The Ultimate Biography of The Bee Gees

by Hector Cook

  Barry maintained his role as the older and wiser brother. “Both Robin and Maurice knew my thoughts on the subject of marriage,” he said with resignation. “What I said to Maurice was that you are going to do this anyway and you don’t have to listen to my advice. It was the same with Robin. The reason it worried me was because they both married younger than I did. I have learnt from my mistake. I hope and pray that Robin and Maurice don’t have to learn the same way.”

  Maurice blithely disregarded this brotherly advice. “Barry’s blast-offs don’t bother me, purely because half of what he says doesn’t really mean anything,” he responded. “What I mean is that what he says is true, but he exaggerates it. He has the chance to say more because he has most of the interviews – and he doesn’t let you down, does he? When Lu and I announced we were getting married and he turned round and announced in Disc that we were too young, I simply said, ‘Look, Barry, we’re in love and we’re getting married whatever you think. If anyone had said you were too young when you got married, you wouldn’t have listened to brotherly advice either.’”

  Barry and Lynda had spent the Christmas holidays in Australia, and he had used the trip in part to seek out new talent, saying, “I’ve signed up a girl group who are going to be the next big thing in pop. I’m going to mould them myself and write songs for them. I know what I’m talking about – look at The Marbles … They’re normal, attractive, nice girls. They’re English actually … these girls are completely different. They’ve got a wonderful sense of humility and a wonderful sense of humour.

  “I’ve also got another boy probably coming over in three to six months. He’s an old friend called Ronnie Burns, and he’s a very big teenage artist in Australia. I know that doesn’t mean anything here – don’t I know it! But I think he’s got a great voice and the market is right at the moment for a good male singer.”

  The holiday got off to a bad start when £8,000 worth of jewellery was stolen from Barry and Lynda’s room at the Chevron Hilton Hotel in Sydney. Barry said wryly, “[The thieves] kindly unpacked all my cases and even took my trousers!”

  Barry’s love of jewellery was well documented. He was once interviewed wearing jewellery worth £16,350 and claimed to have another £5,000 worth in a bank safe deposit. “I used to go into Woolworth’s and buy anything that sparkled,” he said. “Over the years the collection built up. I like rings with unusual settings. I don’t get stared at too much when I’m wearing a lot and I don’t think I’m ostentatious. I don’t think I’m spending money when I buy jewellery. I believe in assets so I collect securities. You can always sell them for more than the cost price.”

  The Sydney police recovered the goods, which were duly returned to Barry, but the saga did not end there.

  On their return to Britain on January 19, Barry was stopped when he attempted to go through the “nothing to declare” exit at Heathrow. Her Majesty’s Customs Officers pounced, and a search revealed that tucked away in his pocket was a gold and diamond watch worth £3,000 which he had bought while the couple were away. Frightened and confused, Barry claimed that he had bought the watch in London and signed a paper to that effect.

  According to his lawyer, David Harter, Barry was tired after the 25-hour trip and “had panicked and told lies” but that it was not premeditated – he had only put the watch in his pocket because it was snagging Lynda’s stockings. He was charged with trying to evade customs duty. The case was eventually settled the following June, with the watch confiscated and Barry fined a punitive £2,000 for evasion of customs duty and £500 for filing a false statement.

  With no time to recover from his ordeal or jet lag from his long flight, the following day The Bee Gees began recording a Tom Jones television special. Two weeks later, on Valentine’s Day, Maurice presented the Disc & Music Echo Awards, with Lulu winning four of them.

  Both Maurice and Lulu maintained that they wanted a small intimate wedding. “It’s something you can look back on in 20 years’ time. It’s a personal thing, the most important day in your life,” Lulu said, whereupon she issued statements to the press naming the date, time and place, thus ensuring that the wedding would be anything but a quiet, low-key affair.

