In the long and extraordinary history of popular music, few family stories are as powerful, as triumphant, and as heartbreaking as that of the Gibb brothers. Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb were inseparable as the Bee Gees, a trio whose harmonies defined generations and whose songs became the soundtrack of millions of lives. But behind the glittering success lay a story marked by deep love, devastating loss, and enduring legacy.
One of the most moving chapters in that story unfolded in 2006, when Barry and Robin Gibb reunited on stage in London for a special performance at the Prince’s Trust concert. It had been three years since the sudden death of Maurice Gibb in 2003, a loss that had shaken both the family and the music world to its core. For the first time since their twin brother’s passing, Barry and Robin stood together under the lights, not as the Bee Gees of old, but as two brothers carrying the weight of memory.
That night, filmed against the majestic backdrop of the Tower of London with sweeping views of the Thames, the moment became instantly historic. The brothers chose to perform “To Love Somebody,” one of the Bee Gees’ most beloved classics. Traditionally led by Barry’s soulful voice, the song took on new meaning as Robin opened the first verse. His voice, raw and fragile, carried not just melody but grief — a reminder that the harmony was missing its third part.
Barry followed with the second verse before the two blended together in the chorus, their voices intertwining in a powerful tribute to what once was. For fans watching around the world, it was more than a performance. It was a reunion, a farewell, and a declaration that the spirit of the Bee Gees still lived on.
The story of the Gibb brothers began decades earlier in Manchester, England, where Barry, born in 1946, was joined by twins Robin and Maurice in 1949. In the late 1950s, the family moved to Australia, where the brothers’ musical talents blossomed. From childhood performers to international stars, they rose together, eventually conquering the world in the late 1960s and again in the disco-dominated 1970s with hits like “Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever,” and “How Deep Is Your Love.”
They were more than a band. They were a unit — bound by blood, by harmony, and by a shared dream. But tragedy would slowly unravel that bond.
In 1988, the family suffered its first devastating blow when their youngest brother, Andy Gibb, a teen idol and chart-topping star in his own right, died at just 30 years old. His death shocked the music world and left a permanent scar on the family. Though Barry, Robin, and Maurice carried on as the Bee Gees, the loss of Andy was a wound that never fully healed.
Then, in January 2003, came another cruel turn. Maurice Gibb died suddenly at the age of 53 following complications from surgery for a twisted intestine. His death ended the Bee Gees as the world had known them. Maurice was not only the musical backbone of the group — a gifted multi-instrumentalist and arranger — but also Robin’s twin, his other half.
Shocked and grieving, Barry and Robin retreated from the public eye. For years, they did not perform together. The silence spoke volumes. It seemed as though the story of the Bee Gees had reached its final chapter.
Yet in 2006, the brothers found the strength to stand side by side once more. Their reunion at the Prince’s Trust concert was not about revival or comeback. It was about remembrance. About honoring Maurice. About proving that even in loss, the bond between them remained unbroken.
Tragically, that reunion would become one of their last great moments together.
Just six years later, in 2012, Robin Gibb passed away after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 62 years old. Once again, the music world mourned — and once again, Barry Gibb was left to grieve.
At Robin’s funeral, Barry delivered a eulogy that revealed both the humor and the heartbreak at the core of their relationship. Speaking fondly of Robin’s razor-sharp wit, he compared him to legendary British comedian Spike Milligan.
“There was no funnier man than Spike Milligan — apart from Robin,” Barry said. “And his sharp, intuitive wit will live with us forever. You could stand Robin next to Spike Milligan and it would be a competition.”
But the laughter quickly gave way to emotion as Barry spoke of the bond between Robin and Maurice.
“They were both beautiful. And now they’re together. They’re actually together. When you’re twins, you’re twins all your life. You go through every emotion. And they’re finally together.
“I think the greatest pain for Robin in the past ten years was losing his twin brother, and I think it did all kinds of things to him. And now they’re together.”
In a moment of raw honesty, Barry also addressed the complicated relationship he had shared with Robin in later years.
“Even right up to the end we found conflict with each other, which now means nothing. It just means nothing,” he said. “If there’s conflict in your lives — get rid of it.”
It was a message born of regret — and one Barry would echo again in interviews.
Later in 2012, speaking to the Australian television program Sunday Night, Barry opened up about the pain he carried as the last surviving brother.
“My greatest regret is that every brother I’ve lost was in a moment when we weren’t getting on,” he said emotionally. “So I have to live with that, and I’ll spend the rest of my life reflecting on that.
“I’m the last man standing. I’ll never be able to understand that as I’m the eldest.”
Overcome with tears, Barry admitted he had never broken down publicly like that before.
“Nobody ever really knows what the three of us felt about each other,” he added. “Only the three of us knew.
“It was such a unifying thing — the three of us became one person. We all had the same dream. That’s what I miss more than anything else.”
In 2013, in an interview with the Daily Mail, Barry spoke again of the trauma that had reshaped his life.
“Maurice’s death in 2003 and Robin’s last year had been a huge trauma for me and everyone in our family,” he said. “Robin’s much more recent passing had made me depressed, and there were times when I’d felt that nothing was worthwhile any more.”
Yet even in the depths of grief, Barry found a way forward — through music.
“We all lose someone and you have to deal with it and grow from it in some way,” he reflected. “My way of handling it is to go back on stage.”
And so he did.
In 2014, Barry returned to touring with his first solo tour, Mythology. It was both a celebration of the Bee Gees’ legacy and a deeply personal journey of healing. Joining him on the road were his son Stephen and his niece Samantha Gibb, who stepped into the harmonies once sung by Robin and Maurice.
The tour’s most emotional moments came when family took center stage. Samantha joined Barry and Stephen for a powerful performance of “Stayin’ Alive.” She later shared a tender duet with her uncle on “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” And in a special tribute to her father Maurice, Samantha performed “You Win Again,” her voice carrying both pride and remembrance.
Through these performances, Barry transformed grief into tribute — keeping the music alive not just for fans, but for the brothers who could no longer sing beside him.
In 2017, Barry Gibb was knighted by Prince Charles for his services to music and charity, becoming Sir Barry Gibb. The honor recognized not only his individual achievements, but also the extraordinary legacy of the Bee Gees — a legacy built by four brothers who dreamed together, struggled together, and changed music forever.
Today, Barry stands as the last man standing. The eldest brother. The keeper of memories. The voice that still carries echoes of harmonies once shared with Robin, Maurice, and Andy.
The story of the Bee Gees is not just one of chart-topping hits and global fame. It is a story of family — of unity, rivalry, laughter, conflict, and above all, love. A story where joy and tragedy walked hand in hand in the public eye.
And in that unforgettable night in London in 2006, as Barry and Robin sang “To Love Somebody” beneath the lights by the Thames, the world witnessed more than a performance. It witnessed two brothers honoring a third — and reminding us all that even when voices fall silent, true harmony never fades.