Robin Gibb RIP

ROBIN GIBB “passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” his family said in a brief statement on his website. He was 62. In January, Gibb confirmed that he’d been diagnosed with colon cancer that had metastasized to his liver. Two months later, while hospitalized for intestinal surgery, he contracted pneumonia, which proved fatal. That leaves Barry Gibb as the lone surviving member of the Bee Gees. Robin’s twin brother Maurice died in 2003, and youngest brother Andy, who had a successful solo career, was 30 when he died of heart failure in 1988. With his distinctive vibrato, Robin sang lead on a number of the Bee Gees’ early hits, including “Holiday,” “I Started a Joke,” “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” and “Massachusetts.” His falsetto harmonies were a key part of the group’s second act during the disco era. Robin is survived by his wife, Dwina Murphy Gibb, his four children and Barry. (5/20p)