The Bee Gees

Robin Gibb Dead At 62: A Big-Screen Tribute

21 May 2012 13:19:17 EDT

The Bee Gees made their mark on pop culture with their contributions to 'Saturday Night Fever.'
By Fallon Prinzivalli

The disco-music world lost another soldier just days after its queen, Donna Summer, passed away. On Sunday, Bee Gees member Robin Gibb died after a long battle with colon and liver cancer.

The musical group composed of Gibb and his brothers Barry and Maurice reinvented disco in the late 1970s and became a mainstream success. But it was the inclusion of their music in the John Travolta film "Saturday Night Fever" that really put their stamp on pop culture.

The band of brothers composed and performed a majority of the songs on the soundtrack, and up until Whitney Houston's musical collection for "The Bodyguard," it was the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Producer Robert Stigwood had approached the Bee Gees after the film wrapped to see what they could pull together for the soundtrack, and shortly after, "Night Fever," "More Than a Woman," "How Deep Is Your Love," "You Should Be Dancing" and the classic "Stayin' Alive" were born. The latter song, featured in the beginning of the movie, jumped onto Billboard's Top 100 at #1 immediately following its release and stayed there for four weeks. To this day, the record has sold more than 40 million copies and is one of the top five best-selling albums of all time.

Robin Gibb and his brothers went on to star in "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," a musical adventure co-starring '70s icon Peter Frampton that centers on a small-town band that finds success in the music industry. Unfortunately, they also come to discover deceit as their instruments and their hometown of Heartland are put in jeopardy by a wicked force. The movie was loosely based on the off-Broadway production of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road" and featured covers of original Beatles songs from their album of the same name as well as Abbey Road.

Over the years, the Bee Gees' songs have been featured in well over 100 films and soundtracks, including "50/50," "The Fighter," "Despicable Me," "The Book of Eli," "Sex and the City," "Zoolander" and "Good Will Hunting." The hit Fox musical series "Glee" also paid tribute to the band in a recent disco episode titled "Saturday Night Glee-ver," in which the cast covered six of the band's hit songs.

Fellow actor and musician Jordin Sparks told MTV News at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards that she was saddened by Robin Gibb's passing and recalled the time when she discovered the Bee Gees' music.

"Barry Gibb, when I was on '[American] Idol,' he was one of our mentors, and it was so amazing to meet him. I actually discovered my love for Bee Gees music through that week, and 'Too Much Heaven' and 'Emotions' are two of my favorite songs, and 'Stayin' Alive,' of course — classic. But it's so sad. I just can't [believe it]."

Barry Gibb is the last surviving member of the Bee Gees. Brother Maurice Gibb died in 2003 following abdominal surgery.

Share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments section below.

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Robin Gibb Mourned By Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood

21 May 2012 00:10:26 EDT

At Billboard Music Awards, Jordin Sparks recalls paying tribute to the Bee Gees during her time on 'American Idol.'
By Kara Warner

The music industry lost yet another influential artist Sunday (May 20), with the untimely death of Bee Gees' member Robin Gibb.

The news was met with sadness and shock from the celeb attendees at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards. They were quick to express heartfelt sentiments to Gibb's family and friends, as well as weigh in on the huge impact the Bee Gees had on the music industry as a whole.

"Oh no!" Jordin Sparks said in shock upon hearing the news. "I thought he was doing better. Barry Gibb [Robin's brother and fellow Bee Gee], when I was on '[American] Idol,' he was one of our mentors, and it was so amazing to meet him. I actually discovered my love for Bee Gees music through that week, and 'Too Much Heaven' and 'Emotions' are two of my favorite songs, and 'Stayin' Alive,' of course. Classic. But it's so sad," she added. "I just can't [believe it]."

"I definitely listened to the Bee Gees," Justin Bieber told us. "I'm not too familiar with them, but it's definitely sad what happened. My heart goes out to him and his family."

