Robin Gibb
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| Robin Gibb | |
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 Robin in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robin Hugh Gibb |
| Born | December 22, 1949 in Douglas, Isle of Man |
| Genre(s) | Pop, rock, disco |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1958-2003 (group) 2003-present (solo) |
| Label(s) | Universal, BMG Music Publishing |
| Associated acts | Bee Gees |
Robin Hugh Gibb CBE (b. 22 December 1949) is a singer and songwriter. He was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, to English parents, the twin brother of Maurice Gibb (1949-2003), and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing/songwriting trio the Bee Gees. The trio got their start in Australia, and found major success when they returned to England. The Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups of all time.
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[edit] Origins
Son of Hugh and Barbara Gibb, he grew up with his two brothers in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England until the Gibbs moved to Redcliffe, Australia in 1958, shortly after the birth of Andy Gibb, youngest of the Gibb brothers. They settled in as they went to school at the local public school Humpybong State School. Their music careers began in Australia, and flourished when they returned to England in 1967 and were spotted by Robert Stigwood.
[edit] Solo career
Traditionally, Robin's role in the group has been that of lead singer, for which he vied constantly with his elder brother Barry Gibb during the group's first period of British success in the late 1960s. This eventually resulted in Robin leaving the group to begin a solo career after his song "Lamplight" was relegated to the 'B' side of Barry's "First of May". Meanwhile, there were rumours of drug problems, and his parents threatened to have him made a ward of court (the UK age of majority at that time being 21, and Robin then only 19).
Although initially successful, with a number 2 hit, "Saved by the Bell", his album, Robin's Reign, was less successful and he found that being a solo artist was less than satisfying. He reunited with his brothers, who had disbanded the Bee Gees in search of their own solo careers, when Robert Stigwood created RSO records in 1970. The initial post-reunion albums Two Years On, Trafalgar and To Whom It May Concern suggested that the rift had not totally healed, with an element of split songwriting teams, Barry on the one hand and Robin and Maurice on the other together with different music publishers, in contrast to a uniform construction before the split. Only when they relocated to Los Angeles to record Life In A Tin Can did it appear that they were as one on disk. Upon reinventing themselves with "Blue-Eyed Soul" the Bee Gees went on to their second period of phenomenal success in the disco-era late 1970s.
While continuing in the group, Robin also promoted his solo career, and during the 1980s he released three further solo albums (How Old Are You, Secret Agent, and Walls Have Eyes) which were more successful in Continental Europe than in the UK or USA. However, his 1984 single "Boys Do Fall in Love" did reach the Billboard top 40.
In the same week as his twin brother Maurice's sudden death, Robin's next solo album, Magnet, was released in Germany on January 27, 2003 (Label: SPV), and worldwide shortly afterwards. It features the old Bee Gees classic "Wish You Were Here" in a new acoustic version. The lead single, "Please" has eery lyrics about "loss" and was uncanny with its timing. With Maurice's death, his two surviving brothers Robin and Barry announced that they would no longer perform as the Bee Gees.
Robin has recently sung the vocals to the opening titles to "The Dame Edna Treatment"
[edit] Collaborations
In August 2003, Robin announced that he would be releasing a new single of "My Lover's Prayer", a song first recorded by the Bee Gees in 1997, with vocals by Robin, Wanya Morris, and Lance Bass. This was played on radio, but was never actually released. In October 2003 another version was recorded as a duet with Alistair Griffin, runner-up in the UK television program Fame Academy, on which Robin had appeared as a judge. My Lover's Prayer, credited as "Alistair Griffin featuring Robin Gibb", was eventually released in the UK in January 2004 as a double A side CD single, together with Griffin's solo recording of "Bring It On". This was titled "Bring It On / My Lover's Prayer (Duet with Robin Gibb)" and reached number 5 in the UK charts.
A special limited edition of the CD single, re-titled "A Lover's Prayer (Duet with Robin Gibb) / Bring It On", was also released simultaneously. This featured a dramatic portrait of Gibb and Griffin together on the cover artwork and contained just the two title tracks with no B sides or video. The duet was also on Griffin's debut album Bring It On which charted at number 12.
In January 2005 Robin joined his brother Barry and several other artists under the collective name of One World Project, to record a charity single in aid of Asian tsunami relief, titled "Grief Never Grows Old". Other artists who performed on the single included Boy George, Steve Winwood, Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Sir Cliff Richard, Bill Wyman, America, Kenny Jones, Chicago, Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Russell Watson and Davy Spillane.
In June 2005 Gibb joined X Factor runners up G4 at a sell-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, singing the Bee Gees song "First of May" . A recording of this performance was released in December 2005 as part of a double A side single, credited as "G4 feat Robin Gibb" together with G4's own cover of Johnny Mathis' "When a Child is Born". This track was also included on the platinum selling album G4 & Friends which reached number 6 in the UK album charts.
In November 2006, Robin released an album of Christmas carols called Robin Gibb - My Favourite Carols, backed by London choir The Serlo Consort. The album also features a brand new song written by Robin called "Mother of Love", which was released in Europe as a download single. The song was inspired by Maurice Gibb, and is the first new Robin Gibb composition to be published since his twin brother died in January 2003. Royalties of Mother of Love will be donated to the "Janki Foundation for Global Healthcare", and Robin dedicated the song to Dadi Janki, the organisation's spiritual leader. It is also dedicated to Robin's own mother, Barbara Gibb. The album also has a bonus DVD titled A Personal Christmas Moment with Robin Gibb.
