Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Barry Gibb
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Barry Alan Crompton Gibb
Born	September 01, 1946Douglas, Isle of Man
Origin	Raised in:Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, EnglandMoved to:Brisbane, Australia
Instrument	Guitar, vocals
Genre	Pop, rock, soft rock, adult contemporary, blue-eyed soul, disco, funk, country
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	1958–present
Label	Polydor, MCA Records
Associated acts	Bee Gees
Website	Official website}}

Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE (born 1 September 1946), is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born on the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed the Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major success when they returned to England. Known for his high-pitched falsetto singing voice, Gibb holds the record for consecutive Billboard Hot 100 Number Ones as a writer with six.

Early life

Barry Gibb was born to Barbara and Hugh Gibb on the Isle of Man. He has an older sister, Lesley (b. 1945), and three younger brothers, fraternal twins Maurice (1949–2003) and Robin (b. 1949), and Andy (1958–1988). He and his family moved to Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester in 1953. When he was 12 years old, his family moved to Brisbane, Australia, settling in one of the city's poorest suburbs, Cribb Island. The suburb was later bulldozed to make way for Brisbane Airport. It was in Australia that Gibb and his brothers Robin and Maurice started performing as the Bee Gees. The Gibb family returned to England in 1967. Shortly afterward, the Bee Gees became international stars.

Career

The Bee Gees rank sixth on the all-time top-sellers list. when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, their citation read "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees". The trio's contribution to ''Saturday Night Fever'' pushed the film's soundtrack past the 40 million mark in sales. It reigned as the top-selling album in history until Michael Jackson's Thriller. They are the only group in pop history to write, produce, and record six straight No.1 hits. They have sixteen Grammy nominations and nine Grammy wins.

As a songwriter, working alone and with his brothers, Gibb has had great success. In 1978, he had five songs simultaneously in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, and for one week in March, four of the top five songs were written by him. His songs were No.1 for 27 out of 37 weeks from 24 December 1977 to 2 September 1978. As a songwriter Gibb has had No.1 songs in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, when (Barry) Islands in the Stream became number 1 in the UK as the Comic Relief single for 2009. His songs have been recorded by hundreds of artists, including Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Barbra Streisand, Destiny's Child, Celine Dion, Al Green, Diana Ross, Kenny Rogers, Dionne Warwick, Luther Vandross, Sarah Vaughn, and Wyclef Jean.

Gibb has written and produced successful albums for Andy Gibb, Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Rogers, and Diana Ross.

The Bee Gees are inductees of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

On the 8 May 2007 episode of ''American Idol'', Gibb mentored the four remaining contestants. On the following night, he sang his own song "To Love Somebody" before the elimination of LaKisha Jones.

As a preview to his forthcoming country album, Gibb released the song "Drown On The River" to iTunes. The song is also be featured in the 2008 movie ''Deal'', starring Burt Reynolds.

Gibb wrote the theme music for ITV's ''Grease Is The Word''.

On 14 March 2009, Gibb teamed with Olivia Newton-John to present the one-hour finale performance at a star studded twelve-hour live concert at Sydney's Sydney Cricket Ground, part of Sound Relief, a fundraiser to aid victims of the February 2009 Victorian Bushfires that devastated large tracts of heavily wooded and populated south-eastern Australia. The concert was televised live nationally across Australia on the Max TV cable network. In late 2009, Barry and Robin announced plans to record and perform together as the Bee Gees.

Personal life

On 1 September 1970 (his 24th birthday), he married former Miss Edinburgh Linda Gray. They have five children, Stephen (b. 1973), Ashley (b. 1977), Travis (b. 1981), Michael (b. 1984) and Alexandra (b. 1991).

On 24 February 2010, Barry and his wife announced at the annual Diabetes Research Institute Love and Hope Ball in Miami, Fl, that they had become naturalised American citizens.

In January 2006, Gibb purchased the former home of country singers Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in Hendersonville, Tennessee, intending to restore it and turn it into a songwriting retreat. The house was destroyed by fire on 10 April 2007 while under renovation.

On 2 May 2004, Barry and Robin Gibb received the CBE award at Buckingham Palace with their nephew Adam, who collected the award in honour of his late father, Maurice Gibb.

Legislation lobbying

On 7 December 2006, Barry Gibb, along with around 4,500 other musicians, took out a full-page advertisement in the ''Financial Times'' newspaper calling for the British Government to extend the existing 50 years copyright protection for sound recordings in the United Kingdom. They proposed that the copyright be extended to the American standard of 95 years. The fair play for musicians advertisement was viewed as a direct response to the Gowers Review published by the British Government on 6 December 2006, which recommended the retention of the 50 year protection for sound recordings.

Discography

''The Kid's No Good''

1970 (unreleased)

Side 1

Mando Bay (or Born)

One Bad Thing

The Day Your Eyes Meet Mine

Happiness

Peace In My Mind

Clyde O'Reilly

Side 2

I Just Wanna Take Care Of You

I'll Kiss Your Memory

The Victim

This Time

What's It All About

Born (or Mando Bay)

Album Notes

The album is known by this title but it is not definite. The line 'the kid's no good' features in a Bee Gees song by Barry Gibb, "Come Home Johnny Bride", on the 1973 album Life In A Tin Can.

This is most likely the intended line-up, though available sources differ as to the placement of the first and last tracks. Bootleg versions add a number of additional tracks, and one claims to be a Polydor release.

"I'll Kiss Your Memory" and "This Time" were released on a single (Polydor in much of the world, Atco in North America), which did not chart. A second single of "One Bad Thing" and "The Day Your Eyes Meet Mine" was pressed by Atco Canada but not released.

1984: ''Now Voyager''

Polydor, 1984 (MCA in North America)

Side 1

I Am Your Driver

Fine Line

Face To Face

Shatterproof

Shine Shine

Side 2

Lesson In Love

One Night (For Lovers)

Stay Alone

Temptation

She Says

The Hunter

Album Notes

To tie in with the album, Gibb filmed a "video album" version with a storyline, including nine of the songs and an instrumental title theme that is not on the LP or CD albums. The ''Now Voyager'' film is currently available as a Region 0 (all region) NTSC DVD. The video for "Fine Line" features a rarely seen Barry Gibb minus his trademark beard.

"Shine Shine" reached the Top 40 in the U.S. and the Top 10 in Adult Contemporary Charts.

''Moonlight Madness''

Polydor, 1986 (unreleased)

Side 1

Moonlight Madness

My Eternal Love

System Of Love

Where Tomorrow Is

In Search Of Love

Cover You

Side 2

The Savage Is Loose

Not In Love At All

Words Of A Fool

Distant Strangers

Change

Letting Go

Album Notes

Also known as ''When Tomorrow Comes'' and ''My Eternal Love''.

Several songs would later appear on the ''Hawks'' soundtrack.

A bootleg version exists, titled ''The Original Hawks''. This disc features the entire unreleased album, as well as a number of bonus tracks.

1988: ''Hawks'' (OST)

Polydor, 1988

System Of Love

Childhood Days

My Eternal Love

Moonlight Madness

Where Tomorrow Is

Celebration De La Vie (Theme From ''Hawks'')

Chain Reaction

Cover You

Not In Love At All

Letting Go

Album Notes

The final incarnation of the unreleased ''Moonlight Madness'' album.

"Chain Reaction" is performed by Diana Ross.

1979: ''The Guilty Demos''

private, 1979 (unreleased) / iTunes, 2006

Guilty

Woman in Love

Run Wild

Promises

The Love Inside

What Kind Of Fool

Life Story

Make It Like A Memory

Carried Away

Secrets

Album Notes

Recorded as a guideline for Barbra Streisand.

Finally released on iTunes in 2006 as ''The Guilty Demos''.

A demo of "Never Give Up" was also recorded, but remains unreleased.

"Carried Away" and "Secrets" were not used on Streisand's version.

1982: ''The Heartbreaker'' Demos

private, 1982 (unreleased) / iTunes, 2006

Heartbreaker

It Makes No Difference

Yours

Take The Short Way Home

Misunderstood

All The Love In The World

I Can't See Anything (But You)

Just One More Night

You Are My Love

Album Notes

Recorded as a guideline for Dionne Warwick.

Released on iTunes in 2006 as ''The Heartbreaker Demos''.

1983: The ''Eyes That See in the Dark'' Demos

private, 1983 (unreleased) / iTunes, 2006

This Woman

You And I

Buried Treasure

Islands In The Stream

Living With You

Evening Star

Hold Me

Midsummer Nights

I Will Always Love You

Eyes That See In The Dark

Album Notes

Recorded as a guideline for Kenny Rogers. The released versions include instrumental tracks from these demos.

Released on iTunes in 2006 as ''The Eyes That See In The Dark Demos''.

Gibb's demo of "Islands in the Stream" was not used when the song was chosen for inclusion on the 2001 Bee Gees compilation, ''Their Greatest Hits: The Record''. Instead, Robin and Maurice, sans Barry, recorded a brand new version.

1985: ''The Eaten Alive Demos''

private, 1985 / iTunes, 2006

Oh Teacher

Experience

More And More

I'm Watching You

Love On The Line

(I Love) Being In Love With You

Crime Of Passion

Don't Give Up On Each Other

Album Notes

Recorded as a guideline for Diana Ross.

Released on iTunes in 2006 as ''The Eatin Alive Demos''. The spelling of "Eaten" was later corrected.

Notable for their absences are "Eaten Alive" and "Chain Reaction." Though a demo exists, the album's title track was not included as the song is currently the property of its co-author, Michael Jackson. Gibb and Albhy Galuten did not send any demo of "Chain Reaction" to Diana Ross, and evidently Gibb did not want to release whatever work tape they had of it.

''Guilty Pleasures Demos''

private, 2005 (unreleased) / Barry Gibb Radio, 2006

Come Tomorrow

Stranger In A Strange Land

Hideaway

It's Up To You

Night Of My Life

Above The Law

Without Your Love

All Our Children

Golden Dawn

Album Notes

Recorded as a guideline for Barbra Streisand.

As of yet, the full-length demos have not been released. All nine songs appeared on the online "Barry Gibb Radio" as two or three minute fragments, with a fade at each end.

Two songs are missing from the above tracklist – "(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away" and "Letting Go." As both songs were previously released, no new demos were necessary.

Albums

1970: ''The Kid's No Good'' (Unreleased)

1984: ''Now Voyager''

1988: ''Hawks'' (Soundtrack album)

2006: ''The Eaten Alive Demos'' (iTunes)

2006: ''The Guilty Demos'' (iTunes)

2006: ''The Eyes That See In The Dark Demos'' (iTunes)

2006: ''The Heartbreaker Demos'' (iTunes)

Singles

1969: "I'll Kiss Your Memory"

1978: "A Day in the Life"

1981: "Guilty" (duet with Barbra Streisand)

1981: "What Kind of Fool" (duet with Barbra Streisand)

1984: "Shine Shine"

1984: "Fine Line"

1988: "Childhood Days"

2006: "Dr. Mann"

2006: "Underworld"

2007: "Drown On the River" 2011: "All in Your Name" (featuring Michael Jackson)

References

External links

Official Barry Gibb Website

Official Bee Gees Website

Category:American male singers Category:American people of English descent Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American songwriters Category:American tenors Category:Bee Gees members Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Countertenors Category:English emigrants to Australia Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English pop singers Category:English record producers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English songwriters Category:English tenors Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Manx people Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Brisbane Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees Category:1946 births Category:Living people

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
alt	A mid-twenties African American man wearing a sequined military jacket and dark sunglasses. He is walking while waving his right hand, which is adorned with a white glove. His left hand is bare.
background	solo_singer
birth name	Michael Joseph Jackson
alias	Michael Joe Jackson, MJ, King of Pop
birth date	August 29, 1958
birth place	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
death date	June 25, 2009
death place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
instrument	vocals, guitar, drums, percussion, keyboards
genre	R&B;, pop, rock, soul, dance, funk, disco, new jack swing
occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, dancer, choreographer, record producer, actor, businessman, philanthropist
years active	1964–2009
label	Motown, Epic, Legacy
associated acts	The Jackson 5
relatives	Janet Jackson (sister)
website	130pxMichael Jackson's signature }}

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.

In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B;, pop and rock artists.

Jackson's 1982 album ''Thriller'' is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including ''Off the Wall'' (1979), ''Bad'' (1987), ''Dangerous'' (1991), and ''HIStory'' (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.

Life and career

Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)

Michael Jackson was born on August 29, 1958, the eighth of ten children in an African American working-class family who lived in a small 3-room house in Gary, Indiana, an industrial city near Chicago. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, was a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B; band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters: Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy. A sixth brother, Brandon, died shortly after birth.

Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe. In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B; Album, Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B; Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Year-End for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". Jackson again won at the American Music Awards in 1981 for Favorite Soul/R&B; Album and Favorite Soul/R&B; Male Artist. Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt ''Off the Wall'' should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release. In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.

''Thriller'' and ''Motown 25'' (1982–83)

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''; the record won a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1984. In the same year he won another seven Grammys and eight American Music Awards (including the Award of Merit, the youngest artist to win it), making him the most awarded in one night for both award shows. The album topped the ''Billboard'' 200 chart for 37 weeks and was in the top 10 of the 200 for 80 consecutive weeks. It was the first album to have seven ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'." ''Thriller'' was certified for 29 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States. The album won also another Grammy for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical in 1984, awarding Bruce Swedien for his work. Thanks to the ''Bad'' album, Bruce Swedien and Humberto Gatica won one Grammy in 1988 for Best Engineered Recording – Non Classical and Michael Jackson won one Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form for "Leave Me Alone" in 1989. ''HIStory'' received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. However, the sales for ''Invincible'' were lower than those of his previous releases, due in part to a lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute. The album also came out at a bad time for the music industry in general. Jackson rehearsed in Los Angeles in the weeks leading up to the tour under the direction of choreographer Kenny Ortega. Most of these rehearsals took place at the Staples Center, which was owned by AEG. With ''Thriller'', Christopher Connelly of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'". In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers. In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media. "Beat It" decried gang violence in an homage to ''West Side Story'', and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey. He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years. In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.

