The Ultimate Biography of The Bee Gees

by Hector Cook

With Yvonne at his side, Maurice was examined by emergency room staff who were unable to diagnose the cause of his pain. It was then decided to keep him in hospital for overnight observation. Although reports remain confused, it appears that some hours later, doctors finally reached a diagnosis of an intestinal blockage due to what they believed was a congenital defect. Emergency surgery was required, but before the operation could take place, at approximately 4.00 a.m. on January 9, Maurice suffered cardiac arrest.

  Following resuscitation, the operation did go ahead and surgeons removed part of Maurice’s stomach and 80 per cent of his small intestine. Barry and Robin would later charge that it was “highly questionable” that Maurice should have had the operation while severely compromised by the shock of cardiac arrest. However, surgeons unconnected with the case have since stated that, while it is preferable to allow as much time as possible for a patient to recover from a heart attack, a knot in the intestine which has caused the bowel to die must be corrected immediately if there is to be any chance of recovery. In Maurice’s case, cardiac arrest may have complicated an already serious situation by decreasing the blood flow even further.

  Yvonne and their children Adam and Samantha kept a bedside vigil with visits from Barry and Barbara while Robin, in England for the promotion of ‘Please’ which was scheduled for release there on January 20, was kept up to date by frequent telephone calls. On Friday, January 10, he appeared as planned on Channel 4’s Richard and Judy show, where he revealed that in an apparent psychic connection between twins, he had felt stomach discomfort at the time when Maurice was taken ill. Although at the time of the experience, he didn’t associate it with Maurice, he observed, “I didn’t like the feeling – it was a kind of almost discomfiting feeling as if something wasn’t quite right.”

  Visibly shaken, he acknowledged that the past 24 hours had been harrowing but nonetheless sounded hopeful. “All his vital organs are A-1 and he is recovering. That is the latest,” he said. “But it’s been a very bad time and every hour is a bonus.”

  Leaving with Dwina for the airport for a flight to Miami, he was still struggling to maintain an optimistic outlook. News that Maurice had opened his eyes, wiggled his toes and squeezed Samantha’s hand seemed to indicate a turn for the better.

  Media coverage of Maurice’s illness was intense throughout most of the world, and it was reported that his condition was critical but stable. On the Saturday, most media reported that Maurice was on the road to recovery, but in fact, he had slipped into a coma.

  Robin arrived in Miami in time to be with his twin, but just after midnight on Sunday, surrounded by his family, Maurice quietly passed away without regaining consciousness.

  In Britain the BBC’s Heaven And Earth Show announced the sad news before showing Robin’s scheduled interview, taped some weeks earlier, in which he discussed the loss of both Andy and his father. “Nobody knows when or how long they’ve got on this earth,” he observed. “You’ve got to move on and be 100 per cent positive and happy with your life, and only by doing that can you be of use to other people.”

  Hours later, Barry and Robin spoke movingly of their brother, whom Robin emotionally described as “the most sweetest, generous of people you could ever meet.” Additionally, in a statement posted on his web site that day, Robin wrote, “The past few days have been a nightmare from which I will never awake. Barry and I are both lost and devastated following Maurice’s untimely death. We had taken away from us, not just a brother, but a friend, band member and kindred spirit.”

  Barry described themselves as “completely pole-axed” but admitted that their feelings could hardly compare to those of Yvonne, Adam and Samantha. “This has really just decimated their lives,” he said. “It’s just destroyed them. It’s going to take them years to come to terms with the loss of Mo. He was everything to them. He was their world.”

  Admitting that none of the sequence of events of Maurice’s illness made any sense to them and quite understandably shocked at his sudden death, the brothers angrily vowed that “someone will be held to account” for alleged negligence resulting in his death.

  Fans and the media alike speculated on the future of The Bee Gees after Maurice. Everyone had a special memory of the self described “man in the middle”: the cheeky comedian who could effortlessly and completely upstage his brothers during the group’s concert medleys, the calming influence over his brothers’ more volatile temperaments, the talented multi-instrumentalist, the key voice in that famous three part harmony, the gregarious Bee Gee who always made time for fans, the man with the mega-watt smile under the black trilby hat. Could the remaining brothers possibly carry on without him? Would they even want to try and, if not, what would then become of their Middle Ear recording studio?

