Sir Barry’s tribute to Bee Gee brothers
BEE GEES star Sir Barry Gibb paid moving tribute to his late twin brothers as he collected a knighthood yesterday.
Sir Barry, 71, the last surviving member of the chart-topping band, said he hoped Maurice and Robin would be proud of him.
He said: “If it was not for my brothers, I would not be here.
“I hope and pray that they are aware of what has happened and that they are proud. I believe in that.”
Sir Barry, who was knighted by Prince Charles for his services to music and charity, said there was “no question” he would have loved to have shared the special day with his brothers.
He was supported by wife Linda and children Michael, Alexandra and Ashley – who bears a striking resemblance to his father.
Maurice Gibb died from complications following an operation to correct an intestinal blockage in 2003 and twin Robin died in 2012 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The Bee Gees were one of the most commercially successful bands of all time, releasing hits including 1967’s Massachusetts. They found super-stardom in the 1970s – with classics including Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive and How Deep Is Your Love. Later hits included You Win Again in 1987.
The brothers also wrote songs for some of the biggest names in showbusiness.
Sir Barry said: “I love to write for people. It is not just thinking, ‘Oh, I will write a song today’, but when someone you admire asks you to write a song, that is special motivation.”
Success for other stars included Guilty and Woman In Love for Barbra Streisand, Chain Reaction for Diana Ross and Heartbreaker for Dionne Warwick.
Destiny’s Child had a hit with Emotion, and Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton enjoyed duet success with Islands In The Stream.
Sir Barry said he was still trying to get used to his new title, which was “a bit surreal”.
He put his success down to “being relentless” and “when you are a kid and you make up your mind to do something”. He added: “You have got to have failure with a lot of success and I think that is what keeps you grounded.”
Isle of Man-born Sir Barry grew up in Australia and his family returned to England in 1967 “because we were entranced by The Beatles and we wanted to be a pop group like them”. He said: “You always start off by emulating somebody and that way you can find yourself and be inspired by other artists.”