  Barbara and Hugh Gibb had settled in Gerrard’s Cross in Buckinghamshire and, when visiting them, Maurice and Lulu had much admired the picturesque St James’ Church there. It was, they believed, the ideal place to hold their wedding.

  Lulu arrived 20 minutes late at the church on February 17, 1969 to find the police desperately trying to hold back a crowd of nearly 3,000, all pushing and jostling to catch a glimpse of the diminutive singer in her wedding finery of white mini dress, white boots and a long, hooded white coat trimmed in mink.

  Robin acted as best man for his twin brother, and Lulu’s manager Marian Massey’s daughter Sharon, six-year-old Beri Gibb, and Lulu’s 10-year-old sister Edwina were the bridesmaids. The couple’s young brothers, 10-year-old Andy Gibb and six-year-old Gordon Lawrie were pages, looking adorable in their kilts and velvet jackets, according to the bride. Guests included Cynthia Lennon, Kenny Rogers, Mickie Most and, of course, elder brother Barry.

  “When I came out in my wedding dress, my father looked at me and cried,” Lulu recalled. “Of course, I was telling everyone that I wasn’t nervous and how confident I felt, then when I walked into the church and saw Maurice … oh, I don’t know, I just felt the tears coming.

  “I asked my father if he had a handkerchief, and he pulled one out and wiped his own eyes and put it back again. So there I was, walking down the aisle with tears running down my face, not to mention mascara. Then when I stood at the altar with Maurice I looked at him and I was laughing and crying all at the same time. I felt such love for him.”

  Afterwards, Lulu said that for her, “Marriage was almost an impulse. I am not one to mess around and, having made up my mind, I went ahead as quickly as I could, and that was it.”

  Living together was not an option they seriously contemplated. “Perhaps it was our upbringing,” she said. “I think one or two people were surprised, particularly in this day and age. There is the danger in marrying young, but there’s also the advantage of being able to grow up together.”

  Three days after the wedding, it was business as usual, with Lulu returning to rehearsals for her television show, and preparing to represent Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest the following month. Maurice and both of their mothers accompanied Lulu to Madrid for the contest, which ended in an unprecedented four-way tie. Lulu got the last laugh though, since her entry, ‘Boom Bang-A-Bang’ got into the Top 10 and became a big hit, and as she pointed out, “The other three songs did nothing.”

  Maurice enjoyed his new role as Lulu’s husband. He claimed, “I was always the one left behind. Out in the streets, people would point and say, ‘That’s Robin with the big teeth’ and, ‘That’s Barry, the good-looking leader of the group.’ But when they saw me they’d simply say, ‘That’s just one of The Bee Gees.’ But at least I ended up with the best looking wife. No one knew me until I met my wife. Even Lulu’s mother used to ask, ‘Which one is Maurice?’ For six months after we were going out she thought Lulu was dating Barry. In Birmingham … where Lu was appearing in cabaret we went into a shop and a woman came up and asked Lu for her autograph. Then she turned to me and said, ‘Yours too, Barry.’ This happened again five times before the day was out. I’m sure people in faraway places like Dundee are quite convinced she married Barry. Stands to reason she’d marry the best looking guy in the group.”

  Years later, Lulu laughed, “Sometimes I think Barry and I were destined to be together. So many people make the same mistake and think I was married to him. I told my mother I was dating one of The Bee Gees. She asked if it was the good-looking one. I said yes, meaning Maurice, but she thought I meant Barry. From that point on, I think she thought Barry should have been the appropriate one for me!”

  With Eurovision out of the way, Maurice and Lulu were finally able to go off on their post
poned Acapulco honeymoon. Barry and Lynda accompanied them.

  With his divorce from Maureen not yet final, Barry was unable, and perhaps also reluctant, to commit himself completely. “At the moment I have a perfect partner,” he said. “I am in love with Lynda. I don’t just love her. But I won’t marry her until I am sure. She is the kindest person I have ever met in my life. She will do anything for you.

