Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb publicity photo for Solid Gold
Background information
Birth name Andrew Roy Gibb
Born 5 March 1958(1958-03-05)
Manchester, Lancashire, England
Origin Redcliffe, Australia
Died 10 March 1988(1988-03-10) (aged 30)
Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Genres Pop, Disco
Occupations Singer
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1975–1988
Labels RSO, Polydor
Associated acts Bee Gees
Notable instruments
Guitar, piano

Andy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was a British singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other members formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.

Contents

The early years

Born Andrew Roy Gibb in Manchester, England, to Barbara (née Pass) and Hugh Gibb, Gibb emigrated with his family to Australia six months after his birth. They settled in Cribb Island, adjacent to Redcliffe, north of Brisbane. He was the youngest of five children and had one older sister, Lesley (1945), and three older brothers, Barry (1946) and twins Maurice (22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) and Robin (1949). After moving around Brisbane and then Sydney many times Gibb just eight years old returned to the UK in January 1967 with his family when The Bee Gees sought international fame.

Gibb began playing at tourist clubs around Spain's coastal Island of Ibiza, and later on the Isle of Man, as a young teenager. On the Isle of Man, the birth place of his older brothers and where his parents were living at the time, Gibb formed his first group, Melody Fayre (named after a Bee Gees song) which included local island musicians John Alderson (guitar) and John Stringer (drums). The group was managed by Gibb's mother Barbara. The group had regular booking on the small island's hotel circuit. His first recording (in early 1974) was a Maurice Gibb composition called "My Father Was A Reb" on which Maurice also produced and played. It was not released.

At the urging of his brother Barry, Andy returned to Australia in 1974. Barry's prompting was based on his belief that Australia had been a great training ground for the Bee Gees and would also help his youngest brother. He wasn't on his own, as the Gibb brothers' eldest sister Lesley had remained in Australia and had raised a family there with her husband. Both Alderson and Stringer followed Gibb to Australia with hope of forming a band in Australia. With Col Joye producing, Gibb, Alderson and Stringer recorded a number of Andy Gibb own compositions. What may have separated "the training ground" aspect of Australia for Andy Gibb compared to his brothers was that Gibb was relatively financially independent, mainly due to his brothers' support and largess, hence the group's sporadic work rate. Gibb would disappear for periods of time, leaving Alderson and Stringer not working and consequently out of money. Despondent, Alderson and Stringer returned to the UK.

Andy Gibb's first single was the ballad "Words and Music" on the ATA label, owned by Joye. The single, backed by another Andy Gibb composition "Westfield Mansions", would eventually reach Top Twenty on the Sydney music charts in 1976. Then Gibb joined the band Zenta (including renowned drummer Trevor Norton) and supported international artists Sweet and the Bay City Rollers on the Sydney leg of their Australian tours. The planned follow-up single "Can't Stop Dancing" (a Ray Stevens song, later a US hit for The Captain and Tennille in May 1977) was not released, although Andy did perform it on television at least once on the revitalised Bandstand show hosted by Daryl Somers. Robert Stigwood who, at the time, was also the Bee Gees' manager, signed Gibb to his label, RSO Records in early 1976. Gibb soon moved to Miami Beach, Florida to begin working on songs with his brother Barry and co-producers Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson.

Prior to leaving Australia, Gibb had married his girlfriend, Kim Reeder. They had one child, a daughter named Peta Jaye, born 25 January 1978, but the couple were already separated at the time of Peta's birth and would divorce later that year. Gibb reportedly met his daughter only once, in 1981. As of 2007 Peta is known as Peta J. Reeder-Gibb and breeds Staffordshire Bull Terriers as well as being a respected dog show judge in New South Wales, Australia. Peta married Matt Weber on 19 January 2008.[1] [2][3]

Number one hits

In late 1976 in Miami, Gibb, with older brother Barry producing and recording in the famed Criteria Studios, set about making his first album. The first release from the sibling combination, and Andy’s first single released outside Australia, was "I Just Want to Be Your Everything", written by Barry, who also provides backup vocals, and Andy, who was uncredited. That single reached number one in the United States and Australia and ended up being the most played record of the year. In Britain it was a lesser hit, just scraping in to the Top 40. Of the ten tracks on the album, the other eight were Andy Gibb compositions, mostly songs written during his time in Australia. Amongst the eight songs was a re-recording of "Words and Music".

