Robin Stories

 Please check the monthly archives for many other stories about Robin. The month of May was dedicated to Robin and all stories posted are about him.

When talking about Robin Gibb, people are speaking from their hearts with great affection and gratitude for what he meant to them. I can sum up what fans feel with the words from one of the best Bee Gees songs ever, “Songbird”:

“Though you go so far away, your voice will still be heard

You’ll never really ever know how beautiful you are”

The following story is the perfect example

May 3, 2013

HE’LL NEVER BE GONE

Charlotte

Washington, DC

I first saw Robin Gibb when he performed on a TV show. I was about 10, and he and Barry and Maurice were on the Tom Jones Show. I thought the show was awesome, coming from another country. I remember that Maurice was playing the piano,sitting behind Robin and Barry. Robin sang first, and the song was “I Started a Joke”. He mesmerized me. He had long hair and bangs in his eyes. He must have been about 18 or 19. He was beautiful. His voice was beautiful. I was in love. Even at that young age, my heart was pounding so hard I thought I’d faint. From that day on, I was a Robin groupie. I followed his career like I was his own personal puppy dog. When “Saturday Night Fever” came out and the brothers wore the white outfits with their chests exposed, I dreamed about Robin every night. I was about 17 at the time and more in love than ever. When he got married, had kids, got divorced, every milestone was so dramatic for me. I knew in my heart that he was like part of my family. He was always going to be part of my life, no matter what he did or what song he sang. I got married and had a family of my own, all the while buying every single album. I was depressed when Robin and the Bee Gees weren’t performing in the mid-eighties. I felt cut off from him and would play the older albums to hear his voice. I was so thrilled with “ONE” and all the new music that followed. His voice got even better.I loved him even more as he got older. As he matured, so did I. I’d watch TV interviews on TV; and when Maurice died, I saw the pain and shock in his face, and I cried for him and with him. To lose a twin was sad, but the way Maurice passed was unthinkable. I saw Robin’s sorrowful face much too often after that. I’d cry when I saw photos of him because he looked to be grieving, and I wanted to comfort him. I prayed for him and prayed even more when he became ill. He will never be gone because he has been in my life since I was a little girl, and he is always with me. The effect he had on me when he sang is something I can’t explain in words. He has impacted my life for all these years; and when I miss him, I cry and get it out of my system, and then I play his perfect music.

Especially for Robin fans:

From the words of “Immortality”, the beautiful almost hymn-like song written for Celine Dion,

“In all my love for you, And what else we may do

We don’t say goodbye”

It’s gratifying to hear from fans who are supportive and continue to love Robin and his brothers. It’s uplifting to be positive and think of the good memories, even though we are sad about Robin’s passing. People grieve in different ways, and this is clear from the variety of feelings that are expressed from around the world. The following story is a happy one, which evokes joyous memories. Rick chooses to celebrate Robin with smiles. I hope you all appreciate his memory and how he is passing on the Bee Gee legacy.

May 17, 2013

ONLY HAPPY MEMORIES

Rick

NYC

When I was growing up, my parents used to have a disco party every year. They were kids from the 70’s, and the Bee Gees were a huge part of their lives. My Mom always says that she was a fan before “Night Fever” because she loved Robin’s voice and wanted to marry him! She said she went “way back” with him. She “had the hots” for him in 1968! So, as a kid, I remember decorating the basement, which was redone as a den and “rec” room. It became Bee Gees heaven. My Mom had posters, albums, photos, …anything and everything you could imagine relating to the Bee Gees. She knew every little detail about Robin’s life. I think she knew what his feelings were about every topic imaginable, what he ate, what he wore, where he lived. She was truly a groupie. She felt that Robin was the kind of guy who would show his emotions through his singing. She says that his heart was on his sleeve when he started to sing a song. No matter what kinds of music were out their being playing on the radio, she still thought Robin was the best. The party was always a blast because that music was contagious. My parents’ friends would dress up like Robin and Barry and Maurice, and they would karaoke all night long. As I got older, their music evolved and I got into it myself. I love “Size Isn’t Everything” and “Still Waters”, and now my kids are listening and learning all about Robin and the brothers. They can’t help it because whenever my Mom babysits for them or they visit her, they wind up coming home singing one of Robin’s songs or something wild like “Tragedy” or “Jive Talkin”. It suits me fine because this music brings back memories of the best growing up years and happy times with Mom and Dad. I know this is a life-long obsession that  hopefully will be passed on through our generations. There aren’t enough words of thanks for Robin and his brothers who wrote some of the best music of my life. I know I couldn’t begin to write songs they way they did, and no one else can either. The mold was broken after they were born….truly genius, and Robin is forever in our family.