"My first memory of the Bee Gees was the film 'Saturday Night Fever,' which is one of my favorites," recalled Max George of the Wanted. "I love the Bee Gees. They're obviously legends and heroes of ours and people we look up to. It's a really sad loss. Our thoughts go out to all of his family."

Chart-topper Carrie Underwood remembered discovering the group during her childhood. "My parents listened to the Bee Gees quite a bit when I was little, so I was definitely exposed to them at an early age. They just had a sound that was all their own, obviously, [it was] never duplicated," she said. "They were very influential on music in general, and it's very sad to hear about any loss. There have been a lot of legends lost this year, so it's always sad to see it happen, but they are paying a couple of tributes here [at the Billboard Music Awards], and I know that they'll be classy and respectful and allow us all to remember them."

Singer/songwriter and recent "Dancing With the Stars" castmember Gavin DeGraw spoke to the group's influence with their own music, as well as the hit songs they went on to write for other artists.

"Let's talk about the Bee Gees. That's an iconic group. Not just a great band, but a great group of songwriters," DeGraw said. "Even long after the Bee Gees' success on the pop charts, they were still writing songs for other people, huge hit songs. Their talent went far beyond their moment of normal pop success. It is a loss to the music industry and a loss of an iconic group. The beauty of this industry is that we do pay tribute and every artist coming up is a fan of a generation prior to it, so there's a real tradition element to it."

Please share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments.

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Robin Gibb And Bee Gees Gave The World Disco 'Fever'

20 May 2012 21:22:48 EDT

The late Robin and his brothers helped define a genre and topped the charts in the process.
By Gil Kaufman

Just days after the world lost Queen of Disco Donna Summer, another one of the genre's royal family, Bee Gees member Robin Gibb, died after a long battle with cancer.

Robin, 62, and his brothers Barry and Maurice began their musical career in 1963 and scored a number of hits with sentimental ballads such as "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" and "I Started a Joke" and their first top 20 single, "New York Mining Disaster 1941." But it was their work in the late 1970s that would forever cement their memory in music history.

After a string of successful albums and singles in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the brotherly trio hit the hard time early in the decade, including a brief period where Robin left the band to go solo because he felt Barry was being pushed to the forefront at his expense.

It wasn't until they revamped their sound on 1975's Main Course that they hit upon a formula that would make them international superstars and help sell more than 200 million albums over the course of their career. That record turned away from earnest folk and pop to a sound laced with a more soulful, dance-oriented groove, epitomized by the #1 hit "Jive Talkin'."

They followed up with the soundtrack to the hit movie "Saturday Night Fever," which held the record for the best-selling album of all time until the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller. With such smashes as "Night Fever," "How Deep Is Your Love," "You Should Be Dancing," "Stayin' Alive" and "More Than a Woman," the soundtrack won the Grammy for Album of the Year and sold more than 15 million copies in the United States alone.

Though they weren't even tapped to work on the soundtrack until after the movie had already wrapped, producer Robert Stigwood asked them to try and whip up a few tunes for the film that would soon define the disco era. They dashed most of the additional songs off in just over one weekend, and the rest, as they say, is history. In the years since, the album, whose cover prominently features the trio in their signature white disco suits just above a dancing John Travolta, has sold more than 40 million copies and stands as one of the top five best-selling albums of all time.

Robin often sung the lead on the early songs, even though it was Barry who was the ostensible leader of the group later in their career. The siblings' allegedly testy dynamic was turned into a bizarre recurring skit on "Saturday Night Live" from 2003 to 2011 by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake called "The Barry Gibb Talk Show." Though Fallon once told Howard Stern that he really didn't know how the idea came to him to play Barry as an out-of-control rage-aholic hosting a public affairs show about the day's news, the comedic combination of the monosyllabic Timberlake as Robin and the pair singing the trio's falsetto harmonies made for some of the show's funniest moments.