In September 1977, his album Flowing Rivers, with another number one single "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" (co written by Andy and Barry Gibb) to support it, quickly became a million selling album. That single broke in early 1978 during the time the Bee Gees' contributions to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack were dominating the world charts. In the US it replaced "Stayin' Alive" at the top of the charts, and then was surpassed by "Night Fever" when it reached number one in mid-March.

Gibb then began work with the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team on his second album Shadow Dancing, which was released in April 1978. The title track, written by all four Gibb brothers, was released as a single in the US in April 1978, and in mid-June began a seven week run at number one, achieving platinum status. In the United States, Gibb became the first male solo artist to chart three consecutive number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Two further Top Ten singles, "An Everlasting Love" (which reached number five) and "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" (which reached number nine), were released from the album, which became another million seller.

In 1979, Gibb performed, along with the Bee Gees, ABBA, and Olivia Newton-John (duet with "Rest Your Love On Me"), at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly, broadcast worldwide.

He returned to the studio to begin recording sessions for his final full studio album, After Dark. In March 1980, the last of Gibb's Top Ten singles charted just ahead of the album's release. "Desire", was recorded for the Bee Gees' 1979 album Spirits Having Flown, and featured their original track complete with Andy's original "guest vocal" track. A second single, "I Can't Help It", a duet with family friend Olivia Newton-John, reached the Top Twenty.

Later in the year, Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits was released as a finale to his contract with RSO Records, with two new songs: "Time Is Time" (number 15 in January 1981) and "Me (Without You)" (Gibb's last Top Forty chart entry) shipped as singles. "After Dark" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" were non-single songs added to the album, the latter of which was a duet with PP Arnold, who had previously worked with Barry Gibb, including singing uncredited backups on "Bury Me Down By The River" from Cucumber Castle.

Career decline

During his relationship with Victoria Principal, Gibb worked on several projects outside of the recording studio. These included performances in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Broadway, Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance in Los Angeles, and a stint from 1980-1982 as co-host of the television music show Solid Gold. He was fired from both Dreamcoat and Solid Gold due to absenteeism.[4][5]

According to Broadway producer Zev Bufman, who financed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: "When Andy was at the theater, he was a joy. But he wasn't there enough", adding that of the five people to play Joseph up to that point, Gibb was the best actor.[4] He also said after Gibb's death, "[W]e'd lose him over long weekends. He'd come back on Tuesday, and he'd look beat. He was like a little puppy — so ashamed when he did something wrong. He was all heart, but he didn't have enough muscle to carry through."[5] An unnamed co-star in Dreamcoat was quoted as saying, "I hear he spent most of his time in his hotel room in front of the TV. I guess he was frightened and insecure. That's what happens when you're the baby brother of the Bee Gees." [4] Commenting after Gibb's death, Solid Gold producer Brad Lachman was of a similar sentiment: "...[Andy] was a very charming, vulnerable and charismatic performer. He clearly meant well. He wasn't being difficult. He was going through problems he couldn't deal with. He wanted everyone to love him. He had so much going for him, and he just couldn't believe it."[5]

His romance with Principal also ended shortly thereafter, but not before he recorded and released a duet of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream", in the summer of 1981. This would be Gibb's last official single, and his last US chart entry, peaking at number 51.

His family convinced him to seek treatment for his drug addiction; after a stint at the Betty Ford Clinic in the mid-1980s, Gibb toured small venues with a stage show of his greatest hits and covers. He also appeared in guest-starring roles on several television situation comedies including Gimme A Break! and Punky Brewster. Following an expansive East Asia tour, he regularly performed shows in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. In 1984 he was the headline performer at the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile, performing two nights in a row. He also held a two-week engagement at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel in March 1986.

