In a special moment from the 45th GRAMMY Awards in 2003, brothers Robin and Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees gave a heartfelt speech about their brother Maurice, who had passed away just a few weeks earlier at age 53. This touching scene is featured in an episode of GRAMMY Rewind, and it’s a moment worth watching again.
The Bee Gees were being honored with a big award called the GRAMMY Legend Award. Robin and Barry went on stage to accept it, but it was a sad and happy time because Maurice wasn’t there. They started by thanking a boy band called *NSYNC, who sang some Bee Gees songs earlier to celebrate the group.
But what really mattered to Robin and Barry was family. They wanted everyone to remember Maurice and meet his loved ones who were at the show—his wife Yvonne and their kids, Adam and Samantha. Barry said, “The measure of a man is his family,” and asked Maurice’s family to stand up. He told them, “Your dad would have loved this. He’s watching us tonight—he always watched the GRAMMYs.”
Then Barry did something special. He invited Maurice’s son, Adam, to come up and take the award. Adam spoke simply and sweetly, saying, “My dad loved making music, and he’d be so happy to be here. He’d want to thank my mom because she was always there for him.”
It was an emotional time. Yvonne and Samantha had tears in their eyes as they watched from their seats, and Barry was trying not to cry too. The whole family felt Maurice’s love and memory in that moment.
The GRAMMY Legend Award was a huge deal for the Bee Gees. Only a few other famous singers, like Elton John and Michael Jackson, have gotten it. The Bee Gees won five GRAMMYs in their career and were nominated nine times. This speech was a beautiful way to honor Maurice and show how much family meant to them.