In ''Bad'', Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana". The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution. "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder. Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that ''Dangerous'' presents Jackson as a very paradoxical individual. He comments the album is more diverse than his previous ''Bad'', as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World". The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time". The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs. ''Dangerous'' contains sexually charged efforts such as the multifaceted love song, "In the Closet". The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire. The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson opening up about various personal struggles and worries. In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.

''HIStory'' creates an atmosphere of paranoia. Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B; ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media. In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces. In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not—shall we say—done him the honor of listening to it, but I've been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot". ''Invincible'' found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins. It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip-hop, pop and R&B; in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".

Vocal style

Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to high tenor. Jackson first used a technique called the "vocal hiccup" in 1973, starting with the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from The Jackson 5's ''G.I.T.: Get It Together'' album. Jackson did not use the hiccup technique— somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping— fully until the recording of ''Off the Wall'': it can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video. With the arrival of ''Off the Wall'' in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded. At the time, ''Rolling Stone'' compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly". 1982 saw the release of ''Thriller'', and ''Rolling Stone'' was of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".

A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelled "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him. The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album ''Dangerous''. ''The New York Times'' noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone". When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals. When commenting on ''Invincible'', ''Rolling Stone'' were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies". Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".

Music videos and choreography

Referred to as the King of Music Videos, Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers. Before ''Thriller'', Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American. Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition. MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race. The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.; His performance on ''Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever'' changed the scope of live stage show; "That Jackson lip-synced 'Billie Jean' is, in itself, not extraordinary, but the fact that it did not change the impact of the performance is extraordinary; whether the performance was live or lip-synced made no difference to the audience" thus creating an era in which artists re-create the spectacle of music video imagery on stage. Short films like ''Thriller'' largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated. The choreography in ''Thriller'' has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines. The ''Thriller'' short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the ''Guinness World Records''.

In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. When asked by Oprah in the 1993 interview about why he grabbed his crotch, he replied, "I think it happens subliminally" and he described it as something that was not planned, but rather, as something that was compelled by the music. "Bad" garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; ''Time'' magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.

}} ;Bibliography

George, Nelson (2004). ''Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection'' booklet. Sony BMG.

Further reading

External links

Michael Jackson Live: Best Pics – slideshow by ''Life magazine''

Michael Jackson at MTV

FBI file on Michael Jackson

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Barbra Streisand
background	solo_singer
birth name	Barbara Joan Streisand
birth date	April 24, 1942Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
genre	Broadway, traditional pop, adult contemporary
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actress, film producer, director
years active	1957–present
label	Columbia
spouse	James Brolin (1998-present)
website
children	Jason Gould }}

Barbra Joan Streisand (pronounced ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award.

She is one of the most commercially and critically successful entertainers in modern entertainment history, with more than 71.5 million albums shipped in the United States and 140 million albums sold worldwide. She is the best-selling female artist on the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) Top Selling Artists list, the only female recording artist in the top ten, and the only artist outside of the rock and roll genre. Along with Frank Sinatra, Cher, and Shirley Jones, she shares the distinction of being awarded an acting Oscar and also recording a number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

According to the RIAA, Streisand holds the record for the most top ten albums of any female recording artist - a total of 31 since 1963. Streisand has the widest span (46 years) between first and latest top ten albums of any female recording artist. With her 2009 album, ''Love Is the Answer'', she became one of the only artists to achieve number-one albums in five consecutive decades. According to the RIAA, she has released 51 Gold albums, 30 Platinum albums, and 13 Multi-Platinum albums in the United States.

Early life

Barbra Joan Streisand was born on April 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Jewish family, the daughter of Emmanuel and Diana (née Rosen) Streisand. She is the second of two children fathered by Emmanuel (the elder child is Sheldon), who was a respected high school teacher. Fifteen months after Streisand's birth, Emmanuel died of a cerebral hemorrhage and the family went into near-poverty. She attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and joined the Freshman Chorus and Choral Club. Diana Rosen Streisand remarried Louis Kind in 1949 and gave Streisand a half-sister, the singer Roslyn Kind (Kind is 9 years younger than Barbra).

Barbra Streisand became a nightclub singer while in her teens. She wanted to be an actress and appeared in summer stock and in a number of Off-Off-Broadway productions, including ''Driftwood'' (1959), with then-unknown Joan Rivers. (In her autobiography, Rivers wrote that she played a lesbian with a crush on Streisand's character, but this was later denied by the play's author.) ''Driftwood'' ran for only six weeks. When her boyfriend, Barry Dennen, helped her create a club act—first performed at The Lion, a popular gay nightclub in Manhattan's Greenwich Village in 1960—she achieved success as a singer. While singing at The Lion for several weeks, she changed her name from Barbara to Barbra. One early appearance outside of New York City was at Enrico Banducci’s hungry i nightclub in San Francisco. In 1961, Streisand appeared at the Town and Country nightclub in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but her appearance was cut short; the club owner did not appreciate her singing style. Streisand appeared at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit in 1961.

Streisand's first television appearance was on ''The Tonight Show'', then hosted by Jack Paar, in 1961, singing Harold Arlen's "A Sleepin' Bee". Orson Bean, who substituted for Paar that night, had seen the singer perform at a gay bar and booked her for the telecast (Her older brother Sheldon paid NBC for a kinescope film so she could use it in 1961 to promote herself. Decades later the film was preserved through digitizing and is available for viewing on a website). Streisand became a semi-regular on ''PM East/PM West'', a talk/variety series hosted by Mike Wallace, in late 1961. Westinghouse Broadcasting, which aired ''PM East/PM West'' in a select few cities (Boston, New York, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago and San Francisco), has since wiped all the videotapes because of the cost of videotape at the time. Audio segments from some episodes are part of the compilation CD ''Just for the Record'', which went platinum in 1991. The singer said on ''60 Minutes'' in 1991 that 30 years earlier Mike Wallace had been "mean" to her on ''PM East/PM West''. He countered that she had been "self-absorbed." ''60 Minutes'' included the audio of Streisand saying to him in 1961, "I like the fact that you are provoking. But don't provoke ''me''."

In 1962, after several appearances on ''PM East/PM West'', Streisand first appeared on Broadway, in the small but star-making role of Miss Marmelstein in the musical ''I Can Get It for You Wholesale''. Her first album, ''The Barbra Streisand Album'', won two Grammy Awards in 1963. Following her success in ''I Can Get It for You Wholesale'', Streisand made several appearances on ''The Tonight Show'' in 1962 and 1963. Topics covered in her interviews with host Johnny Carson included the empire-waisted dresses that she bought wholesale, to her "crazy" reputation at Erasmus Hall High School. As is the case with Mike Wallace, only audio survives from small portions of her telecast conversations with Carson. It was at about this time that Streisand entered into a long and successful professional relationship with Lee Solters and Sheldon Roskin as her publicists with the firm Solters/Roskin (later Solters/Roskin/Friedman).

Streisand returned to Broadway in 1964 with an acclaimed performance as entertainer Fanny Brice in ''Funny Girl'' at the Winter Garden Theatre. The show introduced two of her signature songs, "People" and "Don't Rain on My Parade." Because of the play's overnight success she appeared on the cover of ''Time.'' In 1966, she repeated her success with ''Funny Girl'' in London's West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre. From 1965 to 1967 she appeared in her first four solo television specials.

Career

Singing

Streisand has recorded 35 studio albums, almost all with Columbia Records. Her early works in the 1960s (her debut ''The Barbra Streisand Album'', ''The Second Barbra Streisand Album'', ''The Third Album'', ''My Name Is Barbra'', etc.) are considered classic renditions of theater and cabaret standards, including her slow version of the normally uptempo ''Happy Days Are Here Again''. She performed this in a duet with Judy Garland on ''The Judy Garland Show''. Garland referred to her on the air as one of the last great belters. They also sang ''There's No Business Like Show Business'' with Ethel Merman joining them.

Beginning with ''My Name Is Barbra'', her early albums were often medley-filled keepsakes of her television specials. Starting in 1969, she began attempting more contemporary material, but like many talented singers of the day, she found herself out of her element with rock. Her vocal talents prevailed, and she gained newfound success with the pop and ballad-oriented Richard Perry-produced album ''Stoney End'' in 1971. The title track, written by Laura Nyro, was a major hit for Streisand.

During the 1970s, she was also highly prominent on the pop charts, with Top 10 recordings such as ''The Way We Were'' (US No. 1), ''Evergreen'' (US No. 1), ''No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)'' (1979, with Donna Summer), which as of 2010 is reportedly still the most commercially successful duet,(US No. 1), ''You Don't Bring Me Flowers'' (with Neil Diamond) (US No. 1) and ''The Main Event'' (US No. 3), some of which came from soundtrack recordings of her films. As the 1970s ended, Streisand was named the most successful female singer in the U.S.—only Elvis Presley and The Beatles had sold more albums. In 1980, she released her best-selling effort to date, the Barry Gibb-produced ''Guilty''. The album contained the hits ''Woman In Love'' (which spent several weeks atop the pop charts in the Fall of 1980), ''Guilty,'' and ''What Kind of Fool.''

After years of largely ignoring Broadway and traditional pop music in favor of more contemporary material, Streisand returned to her musical-theater roots with 1985's ''The Broadway Album'', which was unexpectedly successful, holding the coveted No. 1 Billboard position for three straight weeks, and being certified quadruple platinum. The album featured tunes by Rodgers & Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Stephen Sondheim, who was persuaded to rework some of his songs especially for this recording. ''The Broadway Album'' was met with acclaim, including a Grammy nomination for album of the year and, ultimately, handed Streisand her eighth Grammy as Best Female Vocalist. After releasing the live album ''One Voice'' in 1986, Streisand was set to take another musical journey along the Great White Way in 1988. She recorded several cuts for the album under the direction of Rupert Holmes, including ''On My Own'' (from ''Les Misérables''), a medley of ''How Are Things in Glocca Morra?'' and ''Heather on the Hill'' (from ''Finian's Rainbow'' and ''Brigadoon,'' respectively), ''All I Ask of You'' (from ''Phantom of the Opera''), ''Warm All Over'' (from ''The Most Happy Fella'') and an unusual solo version of ''Make Our Garden Grow'' (from ''Candide''). Streisand was not happy with the direction of the project and it was ultimately scrapped. Only ''Warm All Over'' and a reworked, lite FM-friendly version of ''All I Ask of You'' were ever released, the latter appearing on Streisand's 1988 effort, ''Till I Loved You.'' At the beginning of the 1990s, Streisand started focusing on her film directorial efforts and became almost inactive in the recording studio. In 1991, a four-disc box set, ''Just for the Record'', was released. A compilation spanning Streisand's entire career to date, it featured over 70 tracks of live performances, greatest hits, rarities and previously unreleased material.

The following year, Streisand's concert fundraising events helped propel former President Bill Clinton into the spotlight and into office. Streisand later introduced Clinton at his inauguration in 1993. Streisand's music career, however, was largely on hold. A 1992 appearance at an APLA benefit as well as the aforementioned inaugural performance hinted that Streisand was becoming more receptive to the idea of live performances. A tour was suggested, though Streisand would not immediately commit to it, citing her well-known stage fright as well as security concerns. During this time, Streisand finally returned to the recording studio and released ''Back to Broadway'' in June 1993. The album was not as universally lauded as its predecessor, but it did debut at No. 1 on the pop charts (a rare feat for an artist of Streisand's age, especially given that it relegated Janet Jackson's ''Janet'' to the No. 2 spot). One of the album's highlights was a medley of ''I Have A Love/One Hand, One Heart,'' a duet with Johnny Mathis, who Streisand said is one of her favorite singers.

In 1993, ''New York Times'' music critic Stephen Holden wrote that Streisand "enjoys a cultural status that only one other American entertainer, Frank Sinatra, has achieved in the last half century." In September 1993, Streisand announced her first public concert appearances in 27 years. What began as a two-night New Year's event at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas eventually led to a multi-city tour in the summer of 1994. Tickets to the tour were sold out in under one hour. Streisand also appeared on the covers of major magazines in anticipation of what ''Time magazine'' named "The Music Event of the Century." The tour was one of the biggest all-media merchandise parlays in history. Ticket prices ranged from US$50 to US$1,500 – making Streisand the highest-paid concert performer in history. ''Barbra Streisand: The Concert'' went on to be the top-grossing concert of the year and earned five Emmy Awards and the Peabody Award, while the taped broadcast on HBO is, to date, the highest-rated concert special in HBO's 30-year history. Following the tour's conclusion, Streisand once again kept a low profile musically, instead focusing her efforts on acting and directing duties as well as a burgeoning romance with actor James Brolin.

In 1997, she finally returned to the recording studio, releasing ''Higher Ground,'' a collection of songs of a loosely-inspirational nature which also featured a duet with Celine Dion. The album received generally favorable reviews and, remarkably, once again debuted at No. 1 on the pop charts. Following her marriage to Brolin in 1998, Streisand recorded an album of love songs entitled ''A Love Like Ours'' the following year. Reviews were mixed, with many critics carping about the somewhat syrupy sentiments and overly-lush arrangements; however, it did produce a modest hit for Streisand in the country-tinged ''If You Ever Leave Me,'' a duet with Vince Gill.

On New Year's Eve 1999, Streisand returned to the concert stage, with the highest-grossing single concert in Las Vegas history to date. At the end of the millennium, she was the number-one female singer in the U.S., with at least two No. 1 albums in each decade since she began performing. A two-disc live album of the concert entitled ''Timeless: Live in Concert'' was released in 2000. Streisand performed versions of the "Timeless" concert in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, in early 2000. In advance of four concerts (two each in Los Angeles and New York) in September 2000, Streisand announced she was retiring from paying public concerts. Her performance of the song ''People'' was broadcast on the Internet via America Online.

