He looked like a Gibb, acted like a Gibb, and sang like a Gibb—because he was a Gibb. Yet despite sharing the unmistakable voice and charisma of his older brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice, Andy Gibb was never officially a member of the Bee Gees. Instead, he lived his own meteoric rise and heartbreaking fall, forever walking in the long shadow of a musical dynasty.
Born in Manchester, England, in 1958, Andy was the youngest of five children. When he was six months old, the Gibb family moved to Australia. By the time Andy reached his pre-teen years, the Bee Gees were already conquering the British charts, and he moved with his parents to Ibiza, Spain. At 13, driven by the same musical fire that ran through the family bloodline, he dropped out of school to pursue music. Critics warned he would regret the decision, but Andy later told People magazine, “There was nothing else I’d rather have done.”
Though he dreamed of becoming the fourth Bee Gee, Barry encouraged him to build a solo career and gave him his first guitar. After forming several bands and gaining early recognition with the Australian top-five single “Words and Music,” Andy attracted the attention of Bee Gees manager Robert Stigwood, who offered him a solo recording contract.
A Star Is Born
In 1976, Andy moved to Miami. With Barry’s guidance, he recorded Flowing Rivers, released the following year. The album soared, producing two No. 1 hits. The first, “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” penned by Barry, became the bestselling single of 1977. The second, “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” co-written with Barry, also topped the charts.
Grammy nominations followed—for Best Pop Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
In 1978, Andy released Shadow Dancing. The title track—written by all four Gibb brothers—became his most successful hit, spending seven weeks at No. 1 and becoming Billboard’s No. 1 song of the year. Andy made history as the first male solo artist to achieve three consecutive No. 1 singles. The album also produced two additional Top 10 hits: “An Everlasting Love” and “(Our Love) Don’t Throw It All Away.”
At just 21 years old, Andy seemed destined for a long, shining future. That summer, during the Bee Gees’ Spirits Having Flown tour, he joined Barry, Robin, and Maurice onstage for a special performance of “You Should Be Dancing.” For a moment, the trio became a quartet—four brothers united in a thrilling live moment captured in an NBC special.
A new star appeared to have been born. But behind the glittering success, Andy was already unraveling.
Living in the Long Shadow
The fame he had once dreamed of quickly became overwhelming. Andy battled crippling insecurities and low self-esteem. Compounding the issue was the fact that his biggest hits were written or co-written by Barry—something that fed Andy’s feelings of inadequacy.
“The long shadow of the Bee Gees was never far from Andy,” one associate recalled. Andy himself once admitted, “I honestly don’t think I would be here right now if it weren’t for them… Barry wrote most of my hits. If it wasn’t for him, who’s to say?”
Jeff Witjas, Andy’s agent between 1983 and 1985, said, “Sometimes I’d tell Andy, ‘Look in the mirror. You’ve got everything—good looks, talent.’ But when he looked in the mirror, he didn’t see any of that.”
Unable to cope, Andy turned to drugs—especially cocaine. His addiction began to infiltrate every aspect of his life and career.
A Career Unravels
By 1980, Andy’s addiction had severely weakened his ability to write or perform. Only two tracks on his third album, After Dark, carried his own songwriting credits. Barry stepped in to help produce the album and salvage what he could.
Robert Stigwood eventually had no choice but to terminate Andy’s contract with RSO Records.
Before the end came, Greatest Hits was released that same year, featuring three previously unreleased songs—“Time Is Time,” “Me (Without You),” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” The album marked the end of Andy’s golden era.
His personal life suffered as well. At 18, Andy had married Kim Reeder in Australia, but Kim later said, “Cocaine became his first love.” She left him when she discovered she was pregnant. Their daughter, Peta, was born in 1978.
Later, Andy began dating actress Victoria Principal, star of Dallas. Drugs and alcohol again took center stage. Victoria gave him an ultimatum: “Me or drugs.” She later said, “I know with all his heart he wanted to choose me, but he chose drugs.”
Her description of his decline was stark: “His behavior was becoming erratic… that wasn’t Andy. And I realized it had to be drugs.”
Andy tried television work, co-hosting Solid Gold with Marilyn McCoo, but repeatedly lost the job due to no-shows. He appeared on Punky Brewster and even attempted theatre, but missed too many performances.
At one point, he blamed Victoria for his collapse: “I fell apart and didn’t care about a thing. I stayed up for two weeks locked in my room.”
He entered the Betty Ford Clinic in 1985. For the final years of his life, his brothers supported him financially and emotionally. In 1987, he filed for bankruptcy, reporting annual income under $8,000.
The Final Attempt—and the Final Days
By early 1988, Andy seemed ready for a comeback. He planned to sign with Island Records and release new singles—his first work in years. The Bee Gees even announced he would formally join them as the fourth Bee Gee.
But he missed the recording contract meetings. His mental state was deteriorating rapidly.
Robin Gibb later said, “He just went downhill so fast… He was in a state of depression.”
Shortly after his 30th birthday, Andy was admitted to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford complaining of chest pains. Doctors ordered further tests. Within hours, on March 10, 1988, he died.
The cause was myocarditis—an inflammation of the heart, likely worsened by years of substance abuse.
He had celebrated his birthday only days earlier with his mother at Robin’s home. The family knew he was struggling. His mother, Barbara, flew from Miami to be by his side.
Andy was still young, still talented, still full of unrealized potential.
His father, Hugh Gibb, never recovered from the loss. Hugh died in 1992, one day after Andy’s birthday. His sons believed he died of a broken heart.
Marilyn McCoo remembered Andy as “a kind soul who desperately wanted to be as successful as his brothers.” Barry, the closest to Andy, later expressed regret for “opening the door to fame and temptation.”
The Daughter He Left Behind
Andy’s daughter, Peta, was only 10 when he died. In 2017, she joined the Gibb Collective—a project featuring the children of the Gibb brothers—performing a haunting version of her father’s deep cut “Fool for a Night.”
She reflected on her distant relationship with him:
“I didn’t have the chance to know my father as well as I should have…
For me, he was just a guy on the end of the phone line.
I remember Mom pointing at Solid Gold and saying, ‘That’s your dad.’
I always wished we had more time.”
A Bright Flame Gone Too Soon
Andy Gibb was sensitive, delicate, and deeply vulnerable. Though he grew older, he never fully grew up. Addiction, depression, insecurity, and failed relationships consumed him.
He was the perfect example of a pop star unprepared for the crushing weight of fame.
And he left us far, far too soon.