Born in 1949 on the Isle of Man off the British Coast, Robin and his brothers grew up in Manchester, England, but moved to Australia as children. They got their start there performing on television shows as the B.G.'s. It was after the family returned to England in the 1960s that the trio began to score international attention with their melodic three-part harmonies and emotional songwriting.

Robin released a trio of solo albums in the 1980s, but neither he nor the group would ever reach the "Fever" heights again. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Earlier this year, Robin released a classical piece called The Titanic Requiem, recorded with his son, Robin-John, but was too ill to attend an April 10 performance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Robin's death is the latest heartache for the family, which has suffered a string of misfortunes, including the 1988 death of youngest brother Andy, 30, and the 2003 passing of Robin's twin, Maurice, 53.

More than 30 years after their global breakthrough, the music created by Robin and his brothers remains a cultural touchstone for each successive generation. Everyone from Eric Clapton to Destiny's Child, the Cure's Robert Smith, the Flaming Lips, Elton John, Al Green, Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner and Celine Dion have recorded their songs over the years.

Please share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments.

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Bee Gees' Robin Gibb Dead At 62

20 May 2012 19:09:11 EDT

Singer had battled colon and liver cancer and lapsed into a coma last month.
By Katie Byrne

Bee Gees member Robin Gibb died Sunday (May 20) after a long battle with cancer; he was 62 years old.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," read a statement confirming the news. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

See photos of Robin Gibb throughout his career.

Gibb, who had been battling colon and liver cancer, lapsed into a weeklong coma last month. In February, doctors said he'd made a "spectacular" recovery from the disease, but he was soon back in the hospital for surgery. The "Saturday Night Fever" singer had bowel surgery almost two years ago for an unrelated condition, at which time doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with colon cancer. It appeared as if the cancer was in remission as recently as March.

Robin was one-third of the Brothers Gibb, alongside lead singer Barry and twin brother Maurice, who died in 2003 from complications of abdominal surgery. The siblings created the Bee Gees as teens in Brisbane, Australia, in 1958. They made their initial impact on pop during the Beatles-led British invasion of the mid-'60s, sending "New York Mining Disaster 1941" into the top 20 and beginning a string of hits that would last through 1972's "Run to Me." The '71 smash "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" reached the top of the charts.

The Bee Gees' style shifted during the disco era, and their success with funky, dance-oriented pieces such as "Jive Talkin'" and "You Should Be Dancing" set them up for the pop juggernaut of "Saturday Night Fever."

With falsetto vocals and irresistible rhythms, the trio became one of disco's most resonant symbols. Three Bee Gees songs from the film's soundtrack, "How Deep Is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever," reached #1 on the Billboard chart. The "Saturday Night Fever" album is pop's best-selling soundtrack, having moved over 40 million copies.

Please share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments.

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Robin Gibb Stuns Doctors After Emerging From Coma

23 Apr 2012 10:07:47 EDT

Bee Gees singer is still battling colorectal cancer, but doctors shocked by his recovery from coma.
By Gil Kaufman

Bee Gees member Robin Gibb shocked his doctors over the weekend when he emerged from a weeklong coma. The 62-year-old disco icon lapsed into a coma after contracting pneumonia during his battle with cancer.

According to BBC News, a family spokesperson said Gibb, 62, was able to nod and communicate with the members of his family who've held a vigil in his London hospital room. Gibb has been battling colon and liver cancer and in February he said he'd made a "spectacular" recovery from the disease, but was soon back in the hospital for surgery.

The "Saturday Night Fever" singer had bowel surgery 18 months ago for an unrelated condition, at which time doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with colon cancer. It appeared as if the cancer was in remission as recently as last month.

Weakened from chemotherapy and two operations, Gibb lapsed into the coma last week after contracting pneumonia. Dr. Andrew Thillainayagam said on Friday that he had warned the singer's family that Robin might not wake up. In a statement, Thillainayagam said Gibb remains in intensive care and is, "exhausted, extremely weak and malnourished." He's breathing with the help of an oxygen mask and needs intravenous feeding and antibiotics.

