Bee Gees star Robin Gibb’s brave battle against crippling illness

by Tom Bryant, Daily Mirror 25/10/2011

ROBIN GIBB looks gaunt and frail as he battles a crippling stomach condition.

The 61-year-old Bee Gees star's emaciated appearance shocked fans in London yesterday.

Worried friends told last night of Robin’s courageous daily battle against his agonising illness, which has plagued him for nearly two years.

The singer has twice been admitted to hospital after collapsing at his Oxfordshire mansion with severe abdominal pains.

And in August last year he had life-saving surgery for a blocked intestine – the same condition that led to the death of his twin Maurice in 2003.

A close pal said last night: “Robin is not well. But he has always been a trouper and is determined to fight this. He is a very brave man indeed.”

Yesterday Robin was forced to cancel a meeting with David Cameron at No 10 because he was in so much pain. He later appeared on ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh Show, where his appearance drew gasps from the audience.

His most recent health scare came just 12 days ago, when he was rushed to Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital from his £8million home in Thame in “excruciating” pain.

Hospital chiefs later issued a statement saying he was being treated for inflammation of the colon. They added: “He would like to thank all his friends and fans for their good wishes and sends them his love.”

Robin was allowed home four days later and kept concerned fans updated about his condition on his website.

His devoted wife Dwina was by his bedside every day in hospital and his son Spencer, 38, was reported to have flown over from America to help look after him.

The teetotal and vegan star, who was born in the Isle of Man, pulled out of all work commitments in wake of his hospital stay – including a BBC Songs Of Praise concert. He had been due to promote a Poppy Appeal charity single with The Soldiers, a new version of the Bee Gees hit, I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You.

Yesterday he had planned to meet David Cameron in Downing Street to talk about the charity song but pulled out. Instead he went on the Alan Titchmarsh Show to plug the appeal in person.

Robin, said to have a fortune of around £110million, has been plagued with ill-health in recent years.

After his emergency surgery last year to remove part of his intestine, it was revealed that if his condition had not been dealt with so promptly he could easily have died.

“It was a shock,” he said. “I was told my intestine could have burst at any time and I could be dead within half an hour.”

Earlier this year, ill-health also forced him to cancel a tour of the US and Brazil.

As the Bee Gees, brothers Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb were one of the most successful bands of all time, selling 100 million records.

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If you wanna see his pictures, here's the link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/n...-23512662/

[Edited 10/28/11 16:53pm]

[Edited 11/20/11 12:36pm]

Hope he gets better , he was in one of my favorite movies of all time.

lazycrockett said:

Hope he gets better , he was in one of my favorite movies of all time.

I do too. I remember the story earlier this year that reported that Robin had to have surgery on a twisted intestine, which led to his twin brother Maurice's death but it seems as hard as he's trying, he's in a losing battle. I'll send my prayers though, he needs them. He and Barry are the only carriers of the Bee Gees legacy. I can only imagine how HE'S feeling, meaning Barry.

OMG I had no idea he was so ill

Maybe it's a bad pic. Vegans of the world, eat some meat, for God's sake

PANDURITO said:

OMG I had no idea he was so ill

Maybe it's a bad pic. Vegans of the world, eat some meat, for God's sake

It's not for the faint at heart, I'll put it to you like that. He's REAL gaunt. His cheeks sunk in and all of that. He looks frighteningly ill actually. I saw footage of him on some BBC show looking like that. Of course he chose to not talk about his situation - which is understandable considering most older performers "carry on" with the show but obviously you can only carry on for so long.

How do we know this is true? Mirror is tabloid.

Nevermind. I just saw his picture.

musicjunky318 said:

Nevermind. I just saw his picture.

I hate a tabloid had to post this but the pictures don't look like someone who is of good health. I just hope they don't kick the man when he's down.

Just yesterday, the legendary Bee Gees singer-songwriter had to pull out of a performance because of health issues:

Gibb pulls out of performance
By WENN.COM

Bee Gees star Robin Gibb sparked fresh fears for his health by pulling out of a charity performance at the last minute on Thursday.

The ailing singer has been fighting to get better since he was hospitalized with abdominal pains and treated for inflammation of the colon earlier this month.

The 61 year old was due to perform a charity single at an event for the Royal British Legion in London on Thursday but cancelled, citing ill health.

A source tells Britain's Daily Mirror, "He took a turn for the worse and couldn't physically do it in his current condition."

Gibb shocked fans with his frail and gaunt appearance after leaving his sick bed on Monday to perform on U.K. TV.

heard about this a few days ago. very sad. i hope he can get better.

Wow. So sad to read/see.

I saw a recent pic of Robin the other day but did not post it. He looks so ill. It's very sad. I love Robin and The Bee Gees. Always have. I was so sad when Maurice passed. I would be so sad if anything happened to Robin. Things don't look good, but I pray that he'll make it through this.

lastdecember said:

I've heard more than one person suggest its because he's a vegan and should eat meat. People meat is the most unhealthy thing to put in your body plain an simple his condition has run in his family it's in his genes plain and simple, Obviously it was one of the causes in Maurices death and YES Andy was suffering from a heart ailment all his life undiagnosed sure the coke didn't help during his game years but Andy was sober for awhile whn he died. And Barry had a similar Heart scare a huge back problem that ended touring for the Bee Gees. It's very sad though he always looked thin now he looks very unhealthy but when undergoing multiple health issues it has taken its toll. Very sad one of the greatest groups ever!

Yeah I doubt it's because he lived for a huge duration of his life as a vegetarian. It's obvious his health issues have taken a toll on him. He has the look of death almost. He was one of the handsomest of the brothers (alongside Andy) to me. Now he looks like death. And it's not even being funny, it's the truth. For a group who have given us joy, they have never escaped tragedy.