  The answer came without hesitation: Barry was adamant that their loss did not spell the end for the group. “Maurice will be a void always in our lives, and he will always be featured as the third member of The Bee Gees no matter what we do. But, one thing I will tell you is that The Bee Gees will go on,” he insisted. “The Bee Gees will not stop here. The Bee Gees will not disintegrate, because we’ve lost Mo. It means that we will go on and make another album.”

  Robin affirmed, “You’re looking at The Bee Gees right now.”

  The official autopsy report revealed that Maurice had a twisted duodenum, moderate heart disease with 60 per cent narrowing of the left anterior descending artery and emphysema most prominent in the upper lobes of the lungs. A gastrostomy had been sutured, but a jejunostomy remained open.

  Whilst the condition of Maurice’s heart and lungs was consistent with that which would be expected with a long-term smoker, surprisingly, as a recovered alcoholic, his liver was described as “normal”. However, it was the damage to his intestines which would have been the major concern for Maurice’s physicians.

  The Gibb family went to great lengths to keep the time and location of Maurice’s funeral service quiet, to keep the ceremony private. Held on January 15 at the Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapel in Miami Beach, it was a non-religious service, with no music or prayers, although it was introduced by a minister. Friends shared their memories and stories of Maurice, while Robin and Adam both spoke briefly on behalf of the family, with Robin paying tribute to his twin as “a guy who was really, really loved – unusually loved.” Barry was reportedly too upset to attend the service but arrived with Michael Jackson after the other mourners, including singer/ songwriter Randy Newman and Harry Casey (of KC & The Sunshine Band), had left the chapel. The private ceremony was followed by cremation, although a public memorial service was expected to be held later in the year in London, probably in St. Martin-in-the-Fields in April.

  The impact of Maurice’s death was felt worldwide, featured on the front page of most major newspapers, as well as being the top story on every news broadcast. There were also respectful obituaries in the music trade press. While most portrayed a positive image of the talented musician, there were exceptions, notably former Bee Gees’ press agent Chris Hutchins who preferred to paint him as “a tortured soul” jealous of his brothers’ roles in the group, a picture which bore little resemblance to the man who had overcome his past demons to live a happy and active life, secure in his role as musical director, musician, songwriter and singer in The Bee Gees, a loving husband of more than 27 years and a doting father.

  Describing himself as deeply shocked at the suddenness of Maurice’s death, former Bee Gees’ keyboard player Blue Weaver paid tribute to “the gentle, generous joker … just a wonderful person who was full of life.” He described Maurice as “the key vocalist” whose voice was “the glue” in the wonderful Bee Gees’ harmonies, as well as the talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who would be long remembered for his innovative bass and keyboard lines.

  Former Beach Boy Brian Wilson recalled, “His voice had a joy to it that touched one’s soul. On a personal level, I loved his sense of humour and his spirit. He was a real friend to me.”
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  Queen’s Brian May shared fond memories of The Bee Gees’ “early ground-breaking songs – ‘New York Mining Disaster’, ‘Massachusetts’, ‘To Love Somebody’, ‘Words’, ‘World’ and ‘I Started A Joke’ were all great favourites of mine – I remember singing these with my pal Tim Staffell and Freddie [Mercury] in the real old days … Their performances on record as well as the writing were always immaculate – and of course their vocal harmonies are a textbook for anyone wishing to study vocal arrangements in pop music.” As part of the house band for the Prince’s Trust Concert, Brian had his only occasion to meet and work with The Bee Gees and remembered Maurice fondly as “the most friendly and forthcoming – very modest and down-to-earth.”

