LONDON — Robin Gibb, one of the three Bee Gees whose falsetto harmonies powered such hits as “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever” and defined the flashy disco era, died Sunday, his representative said. He was 62.
Gibb’s family announced in a statement that “Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” said Gibb’s representative Doug Wright.
“The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time,” the statement said.
The band of Gibb brothers was famed for the influential 1977 “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack that became one of the fastest-selling albums ever with its innovative fusion of harmony and pulsing dance- floor rhythms.
The album remains a turning point in popular-music history, ending the hard-rock era and ushering in a time when dance music ruled supreme.
“Saturday Night Fever” — a compilation album featuring the Bee Gees and songs by other performers — represented the pinnacle of Gibb’s career, but he enjoyed more than 40 years of prominence as a Bee Gee, as a solo artist and as a songwriter and producer for other artists.
Gibb was for decades a familiar figure on the pop stage, starting out in the 1960s when the Bee Gees were seen as talented Beatles copycats. They sounded so much like the Beatles at first that there were rumors that the Bee Gees’ singles were really the Beatles performing under another name.
Many late-’60s bands were quickly forgotten, but the Bee Gees transformed themselves into an enduring A-list powerhouse with the almost unbelievable, and certainly unexpected, success of the song “Stayin’ Alive” and others from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack.
The Bee Gees went on to sell more than 200 million records and had a long string of successful singles, clearing their way to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
There are more than 6,000 cover versions of their songs — a substantial testament to their continued popularity.
The Bee Gees consisted of Barry Gibb, the eldest, and twins Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb, who died of intestinal and cardiac problems in 2003.
After several hits and successful albums, Robin Gibb left the group in 1969 after a series of disagreements, some focusing on whether he or Barry should be lead vocalist.
He released some successful solo material — most notably “Saved by the Bell” — before rejoining his brothers in 1970 and scoring a major hit with “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”
Younger brother Andy Gibb, who also enjoyed considerable chart success as a solo artist, died in 1988 just after turning 30. He suffered from an inflamed heart muscle attributed to a severe viral infection.
