See Barry Gibb, the Only Living Bee Gee, Now at 75
He and his brothers had a 45-year career as a band.
Whether or not you got to experience the Bee Gees in their heyday back in the '60s and '70s, you're certainly familiar with their songs. Cranking out hits including "Stayin' Alive," "More Than a Woman," and "How Deep Is Your Love," the band of brothers more than earned their spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which they were inducted into in 1997. Sadly, Barry Gibb is now the only surviving member of the Bee Gees. His younger brothers, fraternal twins Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb died in 2012 and 2003, respectively. The eldest Gibb is now 75 and has continued to make music following the passing of his siblings and bandmates. Read on to find out what Barry's life is like today.
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The Bee Gees had a 45-year career.
Originally known as The Rattlesnakes, the British brothers were successful as the Bee Gees first in Australia in the late '50s and early '60s. They started gaining more momentum internationally in the late '60s but also underwent some personnel changes, with Robin briefly leaving the band to go solo. It wasn't until the late '70s that the Bee Gees, who'd already been around for decades, released the disco music that would define them, including their contributions to the soundtrack of 1977's Saturday Night Fever. The band continued to tour and release music (and deal with personal squabbles), off and on, until 2003, when Maurice unexpectedly died ahead of emergency intestinal surgery. Barry and Robin performed together occasionally after that, up until Robin's 2012 death, but the band name was retired after Maurice's passing.
Barry released his third solo album in 2021.
The disco era might be behind him, but Barry Gibb is still releasing music as a solo artist. In January 2021, his latest album, Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers' Songbook (Vol. 1), was released, and it's filled with country-inspired takes on popular Bee Gees songs sung as duets with other music icons, including Dolly Parton and Keith Urban.
In an interview with the Tennessean, Barry said, "Country music has always been my music." Even so, he originally wanted the other artists on the album to occupy the spotlight and fully interpret the songs written by him and his brothers. A producer convinced him it should be an album of duets.
"Everybody was going to sing the song their way, and I wasn't going to get in my own way. But Dave Cobb, he weaved his magic and made sure that I was on every track. And also, Capitol [Records] made sure that it was my name [on the album]. I didn't ask for any of that," Barry continued.
He's not the only living Gibb sibling.
Barry's parents Hugh and Barbara Gibb had five children. In addition to Robin, Maurice, and Barry, that also includes the youngest Gibb brother, Andy, who was also a musician and died of myocarditis in 1988 at the age of 30, and Lesley, who chose a quiet life after a brief stint with the Bee Gees.
Lesley, the oldest sibling and only girl, was a part of the band in the '60s when Robin was prioritizing his solo career. (Colin Peterson, on the left in the above photo and no relation, was also in the lineup at that time.) But she ultimately chose a quieter life, settling down in Australia with husband Keith Evans, where they raised seven children and Lesley bred Staffordshire bull terriers. She's now 77.
"We grew up surrounded by love and music in a very happy household. We had a brilliant childhood," Lesley told Mirror of her family in 2012.
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Barry currently lives in Miami with his wife of 52 years.
Barry was first married to Maureen Bates from 1966 to 1970, then, the same year as their divorce, he tied the knot with Linda Gray, who is still his wife today. Over the course of their marriage, they've welcomed five children: Steve, Alexandra, Ashley, Travis, and Michael. Now, Barry and Gray live in Miami.
"She was the hostess for one week, the week [the Bee Gees' song] 'Massachusetts' was [No.1] . And she'd never heard of it," Barry told The Scottish Sun in 2021 of their first meeting during a taping of Top of the Pops. "We just saw each other across the room and something happened. And, um, we had a bit of a cuddle in Doctor Who's TARDIS, surrounded by Daleks!"
Gray has lived out of the spotlight for most of her marriage to Barry, though she and her children did join the Bee Gees for their performance in the 1983 TV special, Cilla Black's Christmas. She also accompanies her husband to events, and the couple are occasionally spotted out and about in Florida.
Barry's mission is to "keep the music alive."
As the final remaining member of the Bee Gees, Gibb told The New York Times in 2020 that since he knows he also won't be here forever, he's going to keep playing their music until then.
"The mission is to keep the music alive. Regardless of us, regardless of me," he said. "One day, like my brothers, I will no longer be around, and I want the music to last. So I'm going to play it no matter what."
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