He added, "It is testament to Robin's extraordinary courage, iron will and deep reserves of physical strength that he has overcome quite incredible odds to get where he is now." Wife Dwina, and sons Robin-John and Spencer and daughter Melissa have been at Gibb's side talking to him and playing his favorite music.

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Rewind: 'Across The Universe' Evokes The Worst Beatles-Related Movie Ever — 'Sgt. Pepper'

18 Sep 2007 11:27:00 EDT

It's hard to make a movie worse than this 1978 Bee Gees/Peter Frampton vehicle.
By Karl Heitmueller

Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe," a story of love and rebellion in the turbulent 1960s, uses characters, situations, words and music from the songs of the Beatles. You can forgive fans of the Fab Four if they're skeptical; the last time someone attempted something similar, things got ugly.

Following 1968's animated "Yellow Submarine" (with which the Beatles had very little involvement) and the bizarre "All This and World War II" (a 1976 documentary juxtaposing vintage newsreel footage with covers of Beatles songs), came an attempt at a big-budget musical fantasy based on what many considered the Beatles' greatest album: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

Partially based on a 1974 stage musical, the 1978 movie (which also included songs from Abbey Road and Revolver) was produced by Robert Stigwood, a top-flight rock manager and label head who'd had prior rock movie successes with "Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973), the Who's "Tommy" (1975), "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) and then-current smash "Grease." People trusted Stigwood's instincts. Maybe the idea of putting '70s chart-toppers Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees in front of the camera to bring Beatles songs to life wasn't so horrible. What ended up onscreen proved otherwise.

During World War I, the town of Heartland U.S.A. sends Sgt. Pepper and his Lonely Hearts Club (marching) Band into a European theater in order to bring inspiration to the fighting forces, helping to win the war. Upon his death in 1958, Pepper leaves the custody of his magical instruments, which guarantee the ongoing happiness of mankind, in the care of Heartland's mayor, Mr. Kite (George Burns, wearing the first of the film's many bad toupees).

Thirty years later, Pepper's grandson, Billy Shears (Frampton) starts a new Lonely Hearts Club Band with his pals, Mark, Dave and Bob Henderson (the Bee Gees). Almost instantly, the band gets an offer from Big Deal Records' head honcho B.D. Hoffler (Donald Pleasence in another bad wig). So off they jet to Hollywood, separating Billy for the first time from his true love, Strawberry Fields (Sandy Farina in her first and last performance).

As soon as the band hits L.A., the debauchery of the music biz is in evidence: the booze, the drugs, the sex, the payola, the convertible limousines. After signing with B.D., the band quickly records and releases a record that becomes an overnight smash, putting them on a sellout tour and the cover of Time magazine.

Meanwhile, Heartland has fallen prey to the mean Mr. Mustard (British character actor Frankie Howerd in bad rug #3), an agent of the FVB (Future Villain Band), which instructs him to steal the original Sgt. Pepper's magical instruments and distribute them to various evil accomplices. Without the instruments' guarding force, Heartland falls into an iniquitous spiral not seen since Bedford Falls became Pottersville. Casinos, liquor stores and — horrors! — video arcades pop up on the streets, which are now frequented by hookers, pimps and punk rockers!

Desperate to save the town, the wide-eyed (literally) Strawberry boards a bus for Hollywood, only to find the salacious Lucy and the Diamonds trying to taint the purity of Billy and the LHCB. But when she explains what's happened to Heartland, they all go in search of the stolen instruments.

Their first stop is the lair of Dr. Maxwell, played by a wild 'n' crazy Steve Martin (in his big-screen debut). Maxwell, who uses his magical silver hammer to turn old people into young automatons in servitude to FVB, loses possession of Sgt. Pepper's heart-shaped cornet in a tepid battle with our satin-clad heroes. After finding the drum left in Mustard's van, the band retrieves the tuba from FVB's brainwasher, Father Sun, played by an obviously bored Alice Cooper.

