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Andy Gibb

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Andy Gibb
Gibb in 1979
Born
Andrew Roy Gibb

(1958-03-05)5 March 1958
Stretford, England
Died10 March 1988(1988-03-10) (aged 30)
Oxford, England
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actor
Years active1967[1]–1988
Spouse
Kim Reeder
​
​
(m. 1976; div. 1978)​
[2][better source needed]
Children1
FatherHugh Gibb
Relatives
Musical career
OriginRedcliffe, Queensland, Australia
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Labels

Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer and songwriter.[3] He was the younger brother of the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.

Gibb came to international prominence in the late 1970s with six singles that reached the Top 10 in the United States, starting with "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" (1977), followed by three other top 20 singles. Gibb's success was brief due to drug addiction and depression. He died five days after his 30th birthday[4] while attempting a comeback.

Life and career

1958–1970: Early life and first recordings

Andrew Roy Gibb was born on 5 March 1958 at Stretford Memorial Hospital in Stretford, Lancashire.[5] He was the youngest of five children born to Barbara and Hugh Gibb. His mother was of Irish and English descent and his father was of Scottish and English descent.[6] He had four siblings: his sister Lesley Evans, and three brothers, Barry and fraternal twins Robin and Maurice.

At the age of six months, Andy Gibb emigrated with his family to Queensland, Australia, settling on Cribb Island just north of Brisbane. After moving several times between Brisbane and Sydney, Andy returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 as his three older brothers began to gain international fame as the Bee Gees.

In his childhood, his mother Barbara described Andy as "A little devil, a little monster. I'd send him off to school, but he'd sneak off to the stable and sleep with his two horses all day. He'd wander back home around lunchtime smelling of horse manure, yet he'd swear he had been at school. Oh, he was a little monkey!"[7]

Producer and film director Tom Kennedy described Andy's personality in his childhood:

Andy was always around—he was this cheeky little lad, Hugh and Barbara doted on him, so he would have a limo to go around London with his pals and twenty quid to go to the cinema. It was unheard of in those days! But he was just a cheeky little lad with a heart of gold. He used to try to get me to buy him beer when he was underage—he would only have been about 11 or 12.[7]

He quit school at the age of 13, and with an acoustic guitar given to him by his older brother Barry, he began playing at tourist clubs around Ibiza, Spain (when his parents moved there),[8] and later in the Isle of Man, his brothers' birthplace, where his parents were living at the time.

In June 1974, Gibb formed his first group, Melody Fayre (named after a Bee Gees song), which included Isle of Man musicians John Alderson on guitar, Stan Hughes on bass, and John Stringer on drums. The group was managed by Andy's mother, Barbara, and had regular bookings on the small island's hotel circuit. Gibb's first recording, in August 1973, was a Maurice Gibb composition, "My Father Was a Rebel", which Maurice also produced and played on. It was not released. Another track on the session performed by him was "Windows of My World" co-written by him with Maurice.[1]

At the urging of his brother Barry, Gibb returned to Australia in 1974. Barry believed that as Australia had been a good training ground for the Bee Gees it would also help his youngest brother. Lesley Gibb had remained in Australia, where she raised a family with her husband. Both Alderson and Stringer followed Andy to Australia with the hope of forming a band there. With Col Joye producing, Andy, Alderson and Stringer recorded a number of Andy's compositions. The first song was a demo called "To a Girl" (with his brother Maurice playing organ), which he later performed on his television debut in Australia on The Ernie Sigley Show. Sigley later informed the audience that it was from Gibb's forthcoming album, but it was never released. In November the same year, he recorded six demos—again produced by Joye—including "Words and Music", "Westfield Mansions" and "Flowing Rivers" (which was later released). What may have detracted from the "training ground" aspect of Australia for Andy compared to his brothers was that Andy was relatively independent financially, mainly because of his brothers' support and their largesse; hence, the group's sporadic work rate. Andy would disappear for periods of time, leaving Alderson and Stringer out of work with no income. Despondent, Alderson and Stringer returned to the UK.[9]

Gibb later joined the band Zenta, consisting of Gibb on vocals, Rick Alford on guitar, Paddy Lelliot on bass, Glen Greenhalgh on vocals, and Trevor Norton on drums. Zenta supported international artists Sweet and the Bay City Rollers on the Sydney leg of their Australian tours. "Can't Stop Dancing" (which was a Ray Stevens song, later a US hit for duo Captain and Tennille in May 1977) was mooted for release, but didn't happen, although Gibb did perform it on television at least once on the revitalised Bandstand show hosted by Daryl Somers. Zenta would appear later as a backing band for Gibb, but did not participate on Gibb's recording sessions around 1975, which featured Australian jazz fusion group Crossfire.[10]

"Words and Music" was released on the ATA label only in Australia and New Zealand, owned by Joye. It was his first single, the song, backed by another Andy Gibb composition "Westfield Mansions".[11] The single would eventually reach the Top Twenty on the Sydney music charts in 1976; the ballad was one of his well-known hits.

