Remembering Andy Gibb

On this day 26 years ago, the music world was stunned with the news that Andy Gibb was dead. The 30-year-old singer went to the hospital complaining of chest pain, and passed away as a result of myocarditis. It seems he spent much of his twenties battling his demons, most notably cocaine, and it had taken it's toll. Sadly, it was just eleven years before he was stepping out of the shadows of his famous brothers, Maurice, Robin, and Barry Gibb, better known as the Bee Gees. Handsome, young and talented, the young brother of one of the biggest groups of the time, as they managed to start topping the charts in the 1960s, and continue in the 70s. In fact, the Bee Gees had their greatest success in 1977 with the songs off the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack. That was the same time Andy was starting off his career in Pop music, with "I Just Want to Be Your Everything", his first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by his brother Barry, but it quickly became his. This is Andy Gibb with his 1977 hit, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything".

That was the lead single off his debut album 'Flowing Rivers'. And it was the only song in the 10-song collection that Andy didn't have a hand in writing. The album was quite the success, certified as Platinum in sales. The second single was a song And co-wrote with his brother, Barry. "(Love Is) Ticker Than Water" was his second song to go to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a bit less bubble gum than the first, with a sexier sound. It also brought a Rock flavor, with a nice guitar solo. This is