Welcome to morobinbarrystories.com! Please join me on twitter @morobinbarrystories. This site is for Bee Gee fans who would like to share and read stories of fun, joy, love and inspiration for Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. (Andy is not forgotten and is included at times). If you’d like to share a story, please email it to me at morobinbarry@gmail.com. Stories will be posted often and many will appear in my book, which is in editing right now. At times, I will write articles about Gibb events, which I hope the fans will enjoy.

A photo I took of Barry, humbled by the crowd’s love in Philadelphia

April 7, 2017

Let me preface this article by letting everyone know that I am in no way comparing Barry Gibb to Jesus, although his fans do think he can do just about everything, short of walking on water.

I’ve been thinking about  Holy Week which is celebrated by Christians and culminates with Easter Sunday.

I admit I’m a good Catholic girl, and I somehow think God had a hand in setting this date for the concert. Laugh if you like, and doubt if you feel the need, but hear me out. There are just so many parallels that come to mind; and maybe my line of reasoning is a bit zigzaggy,  but I do keep the faith!

Holy Week begins on Monday and is a most important time in the Church. Ironically, Passover begins on Good Friday this year, which is unusual. For those who don’t know about Passover, this holiday celebrates the Jews’ deliverance from slavery; it also is a depiction of Christ’s atonement for his people and his deliverance of us from the bondage of sin.

Over the decades, Bee Gee fans have had more than their share of dealing with heartache and having the need to call on their faith. Barry and his family, who conspicuously are often seen wearing crosses, have been through much pain and suffering, and the fans have been empathizing with them every step of the way.

During Holy Week, also called Passion Week, Jesus revealed his passion for us in his suffering. Most people, whether religious or not, can agree that Jesus was a good man, a good teacher and even a prophet. I wonder how many fans feel this way about Barry? Admit it, some of you out there do feel like this. He’s other-worldly, truly inspiring, and every story I get supports this feeling of adoration for him.

Sometimes I am shocked by the passion of fans whose lives literally revolved around Bee Gee music, concerts and paraphernalia. The word PASSION is sometimes inadequate when discussing fans and their love for the Gibb boys.

Barry, although deterred by tragedy, somehow didn’t lose sight of his passions, worked through his pain and suffering and still has survived. Passion is truly a word that fits his goals and achievements, and during Passion Week, he can rest on his laurels.

I think of what happened during Holy Week. There was a large cast of characters, each playing a part (much like a stage band, crew and fans). There were religious rulers, disciples, Jerusalem crowds and the distant but nasty Romans. Over the many decades of performing, there have been all sorts of characters involved with the Bee Gees and their great moments and their not-so-great moments. Not everyone has been supportive, and at times the brothers were deeply hurt by the media and those who dubbed them “disco”.

On Wednesday of Holy Week, also called Spy Wednesday, Judas conspired to betray Jesus. It’s hard to believe, but over the years, the Bee Gees had their share of this type of behavior. Betrayal is not foreign to any Gibb, just as we all have been betrayed at one time or another.

On Holy Thursday, the Last Supper was held, where Jesus ate with his disciples for the last time. He washed their feet, considered to be an act of tenderness and selflessness, truly humbling himself. If one is a long-time fan, it’s clear to each that all of the Gibbs have acted in selfless and tender ways when it comes to their families and dedicated colleagues. In recent years, Barry has seemed to be much more humble and grateful, well aware of his position as the surviving brother and sensitive to his fans’ needs.

Yes, there have been days that were the “last suppers”, many of those to look back upon, but perhaps Barry does so with love and reverence at this stage of his life.

Now we come to Good Friday. Why is it called Good Friday instead of Bad Friday? After all, it’s the day Jesus was crucified. Well, if one has faith, the belief is that this was God’s plan to save his people. Jesus showed his great love for man. He sacrificed for us. I’ve heard that it’s called the day where “wrath and mercy meet”. Think about that for awhile. How many times in life has one had a day where wrath and mercy meet? I can think of a few. The Gibbs certainly have had these in their lives as well, and Barry’s memories certainly include them.

Holy Saturday marks the transition between crucifixion and resurrection. Well, I could write another book about Gibb moments and events where they were “crucified” by everyone from radio personalities to writers and producers, as well as other artists. People can be cruel, no doubt about it; and yet, the Bee Gees always stayed true to their vision. They simply went about the business of being songwriters and creating music and certainly resurrected themselves with every new and brilliant album, whether it was their own album or music for other musical icons, like Barbra Streisand or Celine Dion.

Finally, we come to Easter Sunday, the oldest Christian holiday. It is a day of joy, celebration and thanks. It’s also a day for the giving of Easter eggs, which has been considered a symbol of rebirth in many cultures. I started thinking of Barry and rebirth in the same thought, and came up with the idea that “of course this has been his life”.

If one starts with him recovering from a horrific childhood accident and works through his meeting of Linda Gray, the premature birth of his children and their challenges as babies, survival of a music industry that turned its back on the Bee Gees and the loss of his three brothers, then he has been reborn many, many times. The most recent “rebirths” were the Mythology Tour, “In the Now”, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Industry and now the Tribute Concert, which was broadcast when? Ah, yes, on Easter Sunday! How can we forget.

I rest my case.