  There were also televised tributes – in Britain, the BBC aired A Tribute To A Brother, a programme featuring clips from the group’s final British performance for Top Of The Pops 2 interspersed with Robin paying tribute to his twin. “To remember Maurice is to say that I’ve come to terms with his loss, and I don’t think I have done that yet,” he confessed. “I think it’s something that will take many, many, many months for me to understand and come to terms with. Everyday I wake up with it, and I still think I’m going to get a call from him, so it’s not a question of remembering Maurice yet; it’s still coming to terms with him being gone.”

  In Australia Molly Meldrum hosted a one hour special dedicated to Maurice’s memory, and ABC unexpectedly aired The Bee Gees’ 1971 Melbourne concert for the first time since its original showing. Australia also sawthe release as a single of ‘To Love Somebody’, a newrecording by various artists as a tribute to the late Bee Gee.

  While Barry appeared to shut himself away from the world in the weeks that followed Maurice’s death, Robin threw himself back into his work, keeping up a frenetic pace of promotional appearances for his soon to be released album, explaining that he has always found work to be a way of easing the pain of his loss. However, perhaps inevitably, exhaustion would catch up with him and force him to cancel several appearances in the first week of February. One of his first interviews after Maurice’s death was on January 22 with GMTV’s Lorraine Kelly, to whom he described the feeling of “losing your soul-mate after all this time. I’ve never known life without him … We w ere alw ays w orking together doing the same thing, writing together, singing together. It’s almost 3,000 per cent more of a blow.”

  Then, in direct contradiction of their earlier statement, he revealed that although he and Barry still planned to continue working together, they had nowdecided to retire The Bee Gees’ name. “I think the important thing is we go forward for Maurice,” he explained. “Anything we do, we will do together, but it’ll be as brothers and not under the name of The Bee Gees. That will be reserved in history as the three of us.”

  Weeks later, he took the opportunity of an appearance on This Morning to publicly attack chat showhost Graham Norton, for an admittedly tasteless joke following Maurice’s death, when he quipped that he wondered if his heart monitor had been playing the tune of ‘Stayin’ Alive’. Seething with rage, Robin demanded an apology from Norton, his producers and Channel 4 but vowed he would never forgive the Irish comic for the remark, adding, “It’s a small industry, and he should hope that he never crosses paths with me because I will rip his head off if I see him.” Many of Norton’s viewers must have shared Robin’s anger because a number of them phoned to complain that the joke was “offensive, objectionable and in extremely poor taste”.*

  * * *

  On February 23, The Bee Gees were the recipients of The Legend Award at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The salute to their career included an a cappella medley by ’N Sync of some of the group’s classic songs, ‘Lonely Days’, ‘HowCan You Mend A Broken Heart’, ‘How Deep Is Your Love’, and ‘Stayin’ Alive’. Narrated by veteran newsman Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes fame, a video montage spanning the five decades of The Bee Gees’ career was shown, before Barry and Robin walked onstage to a standing ovation.

  “I think this is just a little bit harder than Robin and I imagined it could ever be,” Barry admitted. “It’s getting harder.”

  The occasion was obviously difficult for Yvonne, Adam and Samantha, who openly wept as they watched from the audience. It was even more poignant to the Gibb family as it coincided not only with Adam’s twenty-seventh birthday but also the eleventh anniversary of the date that Maurice and Yvonne had joyously celebrated Maurice’s sobriety by renewing their wedding vows. Barry presented them to the audience, saying, “The measure of a man is his family – we think, anyway – and so we want you to meet Maurice’s family.” As Yvonne, Adam and Samantha rose to even more applause, Barry continued, “I think your dad would have loved this. We know he’s watching – he always watched the Grammys – and tonight he’s watching.”

  Robin added, “We love Maurice very much. He’s in our hearts forever, and we’re very proud of him tonight.”

  The brothers then invited Adam onstage to accept the award on behalf of his late father. “I knowhowmuch my dad loved doing what he did, and he would have loved being here right now. I know he’d want to thank one person and that’s my mom, because she was his rock,” he said, as Yvonne and Samantha tearfully embraced in the audience.