Streisand's most-recent albums have been ''Christmas Memories'' (2001), a somewhat somber collection of holiday songs (which felt entirely—albeit unintentionally—appropriate in the early post-9/11 days), and ''The Movie Album'' (2003), featuring famous film themes and backed by a large symphony orchestra. ''Guilty Pleasures'' (called ''Guilty Too'' in the UK), a collaboration with Barry Gibb and a sequel to their ''Guilty,'' was released worldwide in 2005.

In February 2006, Streisand recorded the song ''Smile'' alongside Tony Bennett at Streisand's Malibu home. The song is included on Tony Bennett's 80th birthday album, ''Duets.'' In September 2006, the pair filmed a live performance of the song for a special directed by Rob Marshall entitled ''Tony Bennett: An American Classic.'' The special aired on NBC November 21, 2006, and was released on DVD the same day. Streisand's duet with Bennett opened the special. In 2006, Streisand announced her intent to tour again, in an effort to raise money and awareness for multiple issues. After four days of rehearsal at the Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, the tour began on October 4 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, continued with a featured stop in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, (this was the concert Streisand chose to film for a TV special), and concluded at Staples Center in Los Angeles on November 20, 2006. Special guests Il Divo were interwoven throughout the show. On stage closing night, Streisand hinted that six more concerts may follow on foreign soil. The show was known as ''Streisand: The Tour.''

Streisand's 20-concert tour set box-office records. At the age of 64, well past the prime of most performers, she grossed US$92,457,062 and set house gross records in 14 of the 16 arenas played on the tour. She set the third-place record for her October 9, 2006, show at Madison Square Garden, the first- and second-place records of which are held by her two shows in September 2000. She set the second-place record at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, with her December 31, 1999, show being the house record and the highest-grossing concert of all time. This led many people to openly criticize Streisand for price gouging, as many tickets sold for upwards of US$1,000.

A collection of performances culled from different stops on this tour, ''Live in Concert 2006,'' debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, making it Streisand's 29th Top 10 album. In the summer of 2007, Streisand gave concerts for the first time in continental Europe. The first concert took place in Zürich (June 18), then Vienna (June 22), Paris (June 26), Berlin (June 30), Stockholm (July 4, canceled), Manchester (July 10) and Celbridge, near Dublin (July 14), followed by three concerts in London (July 18, 22 and 25), the only European city where Streisand had performed before 2007. Tickets for the London dates cost between £100.00 and GB£1,500.00 and for the Ireland date between €118 and €500. The tour included a 58-piece orchestra.

In February 2008, ''Forbes'' listed Streisand as the No. 2 earning female musician, between June 2006 and June 2007, with earnings of about US$60 million. Although Streisand's range has changed with time and her voice has deepened over the years, her vocal prowess has remained remarkably secure for a singer whose career has endured for nearly half a century. Streisand is a contralto or possibly a mezzo-soprano who has a range consisting of well over two octaves from “low E to a high G and probably a bit more in either direction.” On November 17, 2008, Streisand returned to the studio to begin recording what would be her sixty-third album and it was announced that Diana Krall was producing the album. Streisand is one of the recipients of the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors. On December 7, 2008, she visited the White House as part of the ceremonies.

On April 25, 2009, CBS aired Streisand's latest TV special, ''Streisand: Live In Concert'', highlighting the aforementioned featured stop from her 2006 North American tour, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. On September 26, 2009, Streisand performed a one-night-only show at the Village Vanguard in New York City's Greenwich Village. This performance was later released on DVD as ''One Night Only Barbra Streisand and Quartet at The Village Vanguard.'' On September 29, 2009, Streisand and Columbia Records released her newest studio album, ''Love is the Answer.'' produced by Diana Krall. On October 2, 2009, Streisand made her British television performance debut with an interview on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross to promote the album. This album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and registered her biggest weekly sales since 1997, making Streisand the only artist in history to achieve No. 1 albums in five different decades.

On February 1, 2010, Streisand joined over 80 other artists in recording a new version of the 1985 charity single "We Are the World." Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie planned to release the new version to mark the 25th anniversary of its original recording. These plans changed, however, in view of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12, 2010, and on February 12, the song, now called "We Are the World 25 for Haiti," made its debut as a charity single to support relief aid for the beleaguered island nation.

Streisand was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year on February 11, 2011, two days prior to the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Streisand is one of many singers who uses teleprompters during their live performances. Streisand has defended her choice in using teleprompters to display lyrics and, sometimes, banter.

Acting

Her first film was a reprise of her Broadway hit, ''Funny Girl'' (1968), an artistic and commercial success directed by Hollywood veteran William Wyler. Streisand won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Actress for the role, sharing it with Katharine Hepburn (''The Lion in Winter''), the only time there has been a tie in this Oscar category. Her next two movies were also based on musicals, Jerry Herman's ''Hello, Dolly!'', directed by Gene Kelly (1969), and Alan Jay Lerner's and Burton Lane's ''On a Clear Day You Can See Forever'', directed by Vincente Minnelli (1970), while her fourth film was based on the Broadway play ''The Owl and the Pussycat'' (1970).

During the 1970s, Streisand starred in several screwball comedies, including ''What's Up, Doc?'' (1972) and ''The Main Event'' (1979), both co-starring Ryan O'Neal, and ''For Pete's Sake'' (1974) with Michael Sarrazin. One of her most famous roles during this period was in the drama ''The Way We Were'' (1973) with Robert Redford, for which she received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress. She earned her second Academy Award for Best Original Song as composer (together with lyricist Paul Williams) for the song "Evergreen", from ''A Star Is Born'' in 1976.

Along with Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier and later Steve McQueen, Streisand formed First Artists Production Company in 1969, so the actors could secure properties and develop movie projects for themselves. Streisand's initial outing with First Artists was ''Up the Sandbox'' (1972).

From a period beginning in 1969 and ending in 1980, Streisand appeared in the annual motion picture exhibitors poll of Top 10 Box Office attractions a total of 10 times, often as the only woman on the list. After the commercially disappointing ''All Night Long'' in 1981, Streisand's film output decreased considerably. She has only acted in six films since.

Streisand produced a number of her own films, setting up Barwood Films in 1972. For ''Yentl'' (1983), she was producer, director, and star, an experience she repeated for ''The Prince of Tides'' (1991) and ''The Mirror Has Two Faces'' (1996). There was controversy when ''Yentl'' received five Academy Award nominations, but none for the major categories of Best Picture, Actress, or Director. ''The Prince of Tides'' received even more Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but the director was not nominated. Streisand also scripted "Yentl", something she is not always given credit for. According to New York Times Editorial Page Editor Andrew Rosenthal in an interview (story begins at minute 16) with Allan Wolper, "the one thing that makes Barbra Streisand crazy is when nobody gives her the credit for having written 'Yentl'."

In 2004, Streisand made a return to film acting, after an eight-year hiatus, in the comedy ''Meet the Fockers'' (a sequel to ''Meet the Parents''), playing opposite Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Blythe Danner and Robert De Niro.

In 2005, Streisand's Barwood Films, Gary Smith, and Sonny Murray purchased the rights to Simon Mawer's book ''Mendel's Dwarf''. In December 2008, she stated that she was considering directing an adaptation of Larry Kramer's play ''The Normal Heart'', a project she has worked on since the mid-1990s In 2009, Andrew Lloyd Webber stated that Streisand was one of several actresses (alongside Meryl Streep and Glenn Close) who were interested in playing the role of Norma Desmond in the film adaptation of Webber's musical version of ''Sunset Boulevard''

In December 2010, Streisand appeared in ''Little Fockers'', the third film from the ''Meet the Parents trilogy''. She reprised the role of Roz Focker alongside Dustin Hoffman.

On 4 January 2011, the ''New York Post'' reported that Streisand was in negotiations to produce, direct, and star in a new film version of ''Gypsy.'' In an interview with the ''New York Post'', Arthur Laurents said: "We've talked about it a lot, and she knows what she's doing. She has my approval." He said that he would not write the screenplay. The following day, the ''New York Times'' reported that Arthur Laurents clarified in a telephonic interview that Streisand would not direct the film "but playing Rose is enough to make her happy." Streisand's spokesperson confirmed that "there have been conversations".

On 28 January 2011, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' announced that Paramount Pictures has given the road-trip comedy, ''My Mother's Curse,'' the green light to begin shooting, with Streisand and Seth Rogen playing mother and son. Anne Fletcher is slated to direct the project with a script by Dan Fogelman. Lorne Michaels and John Goldwyn will produce it with Evan Goldberg. Executive producers include Streisand, Rogen, Fogelman, and David Ellison, whose Skydance will co-finance the pic. Shooting began in spring of 2011 and wrapped in July. In August the Internet Movie Database began listing the film with the new title ''Guilt Trip''. The film is set for a November 2012 release (originally it was slated to release in March 2012).

Personal life

Marriages and family

Streisand has been married twice. Her first husband was actor Elliott Gould, to whom she was married from 1963 until 1971. They had one child, Jason Gould, who would go on to star as her on-screen son in ''The Prince of Tides''. Her second husband is actor James Brolin, whom she married on July 1, 1998. While they have no children together, Brolin has two children from his first marriage, including Academy Award-nominated actor Josh Brolin, and one child from his second marriage. Both of her husbands starred in the 1970s conspiracy sci-fi thriller ''Capricorn One''.

Jon Peters' daughters, Caleigh Peters and Skye Peters, are her goddaughters.

Streisand shares a birthday with Shirley MacLaine, and they celebrate together every year.

Name

Streisand changed her name from Barbara to Barbra because, she said, "I hated the name, but I refused to change it." Streisand further explained, "Well, I was 18 and I wanted to be unique, but I didn't want to change my name because that was too false. You know, people were saying you could be Joanie Sands, or something like that. [My middle name is Joan.] And I said, 'No, let's see, if I take out the 'a,' it's still 'Barbara,' but it's unique." A 1967 biography with a concert program said, "the spelling of her first name is an instance of partial rebellion: she was advised to change her last name and retaliated by dropping an “a” from the first instead."

Politics

Streisand has long been an active supporter of the Democratic Party and many of their causes. Streisand said, "The Democrats have always been the party of working people and minorities. I've always identified with the minorities."

In 1971, Streisand was one of the celebrities listed on President Richard Nixon's infamous Enemies List.

Philanthropy

Streisand has personally raised $25 million for organizations through her live performances. The Streisand Foundation, established in 1986, has contributed over $16 million through nearly 1,000 grants to "national organizations working on preservation of the environment, voter education, the protection of civil liberties and civil rights, women’s issues and nuclear disarmament."

In 2006, Streisand donated $1 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation in support of former President Bill Clinton’s climate change initiative.

In 2008, Streisand gifted $5 million to endow the Barbra Streisand Women's Cardiovascular Research and Education Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Women's Heart Center. In September that year, ''Parade'' magazine included Streisand on their Giving Back Fund's second annual Giving Back 30 survey, "a ranking of the celebrities who have made the largest donations to charity in 2007 according to public records", as the third most generous celebrity. The Giving Back Fund claimed Streisand donated $11 million, which The Streisand Foundation distributed.

At Julien’s Auctions in October 2009, Streisand, a long-time collector of art and furniture, sold 526 items with all the proceeds going to her foundation. Items included a costume from ''Funny Lady'' and a vintage dental cabinet purchased by the performer at 18 years old. The sale’s most valuable lot was a painting by Kees van Dongen.

References in popular culture

On television

The most memorable parody of Streisand's iconic status has been on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' in the recurring skit ''Coffee Talk'' where character Linda Richman, played by Mike Myers, hosts a talk show dedicated to, among other things, the adoration of Streisand. Streisand, in turn, made an unannounced guest appearance on the show, surprising Myers and guests, Madonna and Roseanne Barr. Mike Myers also appeared as the Linda Richman character on stage with Streisand at her 1994 MGM Grand concert, as well as a few of the 1994 Streisand tour shows.

Streisand is frequently mentioned in the sitcom "The Nanny" as Fran Fine states she is her leader. Both Fran and her mother adore Streisand, and often compete in who loves her more.

Streisand is mentioned in the sitcom ''Will & Grace'', particularly by the character Jack McFarland. Songs made famous by Streisand, such as "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" from ''Yentl'' and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from ''The Broadway Album'' are reproduced by characters in the show.

The sitcom ''Friends'' refers to Streisand in at least two episodes. In "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister", Monica names a sandwich at her 1950s-styled restaurant after Barbra Streisand. A soup is also named after Streisand's movie ''Yentl''. Meanwhile, in "The One After 'I Do'", Phoebe pretends she is pregnant with James Brolin's baby, to which Chandler responds "[A]s in Barbra Streisand's husband, James Brolin?" In the same episode, Gould appears on the show as Ross and Monica's father.

In an episode of ''Absolutely Fabulous'' ("Small Opening"), Beau visits the Monsoon household with her husband Marshall. In another one of their schemes, they have become Jewish with Beau wearing one of Streisand's wigs. She takes the wig off and begins to channel Barbra and says "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and "People."

