Watch the video at the end of this article.
There are few surnames in music that carry as much weight as Gibb. For RJ Gibb, son of the late Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, that legacy is both an inheritance and an inspiration. Sitting down for an intimate and wide-ranging conversation, he opened up about music, memory, loss, creativity, and the responsibility of carrying forward one of the most iconic names in pop history.
And fittingly, the interview begins with a story that could only belong to the Gibb family: a global hit born in a bathtub.
“Some of the original parts of Woman in Love were written upstairs—in the bathtub,” RJ recalls with a laugh. “My father was literally in the bath, called Barry afterward, and they worked through the notes. Walking into that room now and thinking Woman in Love was created there—it’s surreal.”
Growing Up a Gibb
With a surname like his, expectations were inevitable.
“People always ask whether the name helped,” RJ says. “But really, who better to learn from than the Bee Gees? My father brought me into the studio early. I started on violin, moved through different instruments, and eventually settled into composition, keyboards, and guitar.”
Talent runs in the family, but RJ is clear: his musical path wasn’t automatic—it was nurtured, shaped, and earned.
A Song Born From Loss: Let It Be You
RJ’s latest single, Let It Be You, is deeply personal.
“I’ve experienced personal loss—not just heartbreak but losing people I love,” he explains. “I wanted the song to resonate with anyone who’s felt that pain, or anyone hoping to rekindle something lost. The video is intentionally open-ended, because it comes from real experiences in my life.”
Beyond the single, RJ has a slate of releases on the way. Among them: Empty Cup, God Broke the Mold, and Sunshine City—the latter taking him to Miami to film its music video.
He’s also curating unreleased material he created with his father. “It could become an album or EPs. Eventually, it’ll all be compiled for release.”
Life Inside a Musical Dynasty
Growing up around the Bee Gees meant music wasn’t just a career—it was daily life. And sometimes, inspiration arrived in unusual places.
“My father was once on a twin-prop aircraft over Germany. In the drone of the engine, he heard a melody. He grabbed a ticket and wrote lyrics on the spot. I still have that ticket—the first lyrics to I Started a Joke.”
Then there were the famously inventive recording sessions.
RJ smiles as he recounts the making of Stayin’ Alive:
“Blue Weaver and Albhy Galuten had to splice together the first drum loop in history. They draped the tape across mic stands and ran it through three different machines. They even hooked Blue up to an EKG machine to capture his heartbeat, hoping to use it for the track.”
And the first audience for the early Saturday Night Fever demos?
“The cows outside the château in the south of France,” RJ laughs. “They heard everything first.”
Honoring the Legacy
For RJ, the Bee Gees’ influence on music is undeniable.
“People call disco a gimmick—but look around: house, EDM—none of it would exist without disco. The Bee Gees didn’t water it down; they elevated it.”
He praises collaborations like Immortality with Céline Dion, calling it “priceless,” and refers to the Guilty album with Barbra Streisand as a cross-genre masterpiece.
And yes, he has favorite Bee Gees songs—but the list constantly shifts.
“I start with How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? Then it’s Jive Talkin’. Then something else. The catalog is too vast.”
The Biopic and the Stories Yet Untold
RJ is closely involved in ensuring the upcoming Bee Gees biopic includes authentic family moments.
“My father used to say they sang in some of the best toilets in Australia because the acoustics were perfect,” he says. “And once, Morris tripped and dropped the LP they needed for a lip-sync performance. So they had to sing live—that became their first live performance.”
These stories, RJ believes, are essential.
“They’re the soul of who they were as brothers, musicians, and people.”
A Family of Bonds and Loss
RJ also shared tender memories of Andy Gibb.
“I was six. Andy kept watching Watership Down with me every night. Same film. I knew something was off, but those moments mean everything now. He even sang Bright Eyes to me. I still miss him.”
Looking Ahead: Tours, Albums, and a Musical
RJ is preparing for tours across the UK, US, and Southeast Asia—and working on a stage musical titled Another Lonely Night in New York, built around Robin Gibb’s solo work from How Old Are You and Secret Agent.
“An ’80s dance-themed musical,” he says. “It’s something I’m very excited about.”
And yes, he will sing some Bee Gees material onstage.
Carrying the Torch
Does he feel the responsibility of preserving the Bee Gees’ legacy?
“Absolutely,” RJ says without hesitation. “But what a lovely job to have.”
As the interview wraps, one thing becomes clear: RJ Gibb is both honoring the past and building something of his own—one song, one story, and one memory at a time.
“It’s my responsibility now,” he says. “And I embrace it.”