[edit] Concerts
In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia, with Alistair Griffin as the opening act. On his return he released a CD and DVD of live recordings from the German leg of the tour, backed by the Frankfurt Neue Philharmonic Orchestra. A further solo tour of Latin America followed in 2005. However, the DVD and CD were met with criticism[citation needed] regarding the poor recording mix and loss of Robin's vocals throughout the concert. Robin's solo concerts consisted of Bee Gees songs and have been a contentious issue between the surviving brothers[citation needed], as they had since departed from the name Bee Gees.
In February 2006, after a long period of coolness following rumoured disagreements about a planned memorial concert for Maurice, Robin joined his brother Barry live on stage at a charity concert in Hollywood, Florida This was the first time they had performed together since the death of their brother in 2003.
In March 2006 he announced plans for more solo concerts in Shanghai and Portugal. In May 2006, Robin took part in the Prince's Trust 30th Birthday Concert at the Tower of London along with his brother Barry. They sang 3 songs: "Jive Talkin'", "To Love Somebody" and "You Should be Dancing". In September 2006, Robin Gibb performed "Stayin' Alive" at the Miss World 2006 contest finals in Poland. In November 2006, Robin performed a solo concert, entitled "Bee Gees - Greatest Hits", at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, the Philippines.
Robin Gibb marked his return to his birthplace by playing a concert at the Isle of Man TT festival in 2007. The Peel Bay TT Festival - February 12, 2007. Robin donated all of his share of the money from this gig to the children's ward at Noble's Hospital, Isle of Man and invited all emergency service staff and marshals for the TT to attend for free.
On September 8th 2007, Robin performed a concert in Salt Lake City, Utah at the Energy Arena for the NuSkin Convention singing a set of Bee Gees hits.
On October 25th 2007 , Robin Gibb performed a concert in Sofia,Bulgaria and sung the Bee Gees most famous songs.
[edit] Personal life
In 1968 Robin married Molly Hullis, a secretary in Robert Stigwood's organisation. The couple had survived the Hither Green rail crash, which killed 49 people on the 5th November 1967. They had two children, Spencer and Melissa, but they eventually divorced in 1980 after years of living separate lives, with Robin almost permanently in the USA and Molly remaining in the UK. He remarried in 1985. Robin's second wife, Dwina Murphy, is an artist, and they have a son, Robin John. Robin is a member of the Vegan Society. Dwina was described as a 'bisexual druid' by the press in 2006, on the occasion of Tony Blair's stay at their house in Florida. [1][2]
Gibb is currently living on the outskirts of Peel, Isle of Man and still continues to own property in Thame.
[edit] Awards
In 1994, Robin Gibb was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 1997 the Bee Gees were inducted as a group into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Robin was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2001/2002 New Year's Honours List, along with his brothers Maurice and Barry. The official presentation ceremony at Buckingham Palace was delayed until 2004 owing to Maurice's death.
Robin and Barry Gibb both received Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Music from The University of Manchester in May 2004.
[edit] Discography
The Gibb brothers' song catalogue is the most popular in the world second to the Beatles. Their classic hits like "To Love Somebody," "Tragedy" and "Emotion" have been reborn as hits for current artists like Destiny's Child. In 2006, ex-Atomic Kitten singer Liz McClarnon reached number five on the UK singles chart with her cover of "Woman in Love," which was co-produced by Robin. This was a former number one hit Robin and his brother Barry originally wrote for Barbra Streisand in 1980. In 2008, Robin Gibb joined singer 'Valeriya' from Moscow for the diva's new version of the Bee Gees' 1977 smash hit "Stayin' Alive" and has Robin on backing vocals.
Robin Gibb's entire song catalogue is published by Universal Music Publishing.
[edit] Albums
- February 1970: Robin's Reign. Germany #19, Canada #77
- Unreleased, 1970: Sing Slowly Sisters.
- July 1983: How Old Are You. Germany #6, Italy #13, New Zealand, Switzerland #26
- June 1984: Secret Agent. Germany #31, Switzerland #20
- November 1985: Walls Have Eyes.
- January 2003: Magnet. UK: #43, Germany #10
- July 2005: Robin Gibb with the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt Orchestra Live
- November 2006: My Favourite Christmas Carols
[edit] Singles
- June 1969: Saved By The Bell. UK #2, Netherlands, South Africa #1, Germany #3
- November 1969: One Million Years. Netherlands #6, Germany #14
- February 1970: August, October. UK #45, Germany #12
- July 1978: Oh Darling. US #15, Chile #5
- September 1980: Help Me! (Duet with Marcy Levy). US #50
- June 1983: Juliet. UK #94, Germany, Italy, Switzerland #1, Austria #2
- October 1983: How Old Are You. UK #93, Germany #37
- January 1984: Another Lonely Night In New York. UK #71, Germany #16, Switzerland #19
- May 1984: Boys Do Fall In Love. UK #71, US #37, South Africa #7, Italy #10, Germany #21
- August 1984: Secret Agent.
- October 1984: In Your Diary.
- November 1985: Like A Fool.
- February 1986: Toys.
- November 2002: Please. UK #23, Germany #51
- January 2003: Wait Forever.
- January 2004: My Lover's Prayer (Duet with Alistair Griffin) UK #5
- December 2005: First of May with G4
- November 2006: Mother of Love (Digital download only)
- November 2007: Too Much Heaven (song just in Germany, with US5) Germany #7
[edit] References
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This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations. |
[edit] External links
- Robin Gibb Official Home Page
- Robin Gibb's MySpace page
- Gibb Songs Magnet by Joseph Brennan
- Promo Video, My Lover's Prayer
- Well Known Vegans,The Vegan Society Official Website
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