The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were three brothers from England named Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. They were from Manchester England but they moved to Brisbane Australia, starting their career in music. Their world career began when they went back to England and joined an Australia producer named Robert Stigwood. They gained many awards and success in the record industry for nearly forty years with their three part harmony.

They began to sing in harmonization in the early 1950’s in their hometown. A record was broken by Maurice they were to lip sync to as they were rushing to reach the place they were performing so with no other choice they performed live and got a great response from the audience. This helped the group to realize their true potential. They moved to Australia where they kept singing. They at first called themselves Rattlesnakes, later on as Wee Johny Hayes and then as Bluecats. It was Bill Goode who gave them the name Bee Gees. In 1960 Bee Gees got the chance to sing on television, later on they started singing often on the resorts of the Queensland.

As their audiences grew, Barry's ability of lyric writing got noticed by Col Joye, the first Australian rock and roll singer helping them get a record deal from Festival Records in 1963 under their new name “Bee Gees”. They did a couple of singles in a year based on Barry’s lyrics, “Wine and Women” album in ’65 was very popular leading to the release of their first long playing album, The Bee Gees Sings & Plays fourteen Barry Gibb Songs. In 1966 they moved to England while their family remained in Australia. The Bee Gees were not satisfied about their success in England. Their father, Hugh, sent demos to Brian Epstein the director of NEMS, who passed the tapes to Robert Stigwood. They began their work quickly for their first international LP, Stigwood began comparing them with The Beatles. The Bee Gees first British single "New York Mining Disaster1941” went to the top 20 in both UK and US and then “To Love Somebody" rose to top 20 in US. The songs all were based on their own lyrics except for "Such a Shame".

Robin began to feel that Stigwood liked Barry best making him the leader of the group in 1969, therefore quitting the group and starting on his own, being a big success on his own in Europe. Barry and Maurice continued as the Bee Gees including their sister Leslie to stay a trio. I would love to find a video of that, I never saw their sister and haven’t to this day of the whole family.

A year later though Robin rejoined his brothers and even though they lost their great stardom among the British Audiences, their popularity remained consistent in U.S. The Bee Gees managed to touch number three in U.S with their album "Lonely Days" and album "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" their first U.S. hit number one. They also did the soundtrack for the 1971 movie, “Melody”.

In 1987 their album E.S.P. released did a record business selling over three million copies of the album. Bee Gees single, “You Win Again” going to number one in several countries of the world. In 1997 they did a live recital named “One Night Only” in Las Vegas; over 5 million CD’s of this concert sold around the world.

As most know they have lost Andy and Maurice and I know that pain.

I can't begin to explain the love I have always had for the Bee Gees, including Andy, but everyone who knows me knows. I had to hide my Bee Gee music many times from the ones who wanted to hear someone else for awhile. I lived and felt their joys and their pains. It is a love I wish they could know.

Their youngest brother, Andy, then became a big hit and although I had only heard it was from drugs it is said he died in 1988 with myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle caused by a viral infection). Possible it was in relation to that. They did an album called “One” dedicated to Andy a year later. He was just so adorable, and I always wondered why his girlfriend at that time did not try to do more to help him with the addictions he was said to have, well actually I heard her say that was why she left him. I could never like her after that, although I can’t lay the blame on her I just think she may have been able to do something. So maybe truthfully I do blame her. If you love someone, you never walk out when they need you. Strangely I have always thought it so strange with Maurice and Robin being twins that Barry and Andy looked so much alike, with so many years between them.

I absolutely adored the Bee Gees since forever though and have had many a tape swiped from me because it was all I wanted to hear when we had get togethers, parties or just sitting around. I for years thought that Barry and Robin were the only two singing or really giving the songs their greatness until my husband pointed out, and had me listen to songs that you could hear Maurice or that he really made. I loved their “Size Isn’t Everything” album. I think that was my favorite...but I loved them all.

It broke my heart too when Maurice passed away in 2003 just when I was really starting to appreciate him. At times I just could not tell Robin from Barry (voice wise) when they harmonized. My husband who is a musician set me straight when I thought Maurice did not seem to play a very big part in the band, not only to let me know all the instruments he played but his arrangements bringing the whole sound together for a song and then too having me pick up his voice and songs sang by him. They were just all so great. I think too that they probably got into some things they shouldn’t have, in younger years, as the most do for whatever reason (actually they don't deny it) but it didn’t take them long to see what was more important and become very respectful men, besides musicians.

I have heard that Robin and Barry are still doing something; I know Barry has some terrible back problems but I can’t imagine they will ever lose this one great love. I have never been a musician and I will never lose my love for music, so whether they continue with it or not, it will be in their hearts, always, I am sure and they will never leave the stage in their hearts...nor mine. I fully expect my heaven to have Bee Gees singing. I absolutely love them like no others, they are just so special and I don't just mean their music, I have always just felt a tenderness for them, a special love I cannot explain. I have been a cheerleader of theirs from day one you might say. I am definitely no groupy type and just could never be. I imagine I had as much joy in my heart to see and hear them but I haven't met the person on earth I would act that way over. Besides...I can't scream.

Now if you just can't have too much of them like me here are two poems with beautiful songs of theirs so unlike anything they have ever done!

http://myendlessloves.com/A_Heart_Like_Mine.html

http://myendlessloves.com/Dont_Forget_To_Remember_Me.html