Gibb married his girlfriend, Kim Reeder on 11 July 1976. They separated before the couple discovered Reeder was pregnant. They had a daughter, Peta, who was born on 25 January 1978, and they divorced later that year.

1975–1980: International success

Robert Stigwood, who at the time was the Bee Gees' manager, signed Andy to his label, RSO Records in early 1976, after he had heard some of Andy's demo tapes. Andy soon moved to Miami Beach, Florida, to begin working on songs with his brother Barry and co-producers Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. In late 1976 in Miami, Andy, with older brother Barry producing and recording in the famed Criteria Studios, set about making his first album, Flowing Rivers. Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh played on two songs on the album. The first release from the album, and Gibb's first single released outside Australia, was "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" which was written by Barry, who also provided backup vocals. It reached number one in the United States and Australia and was the most played record of the year. In Britain it was a lesser hit, just scraping into the Top 30. Eight of the ten tracks on the album were Andy Gibb compositions, mostly songs written during his time in Australia. These included a re-recording of his previous single, "Words and Music". In September 1977 Flowing Rivers, with another number one single "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" (also co-written by Gibb and his brother Barry) to support it, quickly became a million-selling album. That single broke in early 1978 during the time that the Bee Gees' contributions to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack were dominating the world charts. In the United States it replaced "Stayin' Alive" at the top of the Hot 100 on the day before Andy's 20th birthday, only to be surpassed by "Night Fever" at number one there two weeks later.

Andy then began work with the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team on his second album, Shadow Dancing, which was released in April 1978 and was his highest-charting album in America and Canada. The title track, written by all four Gibb brothers, was released as a single in the United States in April 1978. In mid-June it began a seven-week run at number one, achieving platinum status and the honour of being Billboard's number one song of 1978. In the United States, Andy became the first male solo artist to have three consecutive number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, with all of the weeks at #1 from those singles just barely inside a year, from 30 July 1977 through 29 July 1978. Two further Top Ten singles, "An Everlasting Love" (which reached number five) and "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" (which reached number nine), were released from the album, which became another million seller.

In 1979 Gibb performed along with the Bee Gees, ABBA and Olivia Newton-John (duet with "Rest Your Love on Me") at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly, which was broadcast worldwide. He returned to the studio to begin recording sessions for his final full studio album, After Dark. In March 1980 the last of Gibb's Top Ten singles charted just ahead of the album's release. "Desire" was recorded for the Bee Gees' 1979 album Spirits Having Flown and featured their original track, complete with Andy's original "guest vocal" track. A second single, "I Can't Help It", a duet with family friend and fellow British and Australian expat Olivia Newton-John, reached the top 20.

Later in the year, Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits was released as a finale to his contract with RSO Records, with two new songs: "Time Is Time" (number 15 in January 1981) and "Me (Without You)" (Gibb's last top-40 chart entry) shipped as singles, before RSO founder Robert Stigwood let him go due to his cocaine addiction and behavioural problems. "After Dark" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" were non-single songs added to the album, the latter of which was a duet with P. P. Arnold, who had previously worked with Barry Gibb, including singing uncredited backups on "Bury Me Down by the River" from Cucumber Castle. During his relationship with actress Victoria Principal, Gibb worked on several projects outside the recording studio, including performances in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Broadway and Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance in Los Angeles.

Around the same time, Gibb was invited to sing the first verse on Queen's "Play the Game", and lead singer Freddie Mercury apparently was amazed with Gibb's abilities. According to some sources, the tape was found in 1990 in a search of Queen archives for bonus tracks for a CD but was not used. Since it has not been heard by any Queen collectors, its existence is somewhat doubtful, although record producer Mack has also confirmed that the version did exist.[12][13]

1981–1986: Decline and live performances

Gibb performing at Ford's Theatre Gala, 1981

He co-hosted the television music show Solid Gold from 1981 to 1982 with Marilyn McCoo. Gibb was ultimately fired from both Dreamcoat and Solid Gold because of absenteeism caused by cocaine binges.[14][15] Said Zev Buffman, a Broadway producer and financier for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, "When Andy was at the theater, he was a joy. But he wasn't there enough", adding that of the five people to play Joseph up to that point, Gibb was the best actor.[14] He also said after Gibb's death, "We'd lose him over long weekends. He'd come back on Tuesday, and he'd look beat. He was like a little puppy—so ashamed when he did something wrong. He was all heart, but he didn't have enough muscle to carry through."[15] An unnamed co-star in Dreamcoat was quoted as saying, "I hear he spent most of his time in his hotel room in front of the TV. I guess he was frightened and insecure. That's what happens when you're the baby brother of the Bee Gees."[14] Commenting after Gibb's death, Solid Gold producer Brad Lachman stated, "...[Andy] was a very charming, vulnerable and charismatic performer. He clearly meant well. He wasn't being difficult. He was going through problems he couldn't deal with. He wanted everyone to love him. He had so much going for him, and he just couldn't believe it."[15]

