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LONDON – Her sons were blessed with musical gifts that brought riches andfame. On Monday Barbara Gibb was living a parent's ultimatenightmare — preparing, for the third time, to lay a child torest. Her son Robin Gibb — a Bee Gees founder known for hisastonishing vocals and songwriting skills — died Sunday aftera long battle with cancer at the age of 62. Earlier, she had lost her sons Andy Gibb, a pop idol who died in1988 at age 30 from a heart ailment, and Maurice Gibb, a member ofthe Bee Gees and Robin's twin, who died in 2003 of acute intestinalproblems. Several months before his death, Robin Gibb told a Britishnewspaper that he sometimes wondered if the family is paying a"karmic price" for the Bee Gee's mind-blowing success. And friendsof Barbara Gibb have been quoted as saying she believes the familymay be cursed. Before illness struck, the Gibb family enjoyed remarkable goodfortune. The boys were raised in challenging economic circumstancesbut were exposed to music at an early age because their father wasa bandleader and a drummer and their mother had experience as asinger. They started singing professionally as teenagers, moving within afew short years to prominence first in Australia, then throughoutthe world. But the apparent ease of this meteoric rise was followed by latertragedy. Both Robin and Maurice — the twins — suffereddebilitating intestinal problems that led to their prematuredeaths. Robin suffered from colon cancer and other digestiveailments. He became gaunt even before his cancer diagnosis. Of the four boys Barbara Gibb raised in England and Australiabefore they became global stars, only Barry, the eldest, is stillalive. She also has a daughter living in Australia who has stayedout of the public eye. The family's place in pop history is assured, not only because ofthe Bee Gees' groundbreaking success during the disco era, whenthey helped define a totally new sound that filled dance hallsthroughout the world, but also with their success as songwritersand producers. Their career began in Australia in 1963 and saw them score theirfirst major international hits in 1966 and 1967, when their soundwas influenced by the success of the Beatles, who were then toppingworldwide charts. They prospered during the disco era, long after the Beatles hadbroken up in acrimony, and continued to ride a show business wavefor several decades afterward. Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said Monday that Robin Gibb andthe Bee Gees left an enduring musical legacy. "God bless him and God bless his family," Starr said. "The Bee Geesfrom our era were quite important, especially the harmonies. Ididn't know him that well, I knew Maurice more than the other two,but he had a great voice and they wrote great songs." The group also wrote many hits for other stars, earning substantialroyalties when their songs were performed by the likes of DollyParton, Kenny Rogers, Dionne Warwick and others. The British press has reported that Barbara Gibb, a 91-year-old wholives in California, has been in England in recent weeks as Robin'scondition worsened when he suffered from pneumonia and drifted intoa coma. She has made no public statements, and the family,including his widow Dwina and his children, has asked for privacywhile they mourn. Plans for a funeral or memorial service have not been announced. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as CNC Precision Turned Parts Manufacturer , Billet Shock Clamps, and more. For more , please visit RC Plane Parts today!
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