R.J. GIBB The son of Bee Gee Robin presents his new baby boy with partner Megan
TELLS HOW DEEP IS HIS LOVE FOR BABY BOY WITH PARTNER MEGAN AND HOW HE REMINDS HIM OF HIS FATHER
‘The anniversary of Dad’s death was always a sad occasion, but since Olie was born, it will be a time of joy, too’
Beneath an arch of balloons and flowers, musician Robin- John “RJ” Gibb and his partner Megan proudly introduce us to their 12-weekold son Oliver-Eugene.
“He gives us beautiful smiles every day,” says the son of Bee Gees star Robin, talking exclusively to hello! at the family’s home in Oxfordshire. “It even sounds as if he’s trying to speak to us. We’re convinced we’ve already heard his first word.”
Right on cue – and to everyone’s astonishment – baby Olie seems to echo his mum, saying: “Hello!” after she repeats the word to him.
This lively little chap is RJ and Megan’s third son, and the three older children, Maxwell- Robin, eight, Theodore-Alexander, six, and Ella, 11, gather excitedly around the new arrival alongside Robin’s widow – and devoted grandmother – Nana Dwina.
“We couldn’t imagine having a
baby again,” says RJ, 38. “But now it feels as if Olie’s always been here.”
“We have three brothers Gibb under one roof again,” adds Megan, 41, alluding to the famous Bee Gees – brothers Robin, Maurice and Barry. “Olie can certainly hit the high notes right now.”
“He’s a crying vibrato,” RJ says, with a smile. “He likes being sung to, too, and when he holds his thumbs between his fingers, he reminds me of my father, who did this when he was deep in thought.”
Olie was due on 20 May – the ninth anniversary of the day RJ’s father Robin died aged 62, after a brave battle with cancer – but arrived two days earlier. “The pregnancy was running smoothly until I reached week 30,” Megan tells us. “Olie had turned and engaged prematurely and, because doctors thought I would give birth early, I was placed on bed rest and given steroid injections to help mature his lungs.”
It was during a check-up at The
Portland Hospital in London on 18 May that they discovered Megan’s waters had broken and began to induce the birth. Despite being almost fully dilated, Megan couldn’t feel any contractions. “I was waiting for the pain, but it didn’t come,” she says.
RJ adds: “The monitor showed she was having huge
contractions, yet she couldn’t feel a thing and kept falling asleep. Our obstetrician Colin Davis had never seen anything like it.”
It wasn’t until 8.05pm that Megan suddenly felt the urge to push and Olie was born 12 minutes later, weighing 9lb 4oz.
However, his umbilical cord had wrapped tightly around his neck and the team had to leap into action to free him.
“When they placed him in my arms, I was shocked,” RJ says. “His eyes were red from being strangled by the umbilical cord and he was so badly bruised he looked like a boxer.
“He really was a fighter, though. When I reached out for his hand, he clenched my finger.”
Megan adds: “The skin on his little face was mottled and grey, but the doctors reassured us he would
be fine.” However, there was further concern when Megan developed an infection and was unable to breastfeed. When Olie couldn’t digest formula milk, she was distraught. “I was in pain and in tears and had no idea how to feed our baby,” she says. “We were desperate.”
After searching the internet, RJ found NeoKare, a company that provides frozen pasteurised milk supplied by other mothers.
“I’ll be forever grateful to those mums for helping,” Megan says. “Olie started to gain weight – our nickname for him is Pudding.”
Olie’s actual first name reflects his Irish heritage through Nana Dwina, while his middle name, Eugene, is in honour of Megan’s father and her favourite uncle.
Meeting Nana Dwina and his three siblings, who welcomed Olie with homemade cards and gifts, was a special moment. “Teddy even gave him one of his favourite toys – Geoffrey the musical giraffe,” Megan says, smiling. “He’d been our baby until then, but when Olie came along, Teddy declared: ‘I’m not the baby any more.’”
A GRANDMOTHER’S LOVE
Olie has also formed a special bond with Nana Dwina, who tells us: “Holding him for the first time was lovely. When Olie smiles at me, it feels as if we’re connecting.
“This house is made for children and I can’t wait to see Olie grow up and run around with his brothers and sister,” she adds.
“They all have vibrant personalities. One of them put his model of Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars on a table next to our mini statues of the Bee Gees. Robin would have found that funny and I’m so sorry he’s missing out on being a grandad. He would have loved it.”
Dwina i s writing Robin’s biography, based on his taped recollections. His presence is still keenly felt in the home and there are constant reminders of him through the grandchildren he’s never met.
“The boys enjoy singing in the car and I can hear the harmonies in their voices, just like the Bee Gees,” she says. “They’re mini Gibblets.”
“We always talk to the children about Robin,” adds Megan. “Our home is opposite the church where he was laid to rest.”
RJ says: “The anniversary of Dad’s death was always a sad occasion, but since Olie was born, it will be a time of joy, too.”
This autumn, RJ is producing and starring in a celebration of Bee Gees hits and showcasing his own songs in a UK, Scandinavian and European tour of Legacy, featuring RJ and The Egiziano Brothers. “My father loved their music,” he says. “It will be a nostalgic experience.”
A wedding is also on the cards for the family: a week before Olie was born, RJ presented Megan with a Tiffany & Co. heart-shaped platinum and diamond commitment ring to mark their ten-year relationship.
“The diamonds represent the love we have for each other and our children and our strength as a family,” says Megan.
“It’s a pre-engagement ring,” RJ adds, smiling. “When we get married, we’ll have all our children around us.”
For more on RJ’s ventures, visit ktt-legacy.com.