BRIT Awards in London, the Bee Gees received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.
In the 2002 New Year Honours, Gibb and his brothers Maurice and Barry were named Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). The official ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London was delayed until 2004 because of Maurice’s death.
In May 2004, Gibb and his brother Barry received honorary doctorates of music from the University of Manchester, England. In 2005, Gibb was given the Steiger Award (Miner Award) in Bochum, Germany, for his achievements in the arts. On 10 July 2009, both brothers were made Freemen of the Borough of Douglas, Isle of Man. The award was also given posthumously to Maurice, confirming the freedom of their birthplace for Gibb, Barry, and Maurice.
