Bee Gees became one of the most successful vocal groups in rock music history. The Gibb brothers, three British-born Australians, formed the group in the late 1950’s. The brothers, Barry (1946-…) and the twins Maurice (1949-2003) and Robin (1949-2012) Gibb, became known for their high-pitched vocal harmonies. The Bee Gees first gained popularity in the mid-1960’s. The group helped create the sound track of the 1977 hit motion-picture musical Saturday Night Fever. The sound-track album became one of the best-selling albums in popular music history.
The three Gibb brothers were born in Douglas, on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. They moved with their family to Manchester, England, in the 1950’s. The brothers began performing at theaters in Manchester in 1955. In 1958, the family moved to Brisbane, Australia. There, the brothers began performing as the B.G.’s, which stood for Brothers Gibb. The spelling was later changed to Bee Gees. In addition to singing, Barry played rhythm guitar and Maurice played bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion, and other instruments. Barry and Robin or all three of the brothers co-wrote the group’s hit songs. In 1966, the Bee Gees had a hit in Australia with the single “Spicks and Specks.”
The group had a long string of hit singles from the mid-1960’s to the mid-1970’s. These songs included “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “To Love Somebody,” and “Massachusetts” (all 1967); “Words,” “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” and “I Started a Joke” (all 1968); “Lonely Days” (1970); and “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” (1971). The 1975 hits “Jive Talkin’” and “Nights On Broadway” and the 1976 hit “You Should Be Dancing” helped establish the Bee Gees as disco artists.
In 1977 and 1978, the Bee Gees had phenomenal success with the release of the Saturday Night Fever sound track. The film featured many songs written or performed by the group. “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” and “Night Fever” all became number-one hits. The Bee Gees also wrote the film’s other number-one hit, “If I Can’t Have You,” performed by the American singer Yvonne Elliman. The next album by the Bee Gees, Spirits Having Flown (1979), produced the number-one hits “Too Much Heaven,” “Tragedy,” and “Love You Inside Out.” The Bee Gees also wrote and performed most of the songs on the successful sound track of the film sequel to Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive (1983).
The Bee Gees wrote many hits individually or together for other artists. These performers include Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, and the Gibbs’ younger brother, Andy Gibb. Barry also wrote the number-one hit title song from the film version of the musical Grease (1978), performed by Frankie Valli.
Barry and Robin pursued solo careers beginning in the 1980’s. The Bee Gees were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Maurice died in 2003. The group broke up until 2009, when Barry and Robin reunited and began performing again as the Bee Gees. Robin died in 2012. In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom knighted Barry Gibb. The Bee Gees wrote a memoir, Bee Gees: The Authorized Biography (1979).
