Today, Barry Gibb, the last living member of the Bee Gees, said a heartfelt goodbye to his brother Robin at his funeral. It happened at St Mary’s Church in Thame, Oxfordshire, where Robin lived. Barry spoke with a shaky voice about how much he loved Robin’s smart mind and kind heart. Robin passed away last month at 62 after being very sick with cancer, pneumonia, and a bad stomach problem.
Barry told everyone at the church, “Life is too short. Robin’s life was way too short. We should have had 20 or 30 more years with his amazing brain and big heart.” He also talked about their brother Maurice, who died in 2003, saying, “Both Robin and Maurice were wonderful, and now they’re together again.”
Lots of people came to say goodbye. Hundreds lined the streets of Thame to watch as a special white carriage, pulled by four black horses with feathers, carried Robin through town. The carriage had red roses on top, and Robin’s two big dogs, Ollie and Missy, walked behind it with family and friends. The horses wore black blankets with a gold music symbol because Robin loved music so much. A piper played music too.
Barry walked with the group, along with famous people like Sir Tim Rice, DJ Mike Read, and Uri Geller. Robin’s wife, Dwina, read a poem she wrote for him during the service. Other stars like Peter Andre and Paul Gambaccini were there too.
Robin, Maurice, and Barry were the Bee Gees, a super popular band that sold over 200 million records. They made big hits like “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” and “Tragedy.” They also wrote songs for other singers, like “Chain Reaction” for Diana Ross and “Islands In The Stream” for Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Their music for the movie Saturday Night Fever made disco famous all over the world, and they sang in high voices that everyone loved.
Robin cared a lot about helping soldiers too. He was honored with a special award called a CBE in 2002 with his brothers. Last year, he sang “I’ve Gotta Get A Message To You” with a group called The Soldiers to raise money for veterans. His final show was in February at a charity concert in London for hurt soldiers. He also worked to build a memorial in London for people who fought in World War Two.
The funeral was a sad but beautiful day to remember Robin, his music, and all the good he did.