There are fans out there who were never lucky enough to see Robin in person, but they still felt a strong connection to him. Rose’s thoughts say it all.

ROSE

Louisville, Kentucky

My family was very poor when I was a kid, and we didn’t even have a TV. I did have a small record player, though, and my friends would come over with Bee Gee records. It was the late 70’s when I first heard Robin Gibb sing, and I fell for his voice as though he was a movie star. I thought he sounded as though he was singing just for me. I was the oldest of five kids, and I had to babysit them every day after school, so the music was what helped me get through all the rough days and all the challenges. Being a child with adult responsibilities wasn’t fun, but music was my outlet. I would listen to Robin and sing with him. Growing up without any money meant that I couldn’t even go to movies, and being really poor is hard to explain to people who aren’t in that situation. I couldn’t go to the Bee Gee concerts, but I listened on the radio and had people in my life who shared their records with me. I was always grateful because the music was my friend as much as people were. Robin made a difference in my life, and I felt closer to him than any other singer. I think it was because of his uniqueness and the emotion I felt when I heard him. I always dreamed of traveling to Miami one day and meeting him so I could thank him for his talent, but I never did make it. Today I still cherish all of his music, and I have been collecting his older records and solo albums, and they are very special to me. I think Robin’s voice is timeless; I love him now just as much as I did in 1978, and I think there are fans all around the world who feel like I do. He helped me grow up, and he was always there for me through the music, and I love him for giving me so much of himself through his voice.

May 31, 2013

On this last day of May, I’d like to end the monthly tribute to our beloved Robin from a fan whose devotion goes back more than 30 years. As Robin said, “What I do and what I have done all these years, it’s not a job; it’s my love.”  It’s clear that the fans from New York to Australia feel that love in every song he sang.

Marie’s words surely represent so many inspirational messages I have received.

MARIE

CHICAGO

Being a Bee Gees fan has been a part of me since I was a very young girl. When I was 10, the Bee Gees were young themselves and touring the U.S. for short periods of time. This was before the “Night Fever” crazy times. My older sister had both the Main Course and Mr. Natural albums, and I remember that the first song I heard Robin Gibb sing was “Come On Over”. Although songs like “Massachusetts” and “I Started a Joke” and a whole list of others were more famous at that point, for some reason, this particular song affected me in a dramatic way. I had such a crush on him and imagined seeing him sing to me some day. I first saw him perform in Chicago in 1975 and that was a dream come true. I felt like I was struck by lightening. His voice was so beautiful; and although my sister and I had watched him act funny and crazy on television (there were so many over the years, like Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas and then Phil Donahue) he seemed so serious when he was at the microphone. He fascinated me. I think that concert was the first night I knew I’d be a fan forever. Through the disco years and for several years afterwards, there was so much focus on Barry’s falsetto sound, and I loved all three brothers, but Robin had my heart. His voice was always with me, and he was part of my maturing years, my wedding, my divorce, the birth of my kids, my good and bad days. I could always listen to Robin and be happy. I was like all his fans, waiting for the new music, the next tour, his latest charity endeavors, his interviews. I think that Robin represents all that is good about a musician and performer because he loved his craft and was dedicated and kept trying to create the best for the fans. The loyalty of his fans around the world doesn’t surprise me a bit. He hit me between the eyes when I was a vulnerable little girl, and he still affects me the same way today.