  * * *

  When anyone dies unexpectedly, there is always unfinished business. The CBEs which meant so much to Maurice have yet to be presented, as Barry’s reluctance to fly meant that all three brothers were never in Britain since the honours were announced. It is hoped that a suitable time for all parties can be arranged for the summer and that Maurice’s family will accept on his behalf.

  It is also hoped that time will help the entire Gibb family to find peace and acceptance of their loss, and that – while taking to the stage without him must nowseem unimaginable – Barry and Robin somehowwill find the strength to move forward with their earlier vow to continue in Maurice’s memory. The music created by Maurice, Robin and Barry Gibb will remain an enduring legacy, and although the story of The Bee Gees has nowcome to an untimely end, hopefully the tales of The Brothers Gibb will continue for many years to come.

  *By strange coincidence, over 30 years previously, Robin had been similarly moved by the death of his then wife Molly’s father, George Hullis, and the song ‘Sincere Relation’ had ensued.

  *An ITC hearing would later uphold the complaints and find that the programme wasin breach of the code relating to offence to public feeling.

  APPENDIX I

  ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SONG TITLES

  This is an alphabetical list of all known song titles (including poems) either written or recorded by the Gibbs, together with details (where known) of songwriting credits, first known date and source. Where an entry is not in bold typeface, this indicates that there has never been an official release.

  Not every title is a song in its own right as, during the writing process, a composition may have had a working title that differs from the one finally selected. All such titles are underlined and italicised. Where it is known that alternative lyrics exist, this is referred to under the “Additional Comments” heading. Those titles not composed either in whole or in part by the Gibbs are listed separately at the end.

  ADDITIONAL NOTES

  SONG TITLE – in accordance with general statistical practice, the standard indefinite (a, an) and definite articles (the) are placed at the end of the title.

  COMPOSERS – as B., R. & M. Gibb became known as the standard order of songwriting credits, this has been maintained for the purpose of this listing although variations (e.g. R., B. & M.) are lodged with publishers. The order used in this list does not infer that one co-songwriter had any more input than another. Occasionally, publisher’s current records conflict with earlier credits. Where such variations occur, these are referred to under the “Additional Comments” heading.

  YEAR – this relates to the date of first known release or, in the case of an unreleased work, its first know
n date of writing. Where the writing origination date is earlier than the release date, this is stated under the “Additional Comments” heading.

  SOURCE – some songs have many different sources where the recording can be found. This list recognises that the prime source is the album version. If it does not form part of a “recognised” album, details are provided under the “Additional Comments” heading.

  ADDITIONAL COMMENTS – apart from the uses already mentioned above, this column provides details of songs that appeared on singles, as well as the identities of some of the main artist(s) who have covered titles which remain unreleased by the Gibbs at the time of writing.

  Key to Composers on Gibb compositions

  A = Andy Gibb, B = Barry Gibb, M = Maurice Gibb and R = Robin Gibb.

  ARG = Ashley Gibb A/S = Adam Gibb & Samantha Gibb

  AG = Albhy Galuten MJ = Michael Jackson

  AK = Alan Kendall NH = Norman Hitchcock

  CC = Chris Cooke NK = Nat Kipner

  CH = Carola Häggkvist RJ = Randy Jackson (not the Jackson 5 one)

  DB = Don Black RK = Ronan Keating

  DE = David English RL = Rhett Lawrence

  DW = Blue Weaver RP = Richard Powers

  GB = George Bitzer RS = Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr)

  JD = Johnny Devlin TB = Tony Brady

  KR = Karl Richardson TR = Tim Rice

  LG = Larry Gatlin VM = Vince Melouney

  LH = Leslie Harvey WL = William Lawrie

  L/T = Vic Lewis & Ken Thorne

  P/G/G = George Perry, Scott Glasel & Amanda Green

  S/K/R/B = Ben Stivers, Alan Kendall, Steve Rucker, Matt Bonelli

  V/F/S = Carlos Vega, Steve Farris & Neil Stubenhaus

  APPENDIX II

  ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY

  APPENDIX III

  BEE GEES / ANDY GIBB ALBUMS WHICH CHARTED IN USA, UK & GERMANY