Finally, the LHCB attacks and somehow manages to defeat the corruptive FVB, played by the Bee Gees' antithesis, Aerosmith. However, Strawberry is killed in the melee. After a funeral befitting Snow White (including glass coffin), a suicidal Billy leaps off the Fields home roof. But wait! A weather vane magically transforms into the reincarnated Sgt. Pepper (now mysteriously black in the form of Billy Preston), who shoots lasers from his fingers that in turn save Billy, transform the villains into Catholic clergy, return the town to its former wholesome self and resurrect the dead Strawberry! Talk about a deus ex machina!

Abruptly, the film ends with a huge singalong of the title theme, as the cast is joined by a bizarre menagerie of '70s stars (some super, some not), including Robert Palmer, José Feliciano, Helen Reddy, Heart, Hank Williams Jr., Peter Allen and, uh, Sha Na Na?! Additionally (adding to the bad wig count), we have Carol Channing, Wolfman Jack, Tina Turner, Frankie Valli, Connie Stevens and, again, uh, Dame Edna!?

It's a perfectly strange cap to a perfectly strange film. For one thing, aside from George Burns' narration, there's no dialogue at all in the movie other than sung lyrics. While this was partially done to avoid having the leads' very British accents come out of the mouths of very American characters, the fact that the inexperienced "actors" were left stranded in the land of broad pantomime doesn't help the film. On top of that, some of the more abstract lyrics ("He wear no shoeshine, he got toe jam football!") don't quite work in a film that's using them as the literal screenplay.

So what's left is the music — and with precious few exceptions, that's a miss as well. Frampton's presence and voice are both too slight to carry the weight of Lennon and McCartney, and the Bee Gees' lovely harmonizing has no place to go. Earth, Wind & Fire pull off an entertaining (if funk-lite) version of "Got to Get You Into My Life," but Alice Cooper's mere recitation of "Because" is as embarrassing as George Burns' soft-shoe take on "Fixing a Hole." Doing a down-and-dirty version of "Come Together," Aerosmith are the only act to emerge from the film with their reputation unscathed, probably because they got to play the bad guys in this train wreck!

Frequent Beatles guest player Billy Preston's "Get Back" sounds great (and he's got moves that rival James Brown's), but his involvement in this project feels almost like a betrayal. But not as much as the soundtrack's producer and arranger, actual Beatles producer George Martin!

Ultimately, the movie feels like a '70s TV variety show à la "Donny and Marie," comprised of awkward skits featuring non-acting musicians cut together with splashy musical numbers. Perhaps not surprisingly, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was a critical and box-office dud.

Over the years, the film has slowly built a minor cult of the "so bad it's good" variety. The lack of dialogue makes shout-along viewings difficult, but there are still plenty of jaw-dropping elements (Billy's white overalls! Completely inaccurate lip-synching! Female robot massage!) that make this a great DVD to throw on at a party.

The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album remains a controversial touchstone. While many (including Rolling Stone magazine) cite it as the greatest rock album of all time, there is a school of thought that says its ambitious structure and inventive recording methods took rock into the more serious realm of art, making it more pretentious and less vital (The New York Times compared the record to a spoiled child).

Certainly no one ever has or will argue that the movie version is anything close to "art," but you can't totally hate a movie that answers the question, "What would Ed Wood have done if he lived in the disco era?"

Check out everything we've got on "Across the Universe." Visit Movies on MTV.com for more from Hollywood, including news, reviews, interviews and more.

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Bee Gees Name To Be Retired, Robin Gibb Says

22 Jan 2003 14:42:00 EST

Decision made out of respect for Maurice Gibb, who died earlier this month.
By Joe D'Angelo

In the wake of Maurice Gibb's death earlier this month, his brother and bandmate Robin has decided that the Bee Gees will no longer continue as a group.