  “I will be contradicting myself, but I know I have the right woman this time. But we will wait, and in a couple of years I will know if Lynda can put up with me. The best thing is always to wait.”

  * * *

  Rumours still abounded that Barry was planning to leave The Bee Gees behind in favour of a career in films, but Robin firmly denied any question of a split.

  “He’s not going at all,” he insisted. “We’ll stay together because we’re not like a pop group; we are writers and we like to perform and record the things we write but we don’t do one-night stands or anything like that. I hope we all stay together singing. I’d like to direct films; I’d get a lot of enjoyment out of that. I’ve got film and videotaping equipment in my house and I can show my films through my own television. This is something I enjoy as an individual but as far as the group is concerned, I think we’ll stay together for years. We’ve got a very close bond.”

  But Barry was beginning to feel that he was an outsider in the group, complaining, “The brothers’ scene is different now that two are married. It makes me a lone ranger. They are both married, so is Colin, and I am on my way out of marriage.

  “In about seven months my divorce will be through and I will be single again. I have always believed that kids don’t really like the idea of stars being married. It still does make a difference … I want to stay single for a while, but there should be at least one bachelor in the group.

  “I cannot see my brothers any more as much as I would like to. When we work, we are together, but rarely otherwise … It hurts a lot but I have to face the fact that my brothers are married … It could have a damaging effect; it could have a good effect. We might now be more happy when we are together.”

  Tom Kennedy recalled that there was some internal bickering with the group, but as often occurs in families, outsiders’ advice was decidedly unwelcome. “No matter how big the argument those three boys could be having,” he said, “you could never intervene because they would, as a whole, attack you. You know, ‘What’s it got to do with you, pal?’ – they would be united. Obviously, that’s the sort of thing that affected the band members as well, because they would always be united in their cause.”

  The group remained friendly with Vince Melouney in the months following his departure. He visited some of their recording sessions, and Barry attended some of his sessions with Ashton, Gardner & Dyke. Vince was quick to acknowledge the fact that his Bee Gees career would assist, rather than hinder, his new one. “I know it’s a great advantage and in our favour that I have been with such a world-known group. I hope it will be a great help to get us launched.”

  Revealing his intention to take a more behind the scenes role in future he confirmed, “I won’t be the front man, the one on stage to sell the group.”

  As much as he was looking to the future, it was clear that he would carry the baggage of his past with him for some time to come. “It was no use, I never fitted in as a Bee Gee,” Vince said ruefully. “I was just a prop for the talents of the Gibb brothers. I had to get out and do something on my own. The blues has always been my music, I was just adapting myself to a musical style that was not really me.

  “I’m not complaining. I had a good run with The Bee Gees and saw the world but the time to split has come. The boys all knew of my decision and my breaking away is a very amicable thing, no nastiness at all. To be honest, the Gibbs are three extremely talented fellows. Barry is a fantastically beautiful songwriter, Maurice is a great arranger of material and Robin comes up with some fantastic song ideas.

  “I wouldn’t say that I was unnecessary in the group but obviously, because they have such great ability, the emphasis all round has always been on them. Publicity-wise, both Colin and I never did bother too much about being left out or ignored. We never really cared. There were times, naturally, when musically we didn’t agree, but never anything serious enough to cause arguments. Of course [the Gibbs] had more power than me, but all major decisions made for The Bee Gees were finally decided by our manager Robert Stigwood. I’ve learned a lot from Robert about how to handle things.”

  One of the things he hadn’t learned from Robert was the value of tact and discretion. Adding fuel to an already smouldering fire, he revealed to a vulture-like press, “Just between you and me, it would not surprise me if the group split again later.”

  Colin Petersen also sensed trouble ahead, saying, “I think … that Vince’s leaving did more damage than people think it did, and I don’t think The Bee Gees could possibly stand another person leaving. It would not be possible for any of us to leave now without breaking the group up. All we have to do this year is the film, and I think after this year The Bee Gees’ work will be limited to recording. I might be wrong, but I think that is the case.”

