Robin Gibb, one of the founding members of the Bee Gees, passed away today at the age of 62 after a long battle with cancer.
Family spokesman Doug Wright said in a statement:
“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. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.”
Rolling Stone reports that Gibb had surgery in 2010 to fix a twisted bowel, the same condition that killed his twin brother Maurice. Gibb recovered from the surgery but doctor’s later found a growth in his colon. Gibb started treatment and seemed to be doing well, but earlier this year he slipped into a coma where he contracted pneumonia.
His family, wife Dwina, daughter Melissa, sons Spencer and Robin-John, and his brother Barry, the last surviving member of iconic disco group, held a bedside vigil while he was at the hospital in London and eventually Gibb woke from his coma, supposedly from the sound of his own music.
Unfortunately, Gibb never fully recovered from his brush with death.
ABC reports that Gibb and the Bee Gees sold more than 200 million albums. The 1979 soundtrack to “Saturday Night Fever” won the band a Grammy, and for a year, it was the top selling album in history. (It was unseated in 1980 by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.)
Robin and his brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.
Despite his condition over the last few years Gibb continued to work in the music industry. The late singer spent much of his time working on “The Titanic Requiem,” his first classical concert, with his son Robin John. The concert debuted on April 12th in London but Gibb was unable to attend.
The 2012 Billboard Music Awards are tonight and the organizers will be paying tribute to Whitney Houston, Donna Summers, and Adam “MCA” Yauch. Do you hope Robin Gibb gets a moment during the award show tonight?
Were you a fan of the Bee Gees?