Timmy84 said:

I have to agree with this, I thought that the Bee Gees was just a disco band, till I met a true fan and turned me on the the vast catalog that they have.

This was a response to last december post bout being one of the greatest bands.

[Edited 10/28/11 19:57pm]

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said:

Yeah I doubt it's because he lived for a huge duration of his life as a vegetarian. It's obvious his health issues have taken a toll on him. He has the look of death almost. He was one of the handsomest of the brothers (alongside Andy) to me. Now he looks like death. And it's not even being funny, it's the truth. For a group who have given us joy, they have never escaped tragedy.

They have alot of tragedy in their lives on top of never getting their total due in this business as possibly the greatest group ever at least top 3 to me just as important as the Beatles in my book in so many different ways. My hope is they respect robins space and not do what they did to Freddie mercury two decades ago...

I agree but knowing how tabloids get when people are that sick (like Michael Douglas or even Dennis Hopper and Patrick Swayze), I doubt they would cut him a clean slate.

[Edited 10/28/11 20:21pm]

Barry is the oldest sibling and all of his younger brothers are dying out before him. Please let keep Robin in our prays and may he somehow be able to eat OR drink.

Timmy84 said:

lastdecember said:

Timmy84 said: They have alot of tragedy in their lives on top of never getting their total due in this business as possibly the greatest group ever at least top 3 to me just as important as the Beatles in my book in so many different ways. My hope is they respect robins space and not do what they did to Freddie mercury two decades ago...

I agree but knowing how tabloids get when people are that sick (like Michael Douglas or even Dennis Hopper and Patrick Stewart), I doubt they would cut him a clean slate.

Whoa What??? What's wrong with Captain Picard?

lazycrockett said:

I have to agree with this, I thought that the Bee Gees was just a disco band, till I met a true fan and turned me on the the vast catalog that they have.

This was a response to last december post bout being one of the greatest bands.

[Edited 10/28/11 19:57pm]

Yeah totally i was one of the people who knew SNF before anything else and thought that was their beginning, then i got schooled by my older brother who had all the old records, and then i dove into things like Mining Disaster 1941, Lonely Days, Words, Ive gotta get a message, Holiday, How Can You Mend a broken heart, and so much more, with that catalog i was forgetting about SNF!

lazycrockett said:

Timmy84 said:

I agree but knowing how tabloids get when people are that sick (like Michael Douglas or even Dennis Hopper and Patrick Stewart), I doubt they would cut him a clean slate.

Whoa What??? What's wrong with Captain Picard?

Ugh, I meant Patrick Swayze!

lastdecember said:

lazycrockett said:

I have to agree with this, I thought that the Bee Gees was just a disco band, till I met a true fan and turned me on the the vast catalog that they have.

This was a response to last december post bout being one of the greatest bands.

[Edited 10/28/11 19:57pm]

Yeah totally i was one of the people who knew SNF before anything else and thought that was their beginning, then i got schooled by my older brother who had all the old records, and then i dove into things like Mining Disaster 1941, Lonely Days, Words, Ive gotta get a message, Holiday, How Can You Mend a broken heart, and so much more, with that catalog i was forgetting about SNF!

That's why I'm glad they got inducted because if people in the committee had short term memory loss, the Bee Gees wouldn't have gotten in. They were so diverse anyways... they were folk initially, then teen pop, then psychedelic pop, then R&B, then disco, and back to pop again lol

Timmy84 said:

lazycrockett said:

Whoa What??? What's wrong with Captain Picard?

Ugh, I meant Patrick Swayze!

I was googling like a Romulan there for a bit.

Live Long And Prosper.

lastdecember said:

I've heard more than one person suggest its because he's a vegan and should eat meat. People meat is the most unhealthy thing to put in your body plain an simple his condition has run in his family it's in his genes plain and simple, Obviously it was one of the causes in Maurices death and YES Andy was suffering from a heart ailment all his life undiagnosed sure the coke didn't help during his game years but Andy was sober for awhile whn he died. And Barry had a similar Heart scare a huge back problem that ended touring for the Bee Gees. It's very sad though he always looked thin now he looks very unhealthy but when undergoing multiple health issues it has taken its toll. Very sad one of the greatest groups ever!

Too much beef (especially if it's from bulls/cows that aren't grass fed) will definitely shorten a person lifespan. Pork is far worse than beef because pork increases the person's percentage for a heartattack. If anyone wants to continue being animal eaters, concerning eating clean fishes.

Staying on topic, Robin's vegan diet isn't the cause of his latest health problem. For anything, his vegan diet actually prevent him from dying as early as Maurice did.

lazycrockett said:

Timmy84 said:

Ugh, I meant Patrick Swayze!

I was googling like a Romulan there for a bit.

Live Long And Prosper.

Get Well Soon

Oh no. This is so sad.

Man, I hope he gets better. I would hate to see Barry as the only sibling left. This is the same condition that killed my Grandmother. But, hopefully, in Robin's case they caught it in time.

purplethunder3121 said:

Man, I hope he gets better. I would hate to see Barry as the only sibling left. This is the same condition that killed my Grandmother. But, hopefully, in Robin's case they caught it in time.

I don't know, I have a sinking feeling Robin won't be with us any longer.

Hope he feels better soon. My mom put on a song a few months ago, and it also turned out to be by the BeeGees, from about 1989 and I LOVED it! Though Stayin' Alive is such a cliche song of theirs, I love the songs they wrote for SNF and Emotions is one of my favourite songs to sing ever. Maybe I should check out the rest of their catalog. I'm imagining MJ imitating Barry Gibb saying "Man, we do R&B" aw