David
Boston
April, 2007

I’m 35 years old and can’t remember listening to other groups and loving the music the way I love the Bee Gees. As a teenager, my Mom was crazy about them. She played all kinds of music in our house when I was little, Motown, Country, Sinatra..people like Merle Haggard and even Louis Armstrong, soundtracks from movies like Funny Girl, but for some reason (which Mom now tells me was the lyrics; she loved the words and the message of every song) she always went back to the Gibbs. I knew she was secretly in lust with Robin Gibb. When I got older, I teased her about him, and she would turn beet red. Whenever there was a party, it was their music that got played. When we were stuck inside with a snowstorm, their music was on for fun. I was so wrapped up in it that I’d automatically want to play them in the car as I got older. I met my wife when I told my buddy Rob that I’d be the designated driver to a Valentine’s Day party at a bar we went to near the Boston U. campus. He was dating a girl who was bringing two friends and I was going stag. I hadn’t had a serious girlfriend for a long time. I was wrapped up in school and sports and didn’t think there was anyone out there for me. I think I was gun shy. As a college freshman, I had been hurt (more like used) by a girl I fell in love with…..hard. My family was well off, but I didn’t think she cared so much about that….think again!. After almost a year of dating, she dumped me for a REALLY rich guy. She was all about the money. So I’d spent the next few years as the “good friend” who stayed pretty much to myself…lonely but busy. When I got to the bar that night, it was packed, and everyone was getting trashed. I was stone cold sober. One of the girls who knew who I was (through Rob), wasn’t feeling well and asked me for a ride home. She was small with black, curly hair and great green eyes..a little Irish girl from Boston, Colleen. Now that’s Irish. I felt a little twinge when she sort of stared at me for a minute, held my gaze just long enough to get me interested. When we got in the car, my Bee Gees CD of “Size Isn’t Everything” was playing. I remember it like it was yesterday because she laughed and said she had the same CD and could I play “Heart Like Mine”, her favorite song on the record. We sat there while the car warmed up, listening to Robin’s voice get us even warmer. Colleen started to share her Bee Gees moments with me. We talked and reminisced about all of our favorite songs. It sounds a bit hokey, but it wasn’t. When I got Colleen home, she leaned over and kissed me like I’ve never been kissed before and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day”. That was the beginning for us. Since then, we’ve shared the Bee Gees new music as we shared our lives (we married in ’96). After January, 2003, we were sad and upset, shocked, just like the rest of the world, but we play the music still and play it for our two little daughters, who will grow up knowing the Bee Gees… They brought me good luck on Valentine’s Day and love I never thought I’d find. They are so much a part of me, so I will always keep their music playing. It’s too beautiful to lose.

Jenny
Philadelphia

My Bee Gees story is so clear in my mind that I can replay it for you like it happened this morning. I was at a Bee Gees concert in Columbia, Maryland with my fiancé Jess. It was my first concert after loving them since I was 10! Jess knew someone who worked at the venue, and he moved us to seats that were right up front. I had waited years for this day; I was having pressure in my chest…so, so, wired for this night. This may sound weird, but I was so nervous to see Robin. I felt like I’d never be a good enough audience member; as if I would not be able to respond the way I should. I felt incredibly intimidated. I use that word because he was the Bee Gee who surprised me the most and who I thought was way too serious to be a rock star. I had heard that he was really funny and had this wild witty side, but on stage it was a different story. When Barry, Robin and Maurice walked out onto the stage, I had this surreal feeling that I was in some fantasy. There they all were in the flesh, but Robin totally knocked me out. I swore he looked straight at me all through the concert, although I am sure I was probably imagining it. He was ALL BUSINESS—very intense—that voice from heaven—POW!
He’d step back when Barry sang, but he was mouthing all the words, watching his brother Maurice, too—–in the zone—so focused—serious expression, as though his life depended on this performance. I could fee his intensity, like he was giving off electric charges—throwing them at me with every note. I was so affected by him that I never once acknowledged Jess. I could have been surrounded by aliens in that space, and I never would have known it. Even when Robin was not singing, he demanded my attention. People talk about Elvis and the Beatles, Michael Jackson, being great, but something about Robin Gibb put him a step above, not necessarily as a performer but just the total package. I want to say it was his intellect. Maybe that sounds silly; but over the years, I have come to realize how truly brilliant he is. No one can know how an experience like this one 3-hour chunk of time can affect a person’s life. Robin just inspired me to always try to give 100% to whatever I did with my life. Jess and I have two sons, 10 and 8, who listen to the Bee Gees music with us. I tell them about Robin Gibb, but only I can relive those few hours when the beautiful music and this special man deeply touched me, heart and soul. It was magic.