  After his marriage, Colin was beginning to branch out into other areas; setting up a management company with his wife Joanne, making plans to produce records and reactivating his writing partnership with his Australian friend, Carl Groszman. “I am not like any of the others,” he added. “I have got more interests apart from the group than the others. I am tighter with money than them, in the respect that I worry about the future. The brothers most times just live for the day.”

  Whatever professional tensions there might be, all three brothers seemed contented in their personal relationships. Robin professed to find married life “wonderful,” adding, “Coming back to Molly and a proper home is like having a rock to rest on. I can leave The Bee Gees and pop outside the front door any time I want, and sit on the floor and play ludo with Molly.

  “Before I met Molly, I had never really thought of getting married. Well, I’m only 19 now. But you know how it is, I started chatting her up, and all that. Then I asked her out, and to my immense surprise, she said ‘yes.’ I’ve always kept an open mind on the type of girl I wanted to marry. I never said she must have a perfect figure, be brunette, petite or intelligent. I was just going to accept the girl for what she was.”

  As for Molly, it was taking some time to get used to the change from a busy office to the house in Kensington. “Now and again I miss all the people – there were so many coming and going at NEMS. But being a housewife is a pretty near full-time job. I like looking after the house myself. I do all my own cooking and apart from that, it’s my job to file all Robin’s songs and correct any spelling mistakes. I’m his unpaid private secretary.”

  Molly also revealed that the couple were looking for a new house at that time. “This place was already furnished and you just don’t feel like putting yourself out to keep a place nice that isn’t really yours,” she added. “We don’t want to live too far out, but we want a nice old house with some ground. Robin has looked at some, but the leases were too short. He knows more about these things than I do.”

  Her biggest problem seemed to be The Bee Gees’ devoted admirers. “The main [disadvantage] is the fans,” she revealed. “They come to the door and call me all manner of names. At first I wanted to have a go at them and take a broom to them, but I got used to it. It’s Robin who stands to lose if I tell the fans to go away. After all, they are only kids, envious of something I’ve taken away from them.”

  Lynda Gray was also having problems with fans. “Photographs of Barry and I together have appeared in the newspapers quite a lot recently,” she said. “Some fans have found out my name and make malicious telephone calls. They’re bad enough, but it’s the poison pen letters that I can’t bear. I never believed people could really be so sick.”

  Still, she was blissfully happy with her new lifestyle. “My feet have hardly touc
hed the ground. Musselburgh seems a million miles away. I hadn’t been anywhere or done anything then, nor did it seem I ever would.

  “The first thing I wanted to do when I met Barry was see London. Well, I saw it all right. I found out about things that I never knew happened. We went to all the in clubs, ate at the best restaurants, were invited to premieres and party after party, and I met some of the stars whose fan I had been. Since then I have been almost around the world with Barry. We’ve seen Los Angeles, Hollywood, Rome, Nairobi, Sydney, Singapore, Vienna … there’s hardly a country I haven’t visited with him,” she added.

  Maurice and Lulu were settling into their Tudor cottage near Windsor. “Maurice and I are getting to know each other,” Lulu told FAB 208’s June Southworth. “It takes time for two people to know each other – really know – even though you love each other. It isn’t an instant happening. We know we like the same things … clothes and music and fun and babies.

  “Much of our time together before we were married, we used to spend buying things for Maurice’s flat. And I always kissed him goodnight on the doorstep. I don’t disagree with people living together when they’re not married, but marriage is better!

  “I’m a wife first before anything else. Life is falling in love and getting married and having babies. We hope to have three or four in time, a girl first – Maurice wants a girl – then a boy. Maybe in a year or so, but who knows?

  “We’ve been told the first year of marriage is the worst,” Lulu concluded. “If that’s so, we just can’t wait for the next year. I mean, how could we possibly be happier than this?”