At least four episodes of the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' refer to Streisand. Outside Springfield Elementary School, announcing Lisa's jazz concert and noting tickets have been sold out, is an advertisement for a Streisand concert in the same venue for the following day, with tickets still on sale. In "Fear of Flying", after Marge undergoes therapy, she informs the therapist that whenever she hears the wind blow, she'll hear it saying "Lowenstein", Streisand's therapist character in ''The Prince of Tides'', even though Marge's therapist is named Zweig. Another reference comes in "Sleeping with the Enemy" when Bart exclaims after seeing Lisa make a snow-angel in a cake on the kitchen table, "At least she's not singing Streisand", in reference to Nelson Muntz singing "Papa Can You Hear Me?" from ''Yentl'' earlier in the episode. In "Simple Simpson", a patriotic country singer says that Streisand is unpatriotic and could be pleased by spitting on the flag and strangling a bald eagle.

thumb|180px|"Mecha Streisand" as portrayed in the animated show ''South Park''. Another enduring satirical reference is in the animated series ''South Park'', most notably in the episode "Mecha-Streisand", where Streisand is portrayed as a self-important, evil, gigantic robotic dinosaur with a terrible singing voice about to conquer the universe before being defeated by Robert Smith of The Cure. On another occasion, the Halloween episode "Spookyfish" is promoted for a week as being done in "Spooky-Vision", which involves Streisand's face seen at times during the episode in the four corners of the screen. At the end of the feature film ''South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut,'' her name is used as a powerful curse word, a gag repeated in the episode "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants". The Mecha-Streisand character made a return in the Season 14 episodes "200" and "201", as one of several celebrities the show had lampooned over the years.

In the ''Sex and the City'' episode "Ex in the City", protagonist Carrie Bradshaw likens herself and her lovelife to that of Streisand's character, Katie Morosky in ''The Way We Were'' before breaking into a rendition of the title song.

In the 2002–04 Icebox.com cartoon and animated TV series ''Queer Duck'', the title character is obsessed with Streisand. He undergoes conversion therapy at a Christian camp to be "made" straight, but Streisand's magic nose returns him to his former sexual orientation.

In the ''American Dad!'' episode "In Country...Club", Roger prepares to watch a Streisand special where the entertainer sings the collected works of Celine Dion in Las Vegas.

In Season 1 Episode 12 of ''Boston Legal'', Denny Crane boasts that he once had a threesome with Shirley Schmidt and Barbra Streisand. Schmidt corrects him by reminding him that "Barbra Streisand" was actually a female impersonator.

In the ''Family Guy'' episode "Mind Over Murder", Lois sings a cabaret act with "Don't Rain on My Parade" — originally sung by Streisand in ''Funny Girl'' — only slowed down and jazzier, as an act of defiance to Peter. In "Stewie Kills Lois", Peter receives life insurance after Lois' apparent death, and claims that he has more money than Streisand. This was followed by a cut scene showing Streisand blowing money out of her nose. In "Wasted Talent", Streisand and husband James Brolin are shown sitting together at the dinner table, with Streisand remarking "I'm glad I married a regular person and not a celebrity".

Streisand is referenced frequently on the Fox TV musical series ''Glee''. The character Rachel (Lea Michele) mentions that Streisand refused to alter her nose in order to become famous in the show's third episode "Acafellas". Also, in the mid-season finale of ''Glee'', Rachel sings the Streisand anthem "Don't Rain on My Parade". In the episode "Hell-O", she says that she will be heartbroken for life, "Like Barbra in ''The Way We Were''." In the same episode, Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff) criticizes Rachel's performance of "Don't Rain on My Parade" by saying that she "lacked Barbra's emotional depth." In the episode "Theatricality", Rachel is spying on the opposing team's dance rehearsal when the director, Shelby Corcoran (Idina Menzel), expresses dissatisfaction at the team's routine. She demonstrates how it's done with the title song from ''Funny Girl'', and Rachel, sitting in the audience, whispers to her friend, "Exactly what I would have done — Barbra. I could do it in my sleep." On the episode Born This Way Barbara is mentioned when Rachel is debating whether or not to get a nose job, Kurt Hummel and the rest of the glee club set up a "Barbra-vention" of a flashmob to the popular hit "Barbra Streisand" by Duck Sauce. The characters of Kurt and Rachel also sang the Get Happy/Happy Days are Here Again duet originally heard during Streisand's 1963 appearance with Judy Garland on Garland's weekly TV series.

When ''Glee'' won the prize for "Best TV Series-Comedy Or Musical" at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards, creator Ryan Murphy quipped on stage, "Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press and Miss Barbra Streisand".

On film

In movies, Streisand is remembered as the favorite of the character Howard Brackett, played by Kevin Kline, who finally admits to being gay while standing at the altar in the 1997 romantic comedy ''In & Out''. His unfortunate bride-to-be, played by Joan Cusack, cries out in frustration to family and friends present, "Does anybody here KNOW how many times I've had to sit through ''Funny Lady''?" In an earlier scene, Howard is taunted by a friend during an argument at a bar with a jeering, "The studio thought that Barbra was too ol-l-ld to play ''Yentl''." The film also mentions the album ''Color Me Barbra''. Barbra's signature tune, "People", is played by a school orchestra in honor of teacher Howard as the story wraps at the end of the credits. This and similar references refer to her popularity among gay men.

In the 1980 musical film ''Fame'', one of the characters, Mrs. Finsecker, announces that Barbra Streisand did not have to change her name to get to the top. Also, Doris Finsecker, played by Maureen Teefy, sings "The Way We Were" for her audition to get into the drama department.

In the 1988 comedy, BIG, Tom Hanks goes home and to prove to his mother that he is her "little" boy he sings the first line of her favorite song, "Memories, like the corner of my mind..." from "The Way We Were."

In the 1993 romantic comedy ''Mrs. Doubtfire'', Robin Williams, while trying different looks to apply to the Mrs. Doubtfire character that he portrays, uses a wig "a la Streisand" and sings some lines from "Don't Rain on My Parade".

In the 1996 comedy "The Associate", Whoopi Goldberg plays a business woman, Laurel Ayers, who creates a business associate, Robert S. Cutty, who is said to have known and dated Streisand. In addition to having an autographed picture of Streisand in her office, Ayers also has a cross-dressing friend who dresses up to resemble Streisand throughout the film.

In the 1998 film adaptation of the novel ''Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas'' a teenage runaway played by Christina Ricci paints images of Streisand while being administered large amounts of LSD by Hunter Thompson's Samoan attorney.

In the 1999 film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut based on the TV series, Cartman shouted out Barbra Streisand's name and shot electricity out of his hands. She is also mentioned in a relationship conversation between the characters of Satan and Saddam Hussein.

In the 2000 remake of the comedy ''Bedazzled'', the Devil (Elizabeth Hurley) tells Elliot (Brendan Fraser): "It's not easy being the Barbra Streisand of evil, you know."

The characters Carla and Connie, as aspiring song-and-dance acts in the 2004 comedy ''Connie and Carla'', include four Streisand references. They sing "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" and "Memory" at an airport lounge and "Don't Rain on My Parade" onstage in a gay bar, and talk about the plot of ''Yentl'' at the climax of the film after they ask how many in their audience have seen the movie (everyone raised their hands).

In the 2005 animated feature ''Chicken Little'', Chicken's best friend Runt's mom says, after she thinks he is lying about seeing an alien spaceship, "Don't make me take away your Streisand collection!" and Runt returns with, "Mother, you leave Barbra out of this!" Also, she is referred to many times in the series "Gilmore Girls"

In music

Sound clips of Streisand's heated exchange with a supporter of former U.S. president George W. Bush were sampled in the 2009 Lucian Piane dance song "Bale Out", making it sound as if she were arguing with actor Christian Bale (whose recorded outbursts during the filming of ''Terminator Salvation'' were the centerpiece of the song).

"Barbra Streisand" is a disco house song by American-Canadian DJ duo Duck Sauce. It was released on 10 September 2010. The song peaked at number one in Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland and Austria. It became a top ten hit in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and the UK.

Her name consists both the title and the complete lyrics of Duck Sauce's 2010 disco house song "Barbra Streisand", which reached number 1 in the UK Dance charts. It also reached number 1 in several other countries.

On stage

Daniel Stern's 2003 Off-Broadway play ''Barbra's Wedding'' was set against the backdrop of Streisand's 1998 wedding to James Brolin.

The 2005 Broadway musical ''Spamalot'' carries the song "You won't succeed on Broadway" which references lines from "People" and "Papa, Can You Hear Me?".

The 2008 Broadway musical "Title of show" has a line where the character, Susan, was suggesting names for the title of the show. She threw out the name "Color Me Susan", a reference to Barbra's Color Me Barbra.

"Streisand effect"

In 2003, Streisand sued aerial photographer Kenneth Adelman for displaying a photograph of her Malibu, California home, along with other photos of the California coastline. Her suit was dismissed under the anti-SLAPP provisions of California law. Mike Masnick of Techdirt coined the term "Streisand effect" in January 2005 to describe the publicity generated by Streisand's efforts to suppress the publication of the photograph.

Awards

In 1984, Streisand was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. She also received the National Medal of Arts in 2000 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008. She was inducted as an officer of France's Legion of Honour in 2007.

Music awards

Streisand's works have been nominated for over 57 Grammy Awards; she won 15 of these, including two special awards. She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame three times. In 2011, she is honored as MusiCares Person of the Year by the Grammy Foundation.

Album of the Year Best Female Vocal Performance Best Female Vocal Performance Best Female Vocal Performance Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance AGVA Grammy Awards Singing Star of the Year People's Choice Awards rowspan="5" Best Pop Female Vocal Performance Singing Star of the Year rowspan="7" rowspan="3" rowspan="2" Singing Star of the Year People's Choice Awards rowspan="5" Best Pop Vocal Female Performance People's Choice Awards rowspan="16"Grammy Legend Award Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award rowspan="2" rowspan="3" rowspan="2" Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy Hall of Fame Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
rowspan="3"	1963	Grammy Awards	|	''The Barbra Streisand Album''
Best Female Vocal Performance
Record of the Year	Happy Days Are Here Again#Barbra Streisand version>Happy Days Are Here Again"
rowspan="3"	1964			''People'' ||
Album of the Year
Record of the Year
rowspan="2"	1965		|	''My Name Is Barbra''
Album of the Year
rowspan="2"	1966		|	''Color Me Barbra''
Album of the Year
1968	|		Funny Girl (film)>Funny Girl'' Soundtrack
1970	AGVA Georgie Award ||	Entertainer of the Year	—
rowspan="2"	1972	|	Best Pop Female Vocal Performance	"Sweet Inspiration / Where You Lead"
AGVA Georgie Award	|	—
1975	|		Favorite Female Singer of the Year
1976	Grammy Awards ||	Best Classical Vocal Soloist Performance	''Classical Barbra''
rowspan="5"	1977		"Evergreen" (from ''A Star Is Born'') ||
Song of the Year
Record of the Year
Best Original Score – Motion Picture or Television Special
AGVA Georgie Award	|	—
1978	Grammy Awards ||	Best Pop Female Vocal Performance	You Don't Bring Me Flowers (song)	You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (with Neil Diamond) |>
rowspan="2"	1979	Record of the Year
rowspan="2"	Best Pop Vocal Performance – Duo, Group, or Chorus
rowspan="5"	1980	Guilty (Barbra Streisand album)	Guilty'' (with Barry Gibb) |>
Album of the Year
Record of the Year	"Woman in Love"
Best Pop Vocal Female Performance
AGVA Georgie Awards	|	—
1985	|		Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer
rowspan="3"	1986	Grammy Awards ||	Best Pop Vocal Female Performance	''The Broadway Album''
Album of the Year
Best Instrumental Arrangement Acompanying Vocal	"Being Alive"
rowspan="2"	1987		''One Voice'' ||
Best Music Video Performance
1988	|	Favorite All-Time Musical Performer	—
1991	Grammy Awards ||	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance	"Warm All Over"
1992	|	—	Special award
1993	|	''Back to Broadway''
rowspan="3"	1994	|	—	Special award
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance	''Barbra: The Concert''
Best Pop Vocal Female Performance	"Ordinary Miracles"
rowspan="2"	1997	Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals ||	Tell Him (Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion song)>Tell Him" (with Celine Dion)
"I Finally Found Someone" (with Bryan Adams)
2000	Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album ||	''Timeless – Live In Concert''
2002	''Christmas Memories''
2003	''The Movie Album''
2004	Grammy Hall of Fame ||	Funny Girl (musical)>Funny Girl'' (Barbra Streisand and Sydney Chaplin)	Inducted
2006	''The Barbra Streisand Album''
2007	|	''Live in Concert 2006''
2008	|	The Way We Were (song)>The Way We Were"	Inducted
2011	|	Love Is the Answer (album)>Love Is the Answer''

Film awards

Streisand has won 2 Academy Awards (Oscar) against 5 nominations, 2 for acting, 2 for song writing and 1 for Best Picture,

Best Actress ''Hello, Dolly Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) Academy Awards Henrietta World Film Favorite Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) Academy Awards rowspan="3" Henrietta World Film Favorite Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) Best Actress in Motion Picture (Drama) Academy Awards Academy Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement

Year !! Award !! Category !! Work !! Result
rowspan="2"	1969	Academy Awards		''Funny Girl'' ||
rowspan="5"	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)
rowspan="2"	1970		(film)	Hello, Dolly!''
Henrietta Award	Henrietta World Film Favorite	—
rowspan="2"	1971	|	The Owl and the Pussycat (film)>The Owl and the Pussycat''
Henrietta World Film Favorite	—
rowspan="2"	1974	|	Best Actress	''The Way We Were''
rowspan="3"	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama)
1975	|	—	Special award
1976	|	''Funny Lady''
rowspan="3"	1977	|	Best Original Song	Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)	Evergreen" (from ''A Star Is Born'') |>
rowspan="6"	Golden Globe Awards	Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical)
Best Original Song
1978	|	—	Special award
rowspan="2"	1984		''Yentl'' ||
Best Director (Motion Picture)
1988	|	Nuts (film)>Nuts''
rowspan="2"	1992	|	Best Picture	''The Prince of Tides''
Golden Globe Awards	Best Director (Motion Picture)
rowspan="3"	1997	|	Best Original Song	"I Finally Found Someone" (from ''The Mirror Has Two Faces'')
rowspan="3"	Golden Globe Awards	|	''The Mirror Has Two Faces''
Best Original Song	"I Finally Found Someone" (from ''The Mirror Has Two Faces'')
2000	|	—	Special award

Appearances

Broadway performances

Year !! Title !! Notes
1961–1963	''I Can Get It for You Wholesale''	Nominated—Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
1964–1965	Funny Girl (musical)>Funny Girl''

West End performances

Year !! Title !! Notes
1966	Funny Girl (musical)>Funny Girl''	April 13, 1966 – July 16, 1966 at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London.