During an interview with the U.K. morning television show "GMTV," Maurice's twin brother, Robin, said he and older brother Barry will persevere musically, though not collectively as the trio that helped ignite the disco explosion in 1977 with the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever."

"The Bee Gees, to us, was the three brothers," Robin said. "In Maurice's name, we would respect that and not be the Bee Gees anymore."

Robin's announcement runs counter to Barry's statement that the Bee Gees, a long-form acronym for Brothers Gibb, would continue as a tribute to Maurice.

For the brothers to carry on making music is what Maurice would have wanted, Robin said. "Anything [Barry and I] do, we will do together, but it'll be as brothers and not under the name of the Bee Gees. We don't want to be the Bee Gees again."

The group's U.S. manager didn't return calls by press time.

Maurice died of a heart attack on January 12 in Miami. He was 53 (see "Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees Dead At 53").

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Norah Jones Hangs Onto #1 Slot On Albums Chart, 'Chicago' Debuts High

22 Jan 2003 14:35:00 EST

With 47 weeks of good words behind it, Jones' debut LP sold more than 114,000 copies last week.
By Joe D'Angelo

Norah Jones' five Grammy nominations continue to help lift her Come Away With Me above all other albums on the Billboard albums chart.

With 47 weeks of good words behind it, Jones' debut LP sold more than 114,000 copies last week, up 6,000 copies from the week before, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday (January 22). The new tally puts Come Away With Me above the 3 million mark in total sales.

Fellow Grammy nominees Avril Lavigne and the Dixie Chicks each increased weekly sales of their respective current albums, Let Go and Home, to take the #2 and #3 slots. The Canadian pop star arrives from a previously held #3 spot, with a sizable boost of more than 21,000 copies, while the Chicks' Home increased its seven-day draw by more than 7,000 copies.

In its first week in stores, the soundtrack to the Golden Globe-gobbling "Chicago," featuring songs from the movie sung by actors Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger, debuted at #4 with more than 83,000 copies sold.

Ja Rule's The Last Temptation, sparked by the emergence of its second single "Mesmerize," will re-enter the top 10 at #10, with more than 52,000 in sales. It marks the first time the album placed in the top 10 since the LP debuted at #4 when it was released in late November.

The remainder of the top 10 finds no new entries or exits, as Jennifer Lopez's This Is Me ... Then drops three spots to #5 (78,000); the "8 Mile" soundtrack also drops a notch to #6 (68,000); Missy Elliott's Under Construction moves up a place to #7 (57,000); Aaliyah's I Care 4 U drops a spot down to #8 (56,000); and Christina Aguilera takes a step ahead to #9 with Stripped (54,000).

Good Charlotte lead the pack of bands that felt an impact from being featured on MTV's Spankin' New Bands week. The group's second album, The Young and the Hopeless, will jump from #25 to #12, while its weekly sales increased by nearly 15,000 copies to reach a 49,000-copy pull. Simple Plan are enjoying the 15-spot leap that will place No Pads, No Helmets ... Just Balls at #44, and the 6,000-copy bump that made it possible. Further down, the Used's self-titled debut will move up 33 spots to #63, the Donnas' Spend the Night will sail 50 spots higher to #67 and New Found Glory's Sticks & Stones will ascend 20 places to #102.

Using more conventional promotional tactics, Kid Rock's Cocky has been on a major upswing thanks to the crossover success of its fourth single, "Picture," an acoustic country duet. While the rap-rocker's rock audience hasn't responded tremendously to previous hybrid singles "Forever" and "You Never Met a Motherf---er Quite Like Me," "Picture," with Sheryl Crow on the album cut and Allison Moorer on the single version (due to the inability of Rock's label to secure single rights to the tune from Crow's label), has re-introduced the pimp of the nation to adult contemporary formats, where his "Only God Knows Why" once had a home, and established his place on country radio. As such, Cocky, released in November 2001, has moved into the top 20 for the first time in over a year. It will stand at #15, up from #24, with a 14,000-copy weekly increase.

