The rise and fall of the brothers Gibb—Barry, Robin, Maurice, and younger brother Andy—is perhaps the greatest saga in Australian music history.
Although the Bee Gees enjoyed several rebirths in a career that spanned many decades, it seemed that tragedy followed the Gibbs like a curse. For every incredible career high there was a hefty personal downside: divorce, drunkenness, and death seemed as synonymous with the Gibbs as falsetto harmonies, flares, and multi-platinum record sales.
Not long before his death, Robin made it clear that he believed the Gibbs had been forced to pay the highest possible cost for their success. ‘All the tragedies my family has suffered . . . is a kind of karmic price we are paying for all the fame and fortune we’ve had.’
This is the story of the brothers’ incredible careers and an examination of the Gibb ‘curse’—an all-too-human look at the rollercoaster ride of fame.
Jeff Apter is the author of more than twenty books. His work includes the bestselling Up From Down Under: How Australian Music Changed the World; A Pure Drop: The Life Of Jeff Buckley; and Together Alone: The Story of the Finn Brothers. He also worked on A Little Bird Told Me (with Kasey Chambers) and Dirty Deeds (with AC/DC’s Mark Evans).
For more information about Jeff and his books, visit his website: www.jeffapter.com.au.
Although the Bee Gees enjoyed several rebirths in a career that spanned many decades, it seemed that tragedy followed the Gibbs like a curse. For every incredible career high there was a hefty personal downside: divorce, drunkenness, and death seemed as synonymous with the Gibbs as falsetto harmonies, flares, and multi-platinum record sales.
Not long before his death, Robin made it clear that he believed the Gibbs had been forced to pay the highest possible cost for their success. ‘All the tragedies my family has suffered . . . is a kind of karmic price we are paying for all the fame and fortune we’ve had.’
This is the story of the brothers’ incredible careers and an examination of the Gibb ‘curse’—an all-too-human look at the rollercoaster ride of fame.
Jeff Apter is the author of more than twenty books. His work includes the bestselling Up From Down Under: How Australian Music Changed the World; A Pure Drop: The Life Of Jeff Buckley; and Together Alone: The Story of the Finn Brothers. He also worked on A Little Bird Told Me (with Kasey Chambers) and Dirty Deeds (with AC/DC’s Mark Evans).
For more information about Jeff and his books, visit his website: www.jeffapter.com.au.