Television specials

Year !! Title !! Notes
1965	''My Name Is Barbra''	Aired April 28, 1965
1966	Color Me Barbra'' >
1967	''The Belle of 14th Street''
1968	''A Happening in Central Park''
1973	''Barbra Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments''
1975	''Funny Girl to Funny Lady''
1976	''Barbra: With One More Look at You''
1983	''A Film Is Born: The Making of 'Yentl'''
1986	''Putting it Together: The Making of The Broadway Album''
1987	One Voice (Barbra Streisand album)>One Voice''
1994	''Barbra Streisand: The Concert''
2001	''Barbra Streisand: Timeless''
2009	''Streisand: Live in Concert''
2009	''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''

Tours and live performances

North America ''Barbra Streisand: The Concert Tour'' ''Timeless: Live in Concert Tour'' ''Streisand: The Tour''

Year !! Title !! Continents !! Box-office benefits !! Total audience
1966	''An Evening with Barbra Streisand (Tour)''	|	$480,000	60,000
1994	|	North America and Europe	$50 million	400,000
2000	|	North America and Oceania	$70 million	200,000
2006–2007	|	North America and Europe	$119.5 million	425,000

Discography

1963: ''The Barbra Streisand Album''

1963: ''The Second Barbra Streisand Album''

1964: ''The Third Album''

1964: ''Funny Girl''

1964: ''People''

1965: ''My Name Is Barbra''

1965: ''My Name Is Barbra, Two...''

1966: ''Color Me Barbra''

1966: ''Je m'appelle Barbra''

1967: ''Simply Streisand''

1967: ''A Christmas Album''

1969: ''What About Today?''

1971: ''Stoney End''

1971: ''Barbra Joan Streisand''

1972: ''Live Concert at the Forum''

1973: ''Barbra Streisand...And Other Musical Instruments''

1974: ''The Way We Were''

1974: ''ButterFly''

1975: ''Lazy Afternoon''

1976: ''Classical Barbra''

1977: ''Streisand Superman''

1978: ''Songbird''

1979: ''Wet''

1979: ''The Main Event (1979 film)''

1980: ''Guilty''

1981: ''Memories''

1983: ''Yentl - Motion picture soundtrack''

1984: ''Emotion''

1985: ''The Broadway Album''

1986: ''One Voice - Live Concert''

1988: ''Till I Loved You''

1989: ''Barbra Streisand - A Collection: Greatest Hits & More''

1993: ''Back to Broadway''

1997: ''Higher Ground''

1999: ''A Love Like Ours''

2001: ''Christmas Memories''

2003: ''The Movie Album''

2005: ''Guilty Pleasures''

2009: ''Love Is the Answer''

2011: ''What Matters Most''

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
1968		Fanny Brice	Academy Award for Best Actress Tied with Katharine Hepburn for ''The Lion in Winter''David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress Tied with Mia Farrow for ''Rosemary's Baby''Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role also for ''Hello, Dolly!''
1969		Dolly Levi
		Daisy Gamble / Melinda Tentres
	Doris Wilgus/Wadsworth/Wellington/Waverly	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
		Judy Maxwell
''Up the Sandbox''	Margaret Reynolds
1973	''The Way We Were''	Katie Morosky	David di Donatello for Best Actress
1974		Henrietta 'Henry' Robbins
1975	''[[Funny Lady''	Fanny Brice	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1976		Esther Hoffman Howard	Academy Award for Best Original Song Shared with Paul Williams (lyrics) for the song "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)"Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song Shared with Paul Williams (lyrics) for the song "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)"Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Film Music Shared with Paul Williams, Kenny Ascher, Rupert Holmes, Leon Russell, Kenny Loggins, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Donna Weiss
1979		Hillary Kramer
1981		Cheryl Gibbons	Nominated-Razzie Award for Worst Actress
1983		Yentl/Anshel
1987		Claudia Faith Draper	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1991	''The Prince of Tides''	Dr. Susan Lowenstein	(also director and producer)Nominated—Academy Award for Best Picture Shared with Andrew S. KarschNominated—Directors Guild of America AwardNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Director
1996	''The Mirror Has Two Faces''	Rose Morgan	(also director and producer)Nominated—Academy Award for Best Original Song Shared with Marvin Hamlisch, Robert John Lange and Bryan Adams for the song "I Finally Found Someone"Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Shared with Marvin Hamlisch, Robert John Lange and Bryan Adams for the song "I Finally Found Someone"
2004	''Meet the Fockers''	Roz Focker
2010	''Little Fockers''	Roz Focker	Nominated-Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress
2012	''Guilt Trip''	Joyce Brewster

References

Further reading

External links

Barbra-Archives.com

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Category:Article Feedback Pilot Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dance musicians Category:American female pop singers Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American stage actors Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners Category:Best Song Academy Award winning songwriters Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Erasmus Hall High School alumni Category:Female film directors Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Category:MusiCares Person of the Year Honorees Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American composers and songwriters Category:Jewish singers Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:New York Democrats Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Singers from New York City Category:Tony Award winners Category:Torch singers Category:United States National Medal of Arts recipients

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Bee Gees
origin
background	group_or_band
genre	Pop, soft rock, blue-eyed soul, disco
years active	1958–2003, 2009–present
label	Polydor, RSO, Warner Bros.
associated acts	Andy Gibb
website
current members	Barry GibbRobin Gibb
past members	Maurice GibbColin PetersenVince MelouneyGeoff Bridgford }}

The Bee Gees are a musical group that was originally made up of three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a foremost act of the disco music era in the late 1970s. The group sang three-part tight harmonies that were instantly recognisable; Robin's clear vibrato lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B; falsetto became their signature sound during the late 1970s and 1980s. The brothers co-wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists.

Born in the Isle of Man to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived their first few years in Chorlton, Manchester, England, then moved in the late 1950s to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers. After achieving their first chart success in Australia with "Spicks and Specks" (their 12th single), they returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 where producer Robert Stigwood began promoting them to a worldwide audience. It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' career record sales total more than 220 million, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997; the presenter of the award to "Britain's first family of harmony" was Brian Wilson, historical leader of the Beach Boys, a "family act" also featuring three harmonising brothers. The Bee Gees' Hall of Fame citation says "Only Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks and Paul McCartney have outsold the Bee Gees".

Following Maurice's sudden death in January 2003, Barry and Robin Gibb ended the group after 45 years of activity. In 2009, however, Robin announced that he and Barry had agreed that the Bee Gees would reform and perform again.

History

Early years

Barry Gibb (born 1946) and twin brothers Robin (born 1949) and Maurice Gibb (1949–2003) were born on the Isle of Man, but the family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England where they went to Oswald Road Primary School, in the early 1950s where the boys began to sing in harmony. The story is told that they were going to lip sync to a record in the local Gaumont cinema (as other children had done on previous weeks) and as they were running to the theatre, the heavy 78-RPM record broke. The brothers had to sing live and received such a positive response from the audience that they decided to pursue a singing career.

In 1958, the Gibb family, including infant brother Andy (1958–1988), emigrated to Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The young brothers began performing where they could to raise pocket money. First called ''the Rattlesnakes'', later ''Wee Johnny Hayes & the Bluecats'', they were introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who saw them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circuit). Gates renamed them the "Bee Gees" after his and Goode's initials – thus the name was not specifically a reference to "Brothers Gibb", despite popular belief.

By 1960, the Bee Gees were featured on television shows, and in the next few years began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye for his songwriting, and Joye helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records subsidiary Leedon Records in 1963 under the name "Bee Gees." The three released two or three singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists.

A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women", led to the group's first LP ''The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs''. However, by 1966 Festival was on the verge of dropping them from the Leedon roster because of their perceived lack of commercial success. It was at this time that they met American-born songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Nat Kipner, who had just been appointed A&R; manager of a new independent label, Spin Records. Kipner briefly took over as the group's manager and successfully negotiated their transfer to Spin in exchange for Festival being granted the Australian distribution rights to the group's recordings.

Through Kipner, the Bee Gees met engineer-producer Ossie Byrne. He produced (or co-produced with Kipner) many of the earlier Spin recordings, most of which were cut at his own small self-built St Clair Studio, in the Sydney suburb of Hurstville. Byrne gave the Gibb brothers virtually unlimited access to St Clair Studio over a period of several months in mid-1966 and the group later acknowledged that this enabled them to greatly improve their skills as recording artists. During this productive time they recorded a large batch of original material—including the song that would become their first major hit, "Spicks and Specks" (on which Byrne played the trumpet coda) – as well as cover versions of current hits by overseas acts such as The Beatles. They regularly collaborated with other local musicians, including members of beat band Steve & The Board, led by Steve Kipner, Nat's teenage son.

Frustrated by their lack of success, the Gibbs decided to return to England in late 1966. Ossie Byrne travelled with them, and Colin Petersen, who eventually became the group's drummer, followed soon after. While at sea in January 1967, they learned that "Spicks and Specks", a No. 1 hit in October 1966 had been awarded Best Single of the Year by ''Go-Set'', Australia's most popular and influential music newspaper.

Late 1960s – first international fame

Before their departure from Australia to England, Hugh Gibb sent demos to Brian Epstein who managed The Beatles and was director of NEMS, a British music store and promoter. Brian Epstein had passed the demo tapes to Robert Stigwood, who had recently joined NEMS. After an audition with Stigwood in February 1967, the Bee Gees were signed to a five-year contract whereby Polydor Records would be the Bee Gees' record label in the United Kingdom, and ATCO Records would be the United States distributor. Work quickly began on the group's first international album, and Robert Stigwood launched a promotional campaign to coincide with its release.

Stigwood proclaimed that the Bee Gees were "The Most Significant New Talent Of 1967" and thus began the immediate comparison to The Beatles. Their second British single (their first UK 45 rpm issued was "Spicks and Specks"), "New York Mining Disaster 1941", was issued to radio stations with a blank white label listing only the song title. Some DJs immediately assumed this was a new Beatles' single and started playing the song in heavy rotation. This helped the song climb into the Top 20 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. No such chicanery was needed to boost the Bee Gees' second single, "To Love Somebody", into the US Top 20. Originally written for Otis Redding, "To Love Somebody" was a soulful ballad sung by Barry, which has since become a pop standard covered by hundreds of artists including Gram Parsons, Rod Stewart, Bonnie Tyler, Janis Joplin, The Animals, Nina Simone, and Michael Bolton. Another single, "Holiday" was released in the United States, peaking at No. 16. The parent album, the erroneously titled ''Bee Gees 1st'', peaked at No. 7 in the United States and No. 8 in the United Kingdom.

Following the success of ''Bee Gees 1st'', the band (which now consisted of Barry on rhythm guitar, Maurice on bass, Vince Melouney on lead guitar and Colin Petersen on drums),. began work on the act's second album. Released in late 1967, ''Horizontal'' repeated the success of their first album, featuring the No. 1 UK single "Massachusetts" (a No. 11 US hit), and the No. 7 UK single "World". The sound of the album ''Horizontal'' had a more "rock" sound than their previous release, though ballads like "And The Sun Will Shine" and "Really And Sincerely" were also prominent. The ''Horizontal'' album reached No. 12 in the US, and No. 16 in the UK promoting the record, the Bee Gees made their first appearances in America, playing live concerts and television shows such as ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''Laugh In''.

Two more singles followed in early 1968, the ballad "Words" (No. 15 US, No. 8 UK) and the double A-sided single "Jumbo" b/w "The Singer Sang His Song". "Jumbo" was the Bee Gees' least successful single to date only reaching No. 57 in the US, and No. 25 in the UK. The Bee Gees felt that "The Singer Sang His Song" was the stronger of the two sides, an opinion shared by listeners in the Netherlands, who made it a No. 3 hit. Further Bee Gees chart singles followed: "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" (No. 8 US, No. 1 UK) and "I Started A Joke" (No. 6 US), both culled from the band's third album ''Idea''. ''Idea'' was another Top 20 album in the US (No. 17) and the UK (No. 4). Following the tour and TV special to promote the album, Vince Melouney left the group, feeling that he wanted to play more of a blues style music than the Gibbs were writing. Melouney did achieve one feat while with the Bee Gees—his composition "Such A Shame" (from ''Idea'') is the only song on any Bee Gees album not written by a Gibb brother.

By 1969, the cracks began to show within the group. Robin began to feel that Stigwood had been favouring Barry as the frontman. Their next album, which was to have been a concept album called ''Masterpeace'', evolved into the double-album ''Odessa''. Most rock critics felt this was the best Bee Gees album of the 60s, with its progressive rock feel on the title track, the country-flavoured "Marley Purt Drive" and "Give Your Best", and signature ballads such as "Melody Fair" and "First Of May"; the last of which became the only single from the album, and was a minor hit. Feeling that the flipside, "Lamplight" should have been the A-side, Robin quit the group in mid-1969 and launched a solo career. Robin Gibb saw brief success in Europe with the No. 2 hit "Saved By The Bell" and the album ''Robin's Reign''. Barry and Maurice continued as the Bee Gees, even recruiting their sister Lesley to appear with them on stage.

The first of many Bee Gees compilations, ''Best of Bee Gees'' was released, featuring the non-LP single "Words" plus the Australian hit "Spicks and Specks" The CD release replaces "Spicks and Specks" with another non-LP single "Tomorrow Tomorrow", because Polydor could no longer secure the rights to the Australian track. "Tomorrow Tomorrow" was a moderate hit in the UK reaching No. 23, but stalled at No. 54 in the US. The compilation reached the Top Ten in both the US and the UK.

While Robin was off on his own, Barry, Maurice, and Colin continued on as the Bee Gees, recording their next album, ''Cucumber Castle''. There was also a TV special filmed to accompany the album, which aired on the BBC in 1971. Colin Petersen played drums on the tracks recorded for the album, but was fired from the group after filming began and his parts were edited out of the final cut of the film. After Colin was fired, Australian drummer Geoff Bridgford was recruited to complete the recording of songs for Cucumber Castle. The leadoff single, "Don't Forget to Remember" was a big hit in the UK reaching No. 2, but a disappointment in the US, only reaching No. 73. The next 2 singles, "I.O.I.O." and "If I Only Had My Mind on Something Else" barely scraped the charts, and following the release of the album, Barry and Maurice parted ways. It seemed that the Bee Gees were finished. Barry recorded a solo album which never saw official release, though "I'll Kiss Your Memory" was released as a single, without much interest. Meanwhile, Maurice released the single "Railroad", and starred in the West End musical ''Sing A Rude Song''.

Early 1970s

The three brothers reunited in the later part of 1970 penning a series of songs about heartache and loneliness. During this period they became a four piece band joined again by Australian drummer Geoff Bridgford who after playing on the 2 Years On album and Trafalgar album became the last non-Gibb brother to be a member of the Bee Gees. Although they had lost traction on the British charts, the Bee Gees hit No. 3 in America with "Lonely Days" (from the reunion LP ''2 Years On'') and had their first US No. 1 with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (from ''Trafalgar''). The trio's talents were included in the soundtrack for the 1971 film ''Melody'' as they performed several songs for the title. In 1972, they hit No. 16 in America with the single "My World" and "Run To Me" from the LP ''To Whom It May Concern''; the latter also returned them to the British top ten for the first time in three years.

By 1973, however, the Bee Gees were in a rut. The album, ''Life in a Tin Can'', released on RSO Records and its lead-off single, "Saw a New Morning," sold poorly with the single peaking at No. 94. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as ''A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants''). A second compilation album, ''Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2'' was released in 1973, though it did not repeat the success of Volume 1.

On the advice of Ahmet Ertegün, head of their US label Atlantic Records, Stigwood arranged for the group to record with famed soul music producer Arif Mardin. The resulting LP, ''Mr. Natural'', included fewer ballads and foreshadowed the R&B; direction of the rest of their career. But when it too failed to attract much interest, Mardin encouraged them to work with the soul music style.

The brothers attempted to assemble a live stage band that could replicate their studio sound. Lead guitarist Alan Kendall had come on board in 1971, but did not have much to do until ''Mr. Natural''. For that album, they added drummer Dennis Bryon, and they later added ex-Strawbs keyboard player Blue Weaver, completing the late 1970s "Bee Gees band". Maurice, who had previously performed on piano, guitar, organ, mellotron, and bass guitar, as well as exotica like mandolin and Moog synthesiser, now confined himself to bass onstage.

At Eric Clapton's suggestion, the brothers relocated to Miami, Florida, early in 1975 to record. After starting off with ballads, they eventually heeded the urging of Mardin and Stigwood and crafted more rhythmic disco songs, including their second US No. 1, "Jive Talkin'", along with US No. 7 "Nights on Broadway." The latter featured Barry Gibb's first attempts at singing falsetto based on Arif Mardin's suggestion, in the backing vocals toward the end. Robin also began singing some passages in a falsetto pitch. The band liked the resulting new sound, and this time the public agreed, sending the LP ''Main Course'' up the charts. This was their second album to have two US top-10 singles since 1968's ''Idea''. ''Main Course'' also became their first charting R&B; album. Mardin was unable to work with the group afterwards, but the Bee Gees enlisted Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson who had worked with Mardin during the ''Main Course'' sessions. This production team would carry the Bee Gees through the rest of the 1970s.

The next album, ''Children of the World,'' was drenched in Barry's newfound falsetto and Weaver's synthesiser disco licks. Led off by the single "You Should Be Dancing," it pushed the Bee Gees to a level of stardom they had not previously achieved in the US, though their new R&B;/disco sound was not as popular with some die hard fans from the 1960s. The Bee Gees' band was now closer to a rock act, with rhythm guitar and real drums behind the falsetto.

Late 1970s: ''Saturday Night Fever''

Following a successful live album, ''Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live'', the Bee Gees agreed with Stigwood to participate in the creation of the ''Saturday Night Fever soundtrack''. It would be the turning point of their career. The cultural impact of both the film and the soundtrack was seismic, not only in the United States but in the rest of the world, bringing the nascent disco scene mainstream.

The band's involvement in the film did not begin until post-production. As John Travolta asserted, "The Bee Gees weren't even involved in the movie in the beginning ... I was dancing to Stevie Wonder and Boz Scaggs." Producer Robert Stigwood commissioned the Bee Gees to create the songs for the film. The brothers wrote the songs "virtually in a single weekend" at France's Château d'Hérouville studio. Barry Gibb remembered the reaction when Stigwood and music supervisor Bill Oakes arrived and listened to the demos:

Bill Oakes, who supervised the soundtrack, asserts that ''Saturday Night Fever'' did not begin the disco craze; rather, it prolonged it: "Disco had run its course. These days, ''Fever'' is credited with kicking off the whole disco thing–-it really didn't. Truth is, it breathed new life into a genre that was actually dying."

Three Bee Gees singles ("How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive", and "Night Fever") reached No. 1 in the United States and most countries around the world, launching the most popular period of the disco era. They also penned the song "If I Can't Have You" which became a No. 1 hit for Yvonne Elliman, while the Bee Gees' own version was the B-Side of "Stayin' Alive." Such was the popularity of ''Saturday Night Fever'' that two different versions of the song "More Than a Woman" received airplay, one by the Bee Gees, which was relegated to album track, and another by Tavares, which was the hit. The Gibb sound was inescapable. During an eight-month period beginning in the Christmas season of 1977, the brothers wrote six songs that held the No. 1 position on the US charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks—three under their own name, two for brother Andy Gibb, and the Yvonne Elliman single.

Fueled by the movie's success, the soundtrack broke multiple industry records, becoming the highest-selling album in recording history to that point. With more than 40 million copies sold, ''Saturday Night Fever'' is among music's top five best selling soundtrack albums. It is currently calculated as the 9th highest-selling album worldwide.

During this era, Barry and Robin also wrote "Emotion" for an old friend, Australian vocalist Samantha Sang, who made it a Top Ten hit (the Bee Gees sang back-up vocals). Barry also wrote the title song to the movie version of the Broadway musical ''Grease'' for Frankie Valli to perform, which went to No. 1. During this period, the Bee Gees' younger brother Andy followed his older siblings into a music career, and enjoyed considerable success. Produced by Barry, Andy Gibb's first three singles all topped the US charts. In March 1978, The Bee Gees held the top 2 positions on the US Charts with "Night Fever" and "Stayin' Alive", the first time this had happened since the Beatles. On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for 25 March 1978, five songs written by the Gibbs were in the US top ten at the same time: "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive", "If I Can't Have You", "Emotion" and "Love is Thicker Than Water". Such chart dominance hadn't been seen since April 1964, when the Beatles had all five of the top five American singles. Barry Gibb became the only songwriter to have four consecutive number one hits in the US breaking the John Lennon and Paul McCartney 1964 record. These songs were "Stayin' Alive", "Love Is Thicker Than Water", "Night Fever", "If I Can't Have You".

The Bee Gees also co-starred with Peter Frampton in the movie ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (1978) loosely inspired by the classic 1967 Beatles album. The film had been heavily promoted prior to release, and was expected to enjoy great commercial success. However, the disjointed film was savaged by the movie critics, and ignored by the public. Though some of its tracks charted, the soundtrack too was a high-profile flop. The single "Oh! Darling", credited to Robin Gibb, reached No. 15 in the US. Previously, the Bee Gees had recorded three Beatles covers—"Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" and "Sun King" – for the transitory musical documentary ''All This and World War II''.

The Bee Gees' follow-up to ''Saturday Night Fever'' was the ''Spirits Having Flown'' album. It yielded three more No. 1 hits: "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy", and "Love You Inside Out." This gave the act six consecutive No. No. 1 singles in America within a year and a half (a record surpassed only by Whitney Houston). "Too Much Heaven" ended up as the Bee Gees' musical contribution to the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979, a benefit organised by the Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood, and David Frost for UNICEF that was broadcast worldwide. The brothers donated the royalties from the song to the charity. Up to 2007, this song has earned over $11 million for UNICEF. During the summer of 1979, The Bee Gees embarked on their largest concert tour covering the US and Canada. The Spirits Having Flown tour capitalised on Bee Gees fever that was sweeping the nation, with sold out concerts in 38 cities. The Bee Gees produced a video for the title track of "Too Much Heaven" directed by Miami-based film-maker, Martin Pitts and produced by Charles Allen. With this video, Pitts and Allen began a long association with the brothers.

The Bee Gees even had a country hit in 1979 with "Rest Your Love On Me", the flip side of their pop hit "Too Much Heaven", which made Top 40 on the country charts. In 1981, Conway Twitty's version of "Rest Your Love On Me" topped the country charts.

The Bee Gees' overwhelming success rose and fell with the disco bubble. By the end of 1979, disco was rapidly declining in popularity, and the backlash against disco put the Bee Gees' American career in a tailspin. Radio stations around America began promoting "Bee Gee Free Weekends". Following their remarkable run from 1975 to 1979, the act would have only one more top ten single in the US, and that would not come until 1989. The Bee Gees' international popularity sustained somewhat less damage. Barry Gibb considered the success of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack both a blessing and a curse:

1980s

Robin and Barry Gibb released various solo albums in the 1980s but only with sporadic and moderate chart success. However, the brothers had continuing success behind the scenes, writing and producing for several artists. In 1980, Barry Gibb worked with Barbra Streisand on her album ''Guilty''. He co-produced and wrote or co-wrote all nine of the album's tracks (four of them written with Robin and the title track with both Robin and Maurice). Barry also appeared on the album's cover with Streisand, and duetted with her on two tracks. The album reached No.1 in both the US and the UK, as did the single "Woman in Love" (written by Barry and Robin), becoming Streisand's most successful single and album to date.

In 1982, Dionne Warwick enjoyed a UK No.2 and US Adult Contemporary No. 1 with her comeback single, "Heartbreaker", taken from her album of the same name written largely by the Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry Gibb. The album reached No.3 in the UK and the Top 30 in the US where it was certified Gold.

A year later, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers recorded the Bee Gees-penned track "Islands in the Stream", which became a US No. 1 hit and Top 10 in the UK. Rogers' 1983 album, ''Eyes That See In The Dark'', was written entirely by the Bee Gees and co-produced by Barry. The album was a Top 10 hit in the US and was certified Double Platinum.

In 1985, Diana Ross released the album ''Eaten Alive'', written by the Bee Gees, with the title track co-written with Michael Jackson (who also performed on the track). The album was again co-produced by Barry Gibb and the single "Chain Reaction" gave Ross a UK and Australian No.1 hit.

In 1981, the Bee Gees released the album ''Living Eyes'', their last release on RSO. This album was the first CD ever played in public, when it was played to viewers of the BBC show ''Tomorrow's World''. With the disco backlash still running strong, the album failed to make the UK or US Top 40. Two singles from the album fared little better - "He's a Liar" reached No. 30 in the US and "Living Eyes" reached No. 45, breaking the Bee Gees' Top 40 streak which started in 1975 with "Jive Talkin'". In 1983, the Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to ''Staying Alive'', the sequel to ''Saturday Night Fever''. The soundtrack was certified platinum in the US, and included their Top 30 hit "The Woman in You".

In 1983, the band was sued by Chicago songwriter Ronald Selle, who claimed that the brothers stole melodic material from one of his songs, "Let It End", and used it in "How Deep Is Your Love". At first, the Bee Gees lost the case; one juror said that a factor in the jury's decision was the Gibbs' failure to introduce expert testimony rebutting the plaintiff's expert testimony that it was "impossible" for the two songs to have been written independently. However, the verdict was overturned a few months later.

The Bee Gees released the album ''E.S.P.'' in 1987, which sold over 3 million copies. It was their first album in six years, and their first for Warner Bros. Records. The single "You Win Again" went to No. 1 in numerous countries, including Britain, but was a disappointment in the US, charting at No. 75. The Bee Gees voiced their frustration over American radio stations not playing their new European hit single, an omission which the group felt led to poor sales of their current album in the States.

On 10 March 1988, younger brother Andy died at the age 30 as a result of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle due to a recent viral infection. His brothers acknowledge that Andy's past drug and alcohol use probably made his heart more susceptible to the ailment. Just before Andy's death, it was decided by the group that Andy would join them, which would have made the group a four piece. This did not come to pass, however. The Bee Gees' following album, ''One'' (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here". The album also contained their first US top ten hit (No. 7) in a decade, "One". After the album's release, they embarked on their first world tour in ten years.

1990s

In 1990, Polydor Records issued the box set ''Tales from the Brothers Gibb: A History in Song'', which contained all of the group's singles (except 1981's "Living Eyes"), rare B-sides, unreleased tracks, solo material, and live performances. Many songs received new stereo mixes by Bill Inglot with some songs making their CD debut. At the time of its release, ''Tales'' was one of the first box sets issued in the music business and it was considered an honour for a group to have one. In the UK, Polydor issued a single disc hits collection from ''Tales'' called ''The Very Best of the Bee Gees'', which contained their biggest UK hits. The album became one of their best selling albums in that country, eventually being certified Triple Platinum.

Following their next album, ''High Civilization'' (1991), which contained the UK top five hit "Secret Love", the Bee Gees went on a European tour. After the tour, Barry Gibb began to battle a serious back problem, which required surgery. In addition, he also suffered from arthritis, and at one point, it was so severe that it was doubtful that he would be able to play guitar for much longer. Also in the early 1990s, Maurice Gibb finally sought treatment for his alcoholism, which he had battled for many years, with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In 1993, the group returned to the Polydor label, and released the album ''Size Isn't Everything'', which contained the UK top five hit "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Success still eluded them in the US, however, as the first single released, "Paying the Price of Love" only managed to reach No. 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 while the parent album stalled at No. 153.