In the summer of 1981, Gibb and Principal recorded and released a duet of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have to Do Is Dream". He reportedly heard her singing in the shower and convinced her to go into the studio with him.[16] This would be Gibb's last official single, and his last US chart entry, peaking at number 51. Their romance ended shortly thereafter when she gave him an ultimatum to choose between her or drugs. After this, Gibb began dating Kari Michaelsen of the NBC television sitcom Gimme a Break!, on which he guest starred.[17]

In 1984 and 1985, Gibb did finish two successful contracts at the Riviera hotel in Las Vegas.

His family convinced him to seek treatment for his drug addiction, which included a stay at the Betty Ford Center in the mid-1980s. It was during this time that Gibb began touring small venues with a stage show featuring his hits as well as covers. He also appeared in guest-starring roles on several television sitcoms including Gimme a Break! and Punky Brewster. Following an extensive tour of East Asia, he regularly performed shows in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. In 1984, he was the headline performer at the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile, performing two nights in a row. He also held a two-week engagement at San Francisco's historic Fairmont Hotel in March 1986.

1987–1988: Attempted comeback and final days

In the Spring of 1987, Gibb went through another drug rehabilitation program and thought he had finally beaten his habits.

Gibb now aimed to get a recording contract for release of a new album in 1988. He returned to the studio in June 1987 recording four songs; one of them, "Man on Fire", was released posthumously in 1991 on a Polydor Records anthology. Another track, "Arrow Through the Heart", was the final song Andy would ever record and was featured on an episode of VH1's series, Behind the Music, and released on the Bee Gees' Mythology 4-disc box set in November 2010. The songs are co-written by Gibb with his brothers Barry and Maurice. Their demo recordings with engineer Scott Glasel were heard by Clive Banks from the UK branch of Island Records. Gibb never formally signed a contract but the record label planned to release a single in Europe that spring, followed by another single that summer with the album to follow.[18]

In early March 1988, Barry had arranged for Island in England to sign Andy, but when he arrived in England in January 1988, he panicked. Andy missed meetings with the record company and blamed himself for his trouble writing songs. The deal was never signed.[19]

Death

By late January 1988 to early February 1988, Gibb had seemingly beaten his drug addiction, regained his health, and was ready to begin recording a new album.[20] However, he still battled depression over his breakup with Victoria Principal. According to Robin Gibb, his brother "just went downhill so fast... he was in a terrible state of depression".[20] On 5 March 1988, Gibb celebrated his 30th birthday in London while working on the new album. Two days after celebrating his birthday, he entered John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford complaining of chest pains.

Andy Gibb's headstone

At around 8:30 am on 10 March 1988, Gibb's doctor informed him more tests were needed to determine the cause of his chest pains. Later that day, Gibb slumped into unconsciousness and died as a result of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by years of cocaine abuse that fatally weakened his heart. This diagnosis was supported by William Shell, a cardiologist who had previously treated Gibb.[21][8][22]

With the announcement of Gibb's death, his ex-wife, Kim Reeder, was not surprised. "I always knew that one day I'd get a call with news like this. It was only a matter of time."[21] Gibb's family said the cause of death was not an overdose, as some media reports suggested, but natural causes after years of substance abuse.[20]

Gibb's body was returned to the United States, where he was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. The headstone reads "Andy Gibb / March 5, 1958 – March 10, 1988 / An Everlasting Love", after one of his hit singles.[23]

Legacy

The Andy Gibb Memorial Foundation was established to keep his name and memory alive by contributing to the charities that Gibb supported, such as the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and the Diabetes Research Institute.[24] Following the 2003 death of their brother Maurice Gibb at Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Florida, the family asked that donations be made to the Andy Gibb Memorial Foundation in lieu of flowers.[25]

Awards and nominations

Gibb was nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards.[26] He was also nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist at the 6th American Music Awards.