Robin’s effect was and is “magical”…..read on..

Jackie
Jacksonville

I have loved the Bee Gees since I first heard them in the 70’s. I was 10, and my older sister was in love with Barry Gibb. She had pictures of him on the wall in the bedroom that we shared and she would kiss them every night before she went to bed. I thought she was disgusting, but I soon enjoyed the music, too. I used to stare at the Night Fever poster; and for some reason, I would always turn my gaze back to Robin. He was different somehow—not like any pop singer I had ever seen. He wasn’t beautiful like Barry, but he was unusual. (I was the girl who always marched to a different drummer. I was wearing converse sneakers when everyone else wore Pumas.) As I got to my teenage years, I still liked Robin more than any other pop singer. My friends loved Huey Lewis, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson and Prince. I became a Robin Gibb expert.
I tried to get my hands on every song he had written or performed. I waited for the Bee Gees to release new music, and waited, and waited, because they weren’t doing much in the early 80’s. So I went back to the 60’s stuff and was enthralled with “The Storm”, “Massachusetts”, “I Started a Joke”….all of his best. I imagined I would meet him some day, and we would ride off into the sunset together. My fascination with him would turn out to be a very long and beautiful fantasy. When I got to college, I met my boyfriend Jake, who later became my husband. Jake went into the Navy and was on a submarine when we first got engaged. While he was gone, I would have sad thoughts every day. I was doing some thinking as to why this was so. My family did not want me to marry a military man and they belittled me and my opinions. I would turn to my music for support while Jake was away. I really felt isolated, and Robin’s voice would soothe my loneliness. The Bee Gees
always picked me up, and Robin was my personal savior. Some days were really bad. It was even worse when I would see my friends and they were all couples who could be together all the time. I used to have a breakdown of sorts every day, but I have gotten better as time has passed. Jake is gone for months at a time; and when I am alone, I listen to Robin and Maurice and Barry to comfort me. They knew what they were doing when they wrote “Run to Me”, “How Deep is Your Love” and “To Love Somebody”. This music gets right into my bones, and Robin’s voice penetrates my heart like no other singer. The music reminded me that it is a rare and beautiful gift to love someone so much and so deeply that you are able to feel this way. This past Christmas Jake was going to be out of the country. It is strange how one can feel isolated in a room full of people; and although my family and friends tried to be supportive, the loneliness poured over me. Again, I turned to the Bee Gees. ONE had been released and the sadness of Andy Gibb’s death was apparent, but the song “Wish You Were Here” became very personal for me as I missed Jake so much that I felt I could not bear the sadness. I turned to that album to get me through when I was at my lowest. I wanted the Bee Gees to know that the music was helping me to cope, and I wished I could just call Robin on the phone and say thank you. I wanted to tell him how sad I felt for him and his brothers because they had lost their brother Andy. As I listened to the album, I prayed for all of them, and then I had an epiphany of sorts. I was lucky to love a man this much and have him love me in return. I was also lucky to listen to the Bee Gees and especially Robin whenever I wanted to do so. I started crossing off the days on the calendar. Each day gone would be a day closer to my being in my man’s arms. I surrounded myself with positive people, kept myself very, very busy and continued to turn to the Bee Gees for musical support. It takes a strong woman to be a military wife, but I realized that I am indeed a strong woman. There continue to be two men in my life. Jake is my great love, and Robin Gibb is my silent supporter. I don’t see this situation ever changing. Nope. Not ever