Following the death of Maurice Gibb on January 12 (see "Maurice Gibb Of The Bee Gees Dead At 53" ), the Bee Gees' 2001 two-disc retrospective, Their Greatest Hits: The Record, re-entered the top 200 at #55 with more than 17,000 in sales, nearly six times its previous weekly total.

All the hype generated from his beef with Eminem didn't translate into record sales for rapper Benzino. His second solo album, Redemption, will debut on the chart at #65, with more than 14,000 in sales.

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Maurice Gibb Of The Bee Gees Dead At 53

12 Jan 2003 10:58:00 EST

Singer died after undergoing abdominal surgery in Miami.
By Jim Macnie

Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, one of pop's best selling and longest enduring acts, died Sunday (January 12) after undergoing abdominal surgery in Miami. The singer was 53.

Twin brother of Bee Gee Robin Gibb, Maurice collapsed at home on Wednesday and was taken to the city's Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he was operated on for an intestinal blockage. He experienced cardiac arrest before the surgery began.

The singer's family issued a statement to fans on Sunday. "With great sadness and sorrow we regretfully announce the passing of Maurice Gibb this morning. His love, enthusiasm and energy for life remain an inspiration to all of us. We will all deeply miss him."

Along with older brother Barry, Robin and Maurice created the Bee Gees as teens in Brisbane, Australia, in 1958. They made their initial impact on pop during the Beatles-led British invasion of the mid-'60s, sending "New York Mining Disaster 1941" into the top 20 and beginning a string of hits that would last through 1972's "Run to Me." The '71 smash "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" reached the top of the charts.

With falsetto vocals and irresistible rhythms, the trio became one of disco's most resonant symbols. Three Bee Gees songs from the film's soundtrack, "How Deep Is Your Love," "Stayin' Alive" and "Night Fever," reached #1 on the Billboard chart. The Saturday Night Fever album is pop's best-selling soundtrack, having moved over 40 million copies.

Maurice's voice was crucial to the Bee Gees' singular harmonies during all phases of the group's career. He also played bass and keyboards with the band. The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Their latest release is the 2001 double-disc package Their Greatest Hits: The Record.

Discuss the loss of Maurice and the music of the Bee Gees with fans.

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Four Unreleased Songs On Bee Gees Greatest-Hits Package

12 Oct 2001 19:46:00 EDT

Career-spanning, two-disc Their Greatest Hits: The Record due November 20.
By Jon Wiederhorn

If you're one of the poor lost souls waiting breathlessly for the Abba-inspired "Mamma Mia!" to open on Broadway, you'll probably be tickled pink by news that the Bee Gees will release the two-disc set Their Greatest Hits: The Record on November 20.

The career-spanning package will feature four previously unreleased songs that were #1 tracks the group wrote for other artists: "Emotion" (Samantha Sang), "Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick), "Islands in the Stream" (Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton) and "Immortality" (Celine Dion). The Brothers Gibb's "Emotion" is also the current Destiny's Child single.

Their Greatest Hits: The Record will contain 40 tracks and more than two and a half hours of music. Highlights include the megahits "Stayin' Alive," "Emotion," "Night Fever" and "Jive Talkin'" as well as "Guilty," the group's chart-topping duet with Barbra Streisand.

Since their formation in Brisbane, Australia, in 1958, the Bee Gees have sold more than 110 million records. They were a fixture of the disco era, virtually spearheading the movement's popularization with their music for the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever," which included the hits "Stayin' Alive," "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Night Fever."

The group has landed 19 #1 singles during its career and earned numerous awards. A four-CD anthology of the group's career, Tales From the Brothers Gibb, was released in 1990.

Track list for Their Greatest Hits: The Record, according to the Bee Gees' publicist: