September 1 ~  Family Comes Before Anything Else Bee Gees: Authorized Biography

"Make sure your family comes before anything else, because no matter what you do you've got to come home." ~ Barry Gibb

Barry Gibb

Born on this day in Isle of Man, England, talented artist Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (1946-) gained international fame as one third of the Bee Gees, i.e. the Brothers Gibb (w/ younger twins Robin & Maurice).

Music was always a celebration in the Gibb household as father Hughie was a big band leader and drummer. In 1958, the family moved to Australia, where the talented brothers performed in nightclubs and recorded two albums in five years.

Influence by the close-harmonies of The Mills Brothers and Everly Brothers, Barry, Maurice, and Robin hit the big time in 1967 with the release of their album Spicks and Specks which featured the hit song, New York Mining Disaster 1941.

A string of hits followed, but nothing came close to the 1978 explosion made by the double-disc soundtrack from the movie Saturday Night Fever. Led by Bee Gees gems How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, and More Than a Woman, the best-selling album dominated the charts and broke record sales.

About his handling of fame, Barry once admitted: "I have a huge ego and a huge inferiority complex at the same time."

And huge talent with remakable songwriting skills. In 1980, Barry produced Guilty, Barbra Streisand's Grammy award-winning album. He followed with Dionne Warwick's hit Heartbreaker (1982), Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' Islands in the Stream (1983), and Diana Ross's Chain Reaction (1986).

"We believe in our songs. We think the songs stand up and time takes care of that," he said. "If a song is good, you will still be humming it in 20 years."

In February 2003, a month after Maruice's unexpected death, Barry and Robin accepted the Grammy's Legend Award. In an emotional tribute, Barry said "the measure of a man is his family."

Keep your priorities straight.