Gibb returned to work alongside brothers Barry and Maurice. Their series of demo recordings with engineer Scott Glasel would eventually secure him a contract with the UK branch of Island Records. One of the demos, "Man On Fire", was released posthumously on a self-titled 1991 Polydor anthology. Another demo, "Arrow Through The Heart" (though unreleased to the present day), would be featured on an episode of VH1's series Behind the Music. It will be available for the first time on his brothers' upcoming Bee Gees Mythology collection, due to be released in 2010.

Death

In March 1988, Gibb celebrated his 30th birthday in London while working on a new album. Soon after, he entered John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, complaining of chest pains. He died on 10 March 1988, just five days after his 30th birthday as a result of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle due to a recent viral infection. Just before Gibb's death, it was decided by the group that Andy would join them, which would have made the group a quartet. This did not come to pass, however. The Bee Gees' following album, One (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here". Andy Gibb is entombed at Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His father, Hugh, died four years later and was also buried there.

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions[6][7] Certifications
(sales threshold)
US US R&B CAN UK SWE NOR NZ
1977 Flowing Rivers
  • First studio album
  • Release date: September 1977
  • Label: RSO Records
 19 — 9 — 4 — —
1978 Shadow Dancing
  • Second studio album
  • Release date: April 1978
  • Label: RSO Records
 7 18 1 15 42 8 15
1980 After Dark
  • Third studio album
  • Release date: February 1980
  • Label: RSO Records
 21 67 24 — 23 21 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Compilations

Year Album details Peak positions
US
[6]
1980 Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits
  • Release date: 1980
  • Label: RSO Records
 46
1991 Greatest Hits Collection —
2001 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
  • Release date: August 14, 2001
  • Label: Polydor Records
 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions[6][7] Certifications
(sales threshold)		 Album
US US AC US R&B NZ UK AUS
1976 "Words and Music" — — — 29 — 78 Non-album song
1977 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" 1 8 19 2 26 1 Flowing Rivers
"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" 1 18 — 25 — 13
1978 "Shadow Dancing" 1 8 11 5 42 11 Shadow Dancing
"An Everlasting Love" 5 8 — 28 10 57
"(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" 9 2 — 27 32 61
1980 "Desire" 4 — 49 38 — 90 After Dark
"I Can't Help It" (with Olivia Newton-John) 12 8 — — — 62
"Time Is Time" 15 29 — — — — Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits
1981 "Me (Without You)" 40 45 — — — —
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" (with Victoria Principal) 51 25 — — — — Non-album song
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

  1. ↑ Judges Resume - Peta Reeder-Gibb
  2. ↑ "Andy's daughter married". brothersgibb.org. http://www.brothersgibb.org/familynews.html. Retrieved 2010-02-20. 
  3. ↑ "Peta Reeder-Gibb of Gamester Staffordshire Bull Terriers married Matt Weber". nationaldog.com.au. http://www.nationaldog.com.au/2008/2008-march/page4.pdf. Retrieved 2010-02-20. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Diliberto, Gioia (1983-01-31), "Awol from Broadway Once Too Often, Andy Gibb Is Ordered to Turn in His Dreamcoat", People (Time Inc.) 19 (4), http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20084163,00.html, retrieved 2010-01-27 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Levin, Eric (1988-03-28), "Death of a Golden Child", People (Time, Inc.) 29 (12), http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20098585,00.html, retrieved 2010-01-27 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Andy Gibb Chart History". allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=ANDY. Retrieved 2008-10-23. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Andy Gibb UK Chart History". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=2806. Retrieved 2008-10-23. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - April 7, 2010: Andy Gibb certified albums". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Andy%20Gibb&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Canadian Recording Industry Association search results". Canadian Recording Industry Association. http://www.cria.ca/cert_db_search.php. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 
  10. ↑ "BPI search results". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - April 7, 2010: Andy Gibb certified singles". Recording Industry Association of America. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Andy%20Gibb&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 

External links