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1978 Andy Gibb Best New Artist Nominated
1978 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male Nominated

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
UK
[27] 		AUS
[28] 		CAN
[29] 		NZ
[30] 		US
[31] 		US
R&B
[31]
1977 Flowing Rivers
  • First studio album
  • Release date: September 1977
  • Label: RSO Records
 — 25 9 — 19 —
1978 Shadow Dancing
  • Second studio album
  • Release date: June 1978
  • Label: RSO Records
 15 28 1 15 7 18
1980 After Dark
  • Third studio album
  • Release date: February 1980
  • Label: RSO Records
 — 65 24 — 21 67
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Compilations

Year Album details Peaks
US
[31]
1980 Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits
  • Release date: 1980
  • Label: RSO Records
 46
1991 Andy Gibb —
2001 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection —
2010 Mythology (Disc 4 – Andy) —
2018 The Very Best of Andy Gibb —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications B-side Album
UK
[27] 		AUS
[28] 		CAN
[29] 		IRE
[35] 		NZ
[30] 		US
[31] 		US A/C
[31] 		US R&B
[31]
1975 "Words and Music" — 78 — — — — — — "Westfield Mansions" Non-album song
1977 "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" 26 1 1 — 2 1 8 19 "In the End" Flowing Rivers
"(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" — 13 2 — 25 1 18 — "Words and Music"
1978 "Shadow Dancing" 42 11 1 — 5 1 8 11 "Let It Be Me" Shadow Dancing
"An Everlasting Love" 10 57 3 4 28 5 8 — "Flowing Rivers"
"(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" 32 61 8 21 27 9 2 — "One More Look at the Night"
"Why" — — — — — — — —
1980 "Desire" — 90 10 — 38 4 9 49 "Waiting for You" After Dark
"I Can't Help It" (with Olivia Newton-John) — 62 32 — — 12 8 — "Someone I Ain't"
"Time Is Time" — — — — — 15 29 — "I Go for You" Andy Gibb's Greatest Hits
1981 "Me (Without You)" — — — — — 40 45 — "Melody"
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" (with Victoria Principal) — — 39 — — 51 25 — "Good Feeling" Non-album song
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Filmography

Television

Year Film Role
1981–1982 Solid Gold as himself
1982 Something's Afoot Geoffrey
1983 Gimme a Break! as himself
1984 Punky Brewster as himself
1985 Punky Brewster as Tony Glenn

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1973". Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  2. ^ "Andy Gibb - Biography - IMDB". IMDB. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen. "Andy Gibb Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  4. ^ Andy Gibb, VH1, Behind The Music, full episode, retrieved 26 April 2020
  5. ^ Meyer, David N. (9 July 2013). The Bee Gees: The Biography. Da Capo Press. p. 2013. ISBN 978-0306820250.
  6. ^ "Featured Articles – Robin Gibb". TheGenealogist.co.uk. 22 December 1949. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  7. ^ a b Melinda Bilyeu; Hector Cook; Andrew Môn Hughes (January 2011). The Bee Gees. ISBN 9780857128942. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  8. ^ a b People.com. "Death of Golden Child". Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  9. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1974". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  10. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1975". Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Andy Gibb – Words and Music". 45cat. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  12. ^ "Queen + Song Versions". QueenVault.com. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  13. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1980". Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  14. ^ a b c Diliberto, Gioia (31 January 1983), "Awol from Broadway Once Too Often, Andy Gibb Is Ordered to Turn in His Dreamcoat", People, vol. 19, no. 4, Time Inc., retrieved 27 January 2010
  15. ^ a b c Levin, Eric (28 March 1988), "Death of a Golden Child", People, vol. 29, no. 12, retrieved 27 January 2010
  16. ^ Women's Weekly, Australia, 28 October 1981 [specify]
  17. ^ Souter, Ericka (10 December 2001). "Looking for Answers". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  18. ^ Rolling Stone magazine, May 1988. "Andy Gibb: 1958–1988".
  19. ^ Brennan, Joseph. "Gibb Songs: 1988". Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  20. ^ a b c New Idea, 25 November 1989. Robin Gibb: "Andy was scared of us", page 22.
  21. ^ a b Levin, Eric (28 March 1988). "Death of Golden Child – Untimely Deaths, Overdoses, Andy Gibb". People.com. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Gibb's Death Tied to Natural Causes". LA Times. UPI. 12 March 1988. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  23. ^ "Andy Gibb's Grave at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills (photo)". Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  24. ^ "andy". Users.iafrica.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2005. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  25. ^ "Gibb brothers retract 'grief-stricken' criticism of hospital". The Scotsman. 14 January 2003. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
  26. ^ "Andy Gibb". Recording Academy Grammy Awards.
  27. ^ a b "UK Charts > Andy Gibb". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  28. ^ a b David Kent (1993). Australian Charts Book 1970—1992. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  29. ^ a b "CAN Charts > Andy Gibb". RPM. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  30. ^ a b "NZ Charts > Andy Gibb". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  31. ^ a b c d e f "US Charts > Andy Gibb". Billboard. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  32. ^ a b c d e "CAN Certifications > Andy Gibb". Music Canada. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h "US Certifications > Andy Gibb". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  34. ^ "UK Certified Awards Search > Andy Gibb". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  35. ^ "IRE Charts Search > Andy Gibb". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
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