Bee Gees star Gibb treasures knighthood’s ‘magic glow’
BEE Gees co-founder, singer and songwriter Barry Gibb has said “the magic, the glow and the rush” of being given a knighthood in the New Year Honours will “last him for the rest of his life”.
Gibb, 71, also paid a touching tribute to his brothers as he was awarded the accolade for his services to music and charity.
In a statement to the Press Association, he said: “I am deeply honoured, humbled, and very proud. This is a moment in life to be treasured and never forgotten.
“I want to acknowledge how responsible my brothers are for this honour. It is as much theirs as it is mine. The magic, the glow, and the rush will last me the rest of my life.”
Fifty years on from the release of the Bee Gees’ debut album, Gibb continues to perform.
The oldest son of a bandleader, there was little doubt that he would embark on a musical career after he began performing with his younger twin brothers, Maurice and Robin, as children.
The three became stars under the Bee Gees name and scored hits, Grammy awards and worldwide success with the soundtrack to John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever in 1977.
But he was also a prolific writer.
Solo – and along with his siblings – Gibb wrote some of the biggest tracks ever to hit the charts, including Islands In The Stream, Destiny’s Child’s Emotion, Diana Ross’ Chain Reaction and even the title track from Grease.
Born on September 1, 1946, on the Isle of Man, Gibb and the twins formed the Bee Gees after they had moved to Australia in 1958.
Returning to England in the late Sixties, the trio’s debut album arrived in 1967 and fame followed – but not for long.
However, they adapted to become the kings of the disco movement. In 2003 Maurice died and Robin passed away in 2012, leaving Barry to venture on alone.