Barry Gibb

Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, the oldest of the Bee Gees, was born in Douglas,

Isle of Man on September 1, 1946 and is the second child of bandleader and drummer Hugh Gibb and his wife, Barbara Gibb. He has an older sister, Leslie, and three younger brothers, Robin, and deceased brothers Maurice and Andy.

Early Years

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When Barry was only two and a half years old, he was badly burned when he knocked over some hot tea that his mother had just put on the table. Barry was taken to Nobles Hospital, where his mother was told he would probably only live half an hour. Fortunately he survived, but in a critical state. He was kept in Nobles for about two and a half months.

Barry stated that he doesn't remember anything about this accident, and that the first few years of his life have vanished from his memory.

When Robin and Maurice were born in 1949, Barry got uncomfortable and followed his mother everywhere she went, and would start to cry whenever she left him. He eventually recovered from this, and was soon the "leader" of the Gibb brothers.

Within the next few years, the Gibbs would move numerous times, which really didn't upset the children. Some of Barry's earliest memories include pretending to perform at the Spring Valley ice factory, the smell of fresh bread, and listening to records. In 1953, the Gibbs moved to Manchester, where they attended school. Barry didn't like school at all, and he and his friends soon stopped attending for about a year.

The brothers focused more on their music, and after a few years of singing together and developing good harmonies, they formed their first band, which they called the Rattlesnakes. Barry would play guitar and sing with his brothers and friends at local venues.

After Andy was born in 1958, the Gibb family moved to Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. Barry had a job working for a tailor for about year, but became more interested in playing at the Redcliffe Speedyway racetrack. In late 1959, Bill Goode, a racecar driver, noticed the brothers' singing talent and introduced them to a Sydney disc jockey, Bill Gates. They played on his radio show for almost a year, and soon formed the Bee Gees.

The 1960s and Career Beginnings

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Barry began to write his own songs, including Let me Love You, which was recorded by pop idol Tommy Steele in 1960. The brothers got to perform many of these on television in the following years. In 1960, Bill Gates, quit as their promoter, not being able to start a business for the Gibbs. Barry got a publishing contract in 1961 and wrote songs for Australian artists, including Col Joye, who took Underneath the Starlight of Love to the charts. Barry quit school this year, knowing that music was going to be his permanent career.

The brothers began recording their own songs in 1963 and soon had their own television show in early 1964. The Bee Gees worked with numerous record companies and various Australian artists, who produced hit covers of their songs. Barry had to write songs as fast as he could to keep up with his busy schedule.

In 1965, Barry recieved the Radio 5KA award for Composer of the year in Adelaide, which showed that no one was losing interest in his songs. He even composed the Bee Gees' first album that year, The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs. In 1966, at age seventeen, Barry won the prize for Best Australian songwriter, and the Bee Gees won Best Music Group.

That year, Barry had met Maureen Bates and her parents in Sydney, and he married Maureen on August 22, both of them looking for a kind of security. Barry said it gave them both distress and they left each other that year. They would eventually get divorced in July 1970.

Achieving the highest fame possible in Australia, the brothers old their parents they wanted to return to Britain for greater success. Hugh and Barbara were reluctant, but eventually agreed. Before they left, they released their second album, Spicks and Specks, and on the ship back to England, they got news that the title track had reached number 1 in Australia.

Back in England in 1967, the brothers met Robert Stigwood, who was impressed with Barry's songwriting talent and the Gibbs' performances. They signed a contract with Stigwood and on July 14, they releasesd their third album, New York Mining Disaster 1941. It was an instant success. Barry stated that during his childhood, a Hawaiian guitarist from across the street had taught him the distinct Hawaiian chords he plays in the title song.

During the taping of the show Top of the Pops, Barry met Linda Gray, a hostess there because she had recently won the title of Miss Edinburgh. After seeing each other more and more, Barry soon went to live with her in 1968. Linda even quit her job as a model in London to focus more on Barry and his career. Also during this time, the Bee Gees were on many tours and were very popular in Europe with hit songs such as "To Love Somebody", "Massachusetts", and "I've Gotta Get a Message to You".

In 1969, Robin left the group, but the brothers continued to play, using their sister Leslie as a temporary substitute for Robin. Barry continued to write songs for the album Cucumber Castle, which accompanied the movie released in 1971, which starred Barry and Maurice. In 1970, Barry left the band and began to work on a solo career. He recorded more songs, particularly country-style songs, for an unreleased album called The Kid's No Good.

The 1970s and Saturday Night Fever

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In mid-1970, the Bee Gees got back together again and produced even more hits. In July, Barry divorced Maureen Bates, and on September 1 he married Linda. Barry chose his birthday as their wedding date "so he wouldn't forget [their] anniversary." Barry also won the award for "Best Dressed Pop Star" the same year.