In 1997, they released the album ''Still Waters'', which sold over four million copies, and reached No.2 in the UK (their highest album chart position there since 1979) and No.11 in the US. The album's first single, "Alone", gave them another UK Top 5 hit and a top 30 hit in the US. ''Still Waters'' would be the band's most successful US release of their post-RSO era.

On 14 November 1997, the Bee Gees performed a live concert in Las Vegas called ''One Night Only''. The show included a performance of "Our Love (Don't Throw It All Away)" synchronised with a vocal by their deceased brother Andy and a cameo appearance by Celine Dion singing "Immortality". The CD of the performance sold over 5 million copies. The "One Night Only" name grew out of the band's declaration that, due to Barry's health issues, the Las Vegas show was to be the final live performance of their career. After the immensely positive audience response to the Vegas concert, Barry decided to continue despite the pain, and the concert expanded into their last full-blown world tour of "One Night Only" concerts. The tour included playing to 56,000 people at London's Wembley Stadium on 5 September 1998 and concluded in the newly built Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia on 27 March 1999 to an audience exceeding 105,000.

In 1998, the group's soundtrack for ''Saturday Night Fever'' was incorporated into a stage production produced first in the West End and then on Broadway. They wrote three new songs for the adaptation. Also in 1998 the brothers recorded ''Ellan Vannin'' for Isle of Man charities. Known as the unofficial national anthem of the Isle of Man, the brothers performed the song during their world tour to reflect their pride in the place of their birth.

The Bee Gees closed the decade with what turned out to be their last full-sized concert, known as ''BG2K'', on 31 December 1999.

2000s

In 2001, the group released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, ''This Is Where I Came In''. The album was another success, reaching the Top 10 in the UK (being certified Gold), and the Top 20 in the US. The title track was also a UK Top 20 hit single. The album gave each each member of the group a chance to write in his own way, as well as composing songs together. For example, Maurice's compositions and leads are the "Man in the Middle" and "Walking on Air," while Robin contributed "Déjà Vu," "Promise the Earth," and "Embrace," and Barry contributed "Loose Talk Costs Lives," "Technicolour Dreams", and "Voice in the Wilderness". The other songs are collaborative in writing and vocals. They performed many tracks from ''This Is Where I Came In'', plus many of their biggest hits, on the live televised concert series ''Live by Request'', shown on the A&E; Network. The last concert of the Bee Gees as a trio was at the ''Love and Hope Ball'' in 2002.

Maurice, who had been the musical director of the Bee Gees during their final years as a group, died unexpectedly on 12 January 2003 at the age of 53 from a heart attack, while awaiting emergency surgery to repair a strangulated intestine. Initially, his surviving brothers announced that they intended to carry on the name "Bee Gees" in his memory. But as time passed they decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the three brothers together.

The same week that Maurice died, Robin's solo album ''Magnet'' was released. On 23 February 2003, the Bee Gees received the Grammy Legend Award. Barry and Robin accepted as well as Maurice's son, Adam, in a tearful ceremony.

Although there was talk of a memorial concert featuring both surviving brothers and invited guests, nothing materialised. Barry and Robin continued to work independently, and both released recordings with other artists, occasionally coming together to perform at special events.

After the Bee Gees

In late 2004, Robin embarked on a solo tour of Germany, Russia and Asia. During January 2005, Barry, Robin and several legendary rock artists recorded "Grief Never Grows Old," the official tsunami relief record for the Disasters Emergency Committee. Later that year, Barry reunited with Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album ''Guilty Pleasures'', released as ''Guilty Too'' in the UK as a sequel album to the previous ''Guilty''. Robin continued touring in Europe. Also in 2004, Barry recorded his song "I Cannot Give You My Love" with Cliff Richard, which became a UK top 20 hit single.

In February 2006, Barry and Robin reunited on stage for a Miami charity concert to benefit the Diabetes Research Institute. It was their first public performance together since the death of brother Maurice. Barry and Robin also played at the 30th annual Prince's Trust Concert in the UK on 20 May 2006.

In October 2008, Robin performed a couple of songs in London as part of the BBC Electric Proms ''Saturday Night Fever'' performance. This involved various other performers and the BBC Concert Orchestra and was screened on the BBC and BBC interactive services.

Return to performing

On 1 September 2009, Barry Gibb, in an interview with Easy Mix radio host Tim Roxborough, mentioned on the subject of future tours that "they will be back"; but in an agreement with Warner/Rhino they would not make an announcement at that time. On 7 September 2009, Robin Gibb disclosed to Jonathan Agnew that he had been in touch with Barry Gibb and that they had agreed that the Bee Gees would re-form and "perform again".

Barry and Robin performed on the BBC's ''Strictly Come Dancing'' on 31 October 2009 and appeared on ABC-TV's ''Dancing with the Stars'' on 17 November 2009.

On 15 March 2010, Barry and Robin inducted the Swedish group ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 26 May 2010, the two made a surprise appearance on the ninth season finale of ''American Idol''.

In October 2010, Robin Gibb was interviewed by the ''Daily Mail'', and confirmed that the story of the Bee Gees is to be made into a Hollywood movie by Steven Spielberg. The Oscar-winning director believes the group’s journey from unknowns in Manchester to worldwide fame will prove box-office gold. Robin told the ''Daily Mail'': "The movie is going to be done by some very important people. It will be our life story. Barry and I will be involved in the technical side". One of the challenges for Spielberg will be replicating the brothers’ distinctive three-part harmonies and Barry’s falsetto voice. Robin said: "I’d like our original recordings to be used because it’s very hard to emulate them."

Songwriting success

The Bee Gees have sold in excess of 220 million records worldwide. At one point in 1978, the Gibb brothers were responsible for writing and/or performing 9 of the songs in the Billboard Hot 100. In all, the Gibbs placed 13 singles onto the Hot 100 in 1978, with 12 making the Top 40.

At least 2,500 artists have recorded their songs. Their most popular composition is "How Deep Is Your Love", with 400 versions by other artists in existence. Among the artists who have covered their songs are Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Al Green, Eric Clapton, Lulu, Elton John, Tom Jones, Nina Simone, John Frusciante (who has covered "How Deep Is Your Love" during Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts), Feist, Billy Corgan, Michael Bolton, Robert Smith, Ardijah, Jinusean, Faith No More, The Flaming Lips and Destiny's Child. The band's music has also been sampled by dozens of hip hop artists.

Songs written by the Gibbs, but largely better known through versions by other artists, include:

"Immortality" by Celine Dion

"If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman

"Chain Reaction" by Diana Ross

"Spicks and Specks" by Status Quo

"Emotion" by Samantha Sang and by Destiny's Child

"Come On Over" by Olivia Newton-John

"Warm Ride" by Graham Bonnet and by Rare Earth

"Guilty" and "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand

"Heartbreaker" & "All The Love In The World" by Dionne Warwick

"Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

"Grease" by Frankie Valli

"Hold On To My Love" by Jimmy Ruffin

"Only One Woman" by The Marbles

"Morning of My Life" by Abi and Esther Ofarim

"Rest Your Love on Me" by Conway Twitty

"Buried Treasure" by Kenny Rogers (backing vocals The Gatlin Brothers)

"Ain't Nothing Gonna Keep Me From You" by Teri DeSario

"I Will Be There" by Tina Turner

Awards and recognition

Inductions

1979 Hollywood Walk of Fame

1994 Songwriters Hall of Fame

1995 Florida's Artists Hall of Fame

1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

1997 ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall of Fame

2001 Vocal Group Hall of Fame

2004 Dance Music Hall of Fame

2005 London's Walk of Fame

Grammy Awards

1978 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Group – "How Deep Is Your Love"

1979 Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group – "Saturday Night Fever"

1979 Best Arrangement Of Voices – "Stayin' Alive"

1979 Album Of The Year – "Saturday Night Fever"

1979 Producer Of The Year – "Saturday Night Fever"

1981 Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal – "Guilty" (Barry Gibb with Barbra Streisand)

2000 Lifetime Achievement Award

2003 Legend Award

2004 Hall Of Fame Award – "Saturday Night Fever"

World Music Awards

1997 Legend Award

American Music Awards

1979 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group

1979 Favorite Soul / R&B; Album – "Saturday Night Fever"

1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Band, Duo Or Group

1980 Favorite Pop / Rock Album – "Spirits Having Flown"

1997 International Artist Award

BRIT Awards

1997 Outstanding Contribution To Music

BMI Awards

On 15 May 2007, The Bee Gees were named BMI Icons at the 55th annual BMI Pop Awards. Collectively, Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb have earned 109 BMI Pop, Country and Latin Awards.

Commemorative stamps

In October 1999 the Isle of Man Post Office unveiled a set of 6 stamps honouring their native sons' music. The official launch took place at the London Palladium where the stage show of ''Saturday Night Fever'' was playing. A similar launch was held in New York shortly after to coincide with the show opening across the Atlantic. The songs depicted on the stamps are "Massachusetts", "Words", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive" and "Immortality".

Civic honours

In 1978, following the success of ''Saturday Night Fever'', and the single "Night Fever" in particular, Reubin Askew, the Governor of the US state of Florida, named the Bee Gees honorary citizens of the state, since they resided in Miami at the time.

All three brothers (including Maurice, posthumously) were appointed Commanders in the Order of the British Empire, one level underneath knighthood, in December 2001 with the ceremony taking place on 27 May 2004.

On 10 July 2009, the Isle of Man's capital bestowed the Freedom of the Borough of Douglas honour on Barry and Robin, as well as posthumously on Maurice, thereby conveying the award of the town of their birth to all three brothers. On 20 November 2009, Douglas Borough Council released a limited edition commemorative DVD to mark their naming as Freemen of the Borough.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Title ! US Chart ! UK Chart |- | 1965 | style="text-align:left;"|''The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs'' | — | — |- | 1966 | style="text-align:left;"|''Spicks and Specks'' | — | — |- | 1967 | style="text-align:left;"|''Bee Gees 1st'' | 7 | 8 |- | 1968 | style="text-align:left;"|''Horizontal'' | 12 | 16 |- | 1968 | style="text-align:left;"|''Idea'' | 17 | 4 |- | 1969 | style="text-align:left;"|''Odessa'' | 20 | 10 |- | 1970 | style="text-align:left;"|''Cucumber Castle'' | 94 | 57 |- | 1970 | style="text-align:left;"|''2 Years On'' | 32 | — |- | 1971 | style="text-align:left;"|''Trafalgar'' | 34 | — |- | 1972 | style="text-align:left;"|''To Whom It May Concern'' | 35 | — |- | 1973 | style="text-align:left;"|''Life in a Tin Can'' | 68 | — |- | 1974 | style="text-align:left;"|''Mr. Natural'' | 178 | — |- | 1975 | style="text-align:left;"|''Main Course'' | 14 | — |- | 1976 | style="text-align:left;"|''Children of the World'' | 8 | — |- | 1979 | style="text-align:left;"|''Spirits Having Flown'' | 1 | 1 |- | 1981 | style="text-align:left;"|''Living Eyes'' | 41 | 73 |- | 1987 | style="text-align:left;"|''E.S.P.'' | 96 | 5 |- | 1989 | style="text-align:left;"|''One'' | 68 | 29 |- | 1991 | style="text-align:left;"|''High Civilization'' | — | 24 |- | 1993 | style="text-align:left;"|''Size Isn't Everything'' | 153 | 23 |- | 1997 | style="text-align:left;"|''Still Waters'' | 11 | 2 |- | 2001 | style="text-align:left;"|''This Is Where I Came In'' | 16 | 6 |}

Live albums

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Title ! US Chart ! UK Chart |- | 1977 | style="text-align:left;"|''Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live'' | 8 | — |- | 1998 | style="text-align:left;"|''One Night Only'' | 72 | 4 |}

Soundtrack releases

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center" |- ! Year ! Title ! US Chart ! UK Chart |- | 1977 | style="text-align:left;"|''Saturday Night Fever'' | 1 | 1 |- | 1978 | style="text-align:left;"|''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' | 5 | 38 |- | 1983 | style="text-align:left;"|''Staying Alive'' | 6 | 14 |}

Catalogue reissue

The Gibbs recently gained ownership rights to their back catalogue, and set up a new distribution arrangement with Warner/Rhino/Reprise Records where they have since reissued digitally remastered versions of ''Saturday Night Fever'', their later ''Bee Gees Greatest'' album, and a new boxed set: ''The Studio Albums: 1967–1968''.

Additionally, more recent titles such as ''Still Waters'' and ''This Is Where I Came In'' were among the first batch of re-releases. The band's three Warner Bros. releases, ''E. S. P.,'' ''One'' and ''High Civilisation'' were also made available on iTunes for the first time since the albums went out of print in North America in the mid-90s.

According to Robin Gibb's website, three more reissues were planned for the 2008 holiday season: ''Best of Bee Gees'', ''Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2'' and ''Love Songs''. The double album ''Odessa'' was released on 13 January 2009 in a special 3-disc deluxe edition complete with the original red velvet cover with remastered stereo and mono versions of the album as well as alternate versions and unreleased tracks.

Limited edition

was recorded in 1997 as a 1,000 quantity limited edition single for Isle of Man charities. The song was featured in the Bee Gees World Tour and on ITV's "An Evening With ..." but to date has not been released generally. The single was subsequently also available as part of the 1999 Bee Gees Stamp issue.

50th anniversary collections

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of The Bee Gees (when they started calling themselves 'Bee Gees' in 1959), Rhino Records is releasing two new collections. ''Mythology'' is a four-disc collection highlighting each brother, including Andy, with tracks personally selected by Barry, Robin, Maurice's wife Yvonne (with his children Adam and Samantha), and Andy's daughter Peta. Maurice's disc contains two unreleased tracks called "Angel Of Mercy" and "The Bridge". Andy's disc contains the unreleased track "Arrow Through The Heart". ''Mythology'' also features a scrapbook of family photos, many never-before published, along with tributes from artists such as George Martin, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Graham Nash and the band's longtime manager Robert Stigwood.

The second collection, ''The Ultimate Bee Gees'' is a more modest two-disc, 40-track collection highlighting their biggest hits which will include a bonus DVD of unreleased videos, previously unreleased television appearances, live performances, and promo videos. Each disc is themed with the first disc being the more upbeat songs called 'A Night Out' and the second disc being more ballad focused called 'A Night In'.

Band instrumentalists

Barry Gibb played rhythm guitar.

During the early 1970s, Robin Gibb played piano and violin occasionally, but most of the time he only sang. Although he keeps on playing strings and keyboards privately, he has not played any instrument on stage since mid-'70s.

Maurice Gibb played bass guitar, rhythm and lead guitar, piano, organ, harpsichord, electric piano, mellotron, and electronic keyboards, synthesisers and drum tracks. From 1966 to 1972 he played multiple instruments on many records. During the late 1970s he played mainly bass guitar. From about 1986 onward he usually played keyboards and guitars. Maurice was credited by the brothers as being the most technologically savvy member of the band, and had built his own home studio. The bootleg CD ''ESP Demos'' allegedly includes rough versions of tracks from the album of the same name that were recorded at that studio.

These musicians were considered members of the band:

Colin Petersen – drums 1967–69

Vince Melouney – lead guitar 1967–68

Geoff Bridgford – drums 1969–72

Alan Kendall – lead guitar 1971–80, 87–01

Dennis Bryon – drums 1974–80

Blue Weaver – keyboards 1975–80

Here are some other musicians who backed up the Bee Gees live and in the studio:

Carlos Alomar – guitar

Ray Barretto – bongos

Reb Beach – guitar

David Foster – keyboards

Steve Gibb – guitar

Scott Glasel – Synthesizer and Drum Programming

Steve Jordan – drums

Manu Katché – drums

Jim Keltner – drums 1973

Rhett Lawrence – Synthesizer Programming

Marcus Miller – bass guitar

Pino Palladino – bass guitar

Greg Phillinganes – keyboards Jeff Porcaro – drums

Russ Powell—bass guitar

Steve Rucker – drums

Raphael Saadiq – bass guitar, guitar, drum programming, vocals

Stephen Stills – percussion

Peter-John Vettese – keyboards

Waddy Wachtel – guitar

Joe Walsh – guitar

Filmography

1969: ''Cucumber Castle''

1978: ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''

1979: ''The Bee Gees Special''

1990: ''One For All Tour''

1997: ''Keppel Road''

1998: ''One Night Only''

2001: ''This Is Where I Came In''

2002: ''Live By Request''

2010: ''In Our Own Time''

In pop culture

Australian music quiz show ''Spicks and Specks'' takes its name from the Bee Gees song of the same name, and features the song in its opening titles

A TV sketch by Kenny Everett in which he played all three Gibbs as well as an interviewer, had the Bee Gees answering all of his questions with song quotes

They were parodied by Philip Pope, Angus Deayton, and Michael Fenton Stevens recording as The Hee Bee Gee Bees, singing "Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)"

In an episode of ''The Simpsons'' while at a yard sale Homer and Disco Stu perform the "Staying Alive" parody "Table Five"

In 2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2011 Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake parodied Barry and Robin Gibb on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the show's ''Barry Gibb Talk Show'' sketches.

The pop punk band Blink 182 parodied the Bee Gees in their "First Date" video

A ''MADtv'' parody shows Barry Gibb, portrayed by Michael McDonald, making an American soundtrack with Randy Newman and other celebrities like Chaka Khan (Aries Spears) and Destiny's Child (Debra Wilson)

In 1998, the British television comedy sketch show ''Big Train'' featured a sketch starring Simon Pegg, Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon as the Bee Gees depicted as outlaws being killed by lawman Chaka Khan in a Western-style shoot-out

In ''The Mighty Boosh'' episode "The Legend of Old Gregg", The Bee Gees are one of the bands who wanted a piece of The Funk

In ''The Goodies'' episode "Saturday Night Grease", Tim imitated the high-pitched voices of the Bee Gees used in the soundtrack ''Staying Alive''

In ''The Fairly OddParents'', Cosmo refers to the untrue history of the Bee Gees, and mentions that "there's too much Bee Gees".

References

External links

Bee Gees – official website

Barry Gibb – official website

Robin Gibb – official website

Bee Gees at ''Rolling Stone''

Bee Gees' Vocal Group Hall of Fame webpage

Bee Gees at bmi.com

* Category:Musical groups established in 1958 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2009 Category:ARIA Award winners Category:ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Category:Australian rock music groups Category:Disco groups Category:English dance music groups Category:English rock music groups Category:Family musical groups Category:Grammy Award winners Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Musical groups from Manchester Category:Manx musical groups Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:Queensland musical groups Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Sibling musical trios Category:UNICEF people

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Andy Gibb
background	solo_singer
birth name	Andrew Roy Gibb
born	March 05, 1958Manchester, England
died	March 10, 1988Oxford, England
origin	Redcliffe, Australia
instrument	Vocals, Guitars
genre	Pop, disco
occupation	Singer
years active	1975–1988
label	RSO, Polydor
associated acts	Bee Gees
notable instruments	}}

Andy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was a British singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other male siblings formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.

The early years

Born Andrew Roy Gibb in Manchester, England, to Barbara (née Pass) and Hugh Gibb, Gibb emigrated with his family to Australia six months after his birth. They settled in Cribb Island, adjacent to Redcliffe, north of Brisbane. He was the youngest boy of five children and had one older sister, Lesley (1945), and three older brothers, Barry (1946) and twins Maurice (22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) and Robin (1949). After moving around Brisbane and then Sydney many times, Gibb returned to the UK in January 1967 with his family when The Bee Gees sought international fame.

As a young teenager, Andy began playing at tourist clubs around Spain's coastal Island of Ibiza, and later on the Isle of Man, the birth place of his older brothers, where his parents were living at the time. Andy formed his first group, Melody Fayre (named after a Bee Gees song) which included local island musicians John Alderson (guitar) and John Stringer (drums). The group was managed by Gibb's mother Barbara. The group had regular bookings on the small island's hotel circuit. His first recording (in early 1974) was a Maurice Gibb composition called "My Father Was A Reb" on which Maurice also produced and played. It was not released.

At the urging of his brother Barry, Andy returned to Australia in 1974. Barry's prompting was based on his belief that Australia had been a good training ground for the Bee Gees and would also help his youngest brother. The Gibb brothers' eldest sister Lesley had remained in Australia and had raised a family there with her husband. Both Alderson and Stringer followed Gibb to Australia with hope of forming a band in Australia. With Col Joye producing, Gibb, Alderson and Stringer recorded a number of Andy Gibb's own compositions. What may have separated "the training ground" aspect of Australia for Andy Gibb compared to his brothers was that Gibb was relatively financially independent, mainly due to his brothers' support and largesse, hence the group's sporadic work rate. Andy Gibb would disappear for periods of time, leaving Alderson and Stringer not working and consequently out of money. Despondent, Alderson and Stringer returned to the UK.

Andy Gibb's first single was the ballad "Words and Music" on the ATA label, owned by Joye. The single, backed by another Andy Gibb composition "Westfield Mansions", would eventually reach Top Twenty on the Sydney music charts in 1976. Then Gibb joined the band Zenta (including renowned drummer Trevor Norton) and supported international artists Sweet and the Bay City Rollers on the Sydney leg of their Australian tours. The planned follow-up single "Can't Stop Dancing" (a Ray Stevens song, later a US hit for The Captain and Tennille in May 1977) was not released, although Andy did perform it on television at least once on the revitalised Bandstand show hosted by Daryl Somers. Robert Stigwood who, at the time, was also the Bee Gees' manager, signed Gibb to his label, RSO Records in early 1976. Andy soon moved to Miami Beach, Florida to begin working on songs with his brother Barry and co-producers Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson.

Prior to leaving Australia, Gibb had married his girlfriend, Kim Reeder. They had one child, a daughter named Peta Jaye who was born 25 January 1978. The couple were already separated when Reeder found out she was pregnant and they would divorce later that year.

Number one hits

In late 1976 in Miami, Andy Gibb, with older brother Barry producing and recording in the famed Criteria Studios, set about making his first album. The first release from the sibling combination, and Andy’s first single released outside Australia, was "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" which was written by Barry, who also provided backup vocals, and Andy, who was uncredited. That single reached number one in the United States and Australia and ended up being the most played record of the year. In Britain it was a lesser hit, just scraping in to the Top 40. Of the ten tracks on the album, the other eight were Andy Gibb compositions, mostly songs written during his time in Australia. Amongst the eight songs was a re-recording of "Words and Music".

In September 1977, his album ''Flowing Rivers'', with another number one single "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water" (co-written by Andy and Barry Gibb) to support it, quickly became a million selling album. That single broke in early 1978 during the time the Bee Gees' contributions to the ''Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack were dominating the world charts. In the US it replaced "Stayin' Alive" at the top of the charts, and then was surpassed by "Night Fever" when it reached number one in mid-March.

Andy then began work with the Gibb-Galuten-Richardson production team on his second album ''Shadow Dancing'', which was released in April 1978. The title track, written by all four Gibb brothers, was released as a single in the US in April 1978, and in mid-June began a seven week run at number one, achieving platinum status. In the United States, Gibb became the first male solo artist to chart three consecutive number one singles on the ''Billboard Hot 100''. 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, Andy 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 Olivia Newton-John, reached the Top Twenty.

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 Forty chart entry) shipped as singles. "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 PP Arnold, who had previously worked with Barry Gibb, including singing uncredited backups on "Bury Me Down By The River" from Cucumber Castle.

Career decline

Cocaine abuse was Andy's terrible secret and eventually ended up destroying everything he had achieved.

During his relationship with Victoria Principal, Gibb worked on several projects outside of the recording studio. These included performances in Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' on Broadway, Gilbert & Sullivan's ''The Pirates of Penzance'' in Los Angeles, and a stint from 1980–1982 as co-host of the television music show ''Solid Gold''. He was fired from both ''Dreamcoat'' and ''Solid Gold'' due to absenteeism caused by Cocaine binges.

According to Broadway producer Zev Bufman, who financed ''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. 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." 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." Commenting after Gibb's death, ''Solid Gold'' producer Brad Lachman was of a similar sentiment: "...[Andy] was a very charming, vulnerable and charismatic performer. He clearly meant well. He wasn't being difficult. He was going through [drug] 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."

His romance with Principal also ended shortly thereafter after an ultimatum from her to decide between her or the drugs; but not before they recorded and released a duet of the Everly Brothers' "All I Have To Do Is Dream", in the summer of 1981. This would be Gibb's last official single, and his last US chart entry, peaking at number 51.

His family convinced him to seek treatment for his drug addiction; after a stint at the Betty Ford Clinic in the mid-1980s, Gibb toured small venues with a stage show of his greatest hits and covers. He also appeared in guest-starring roles on several television situation comedies including ''Gimme A Break!'' and ''Punky Brewster''. Following an expansive East Asia tour, 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 Fairmont Hotel in March 1986.

Andy returned to work alongside brothers Barry and Maurice. Their series of demo recordings with engineer Scott Glasel would eventually secure him a contract with the UK branch of Island Records. One of the demos, "Man On Fire", was released posthumously on a self-titled 1991 Polydor anthology. Another demo, "Arrow Through The Heart," would be, whether ironic in lyrics or not, the final song Andy would ever record. The latter song would be featured on an episode of VH1's series ''Behind the Music''. The song saw its official debut with the release of the four-disc Bee Gees Mythology box set in November 2010.

Death

In March 1988, Andy Gibb celebrated his 30th birthday in London while working on a new album. Soon after, he entered John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, complaining of chest pains. He died on 10 March 1988 just five days after his 30th birthday as a result of myocarditis, (an inflammation of the heart muscle) due to a recent viral infection.

The Bee Gees' following album, ''One'' (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here". Andy Gibb is entombed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) in Los Angeles. His father, Hugh, died four years later on 5 March, Andy's birthday, and is buried close to Andy.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions								! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
		1977		* First studio album	* Release date: September 1977	* Label: [[RSO Records">Music recording sales certification
! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
1977		* First studio album	* Release date: September 1977	* Label: [[RSO Records	19	—	9	—	4	—	—		Recording Industry Association of America>US: Platinum	Canadian Recording Industry Association>CAN: Gold
1978	align="left"	* Second studio album	* Release date: April 1978	* Label: RSO Records	7	18	1	15	42	8	15		* US: Platinum	* CAN: Platinum	British Phonographic Industry>UK: Silver
1980	align="left"	* Third studio album	* Release date: February 1980	* Label: RSO Records	21	67	24	—	23	21	—		* US: Gold

Compilations

Year	Album details	Peak positions
		US
1980		* Release date: 1980	* Label: RSO Records	46
1991		* Release date: 1991	* Label: Polydor Records	—
2001		* Release date: 14 August 2001	* Label: Polydor Records	—

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions						Album
		! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
1976		—	—	—	29	—	78
		1	8	19	2	26	1		US">Music recording sales certification	Album
! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
1976		—	—	—	29	—	78
		1	8	19	2	26	1		US: Gold
	1	18	—	25	—	13		* US: Gold
	align="left"	1	8	11	5	42	11		* US: Platinum
	5	8	—	28	10	57		* US: Gold
	9	2	—	27	32	61		* US: Gold
	align="left"	4	—	49	38	—	90
	12	8	—	—	—	62
	15	29	—	—	—	—
		40	45	—	—	—	—
	51	25	—	—	—	—

References

External links

The Brothers Gibb

Category:English pop singers Category:English male singers Category:Musicians from Manchester Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Category:English expatriates in Australia Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:1958 births Category:1988 deaths Category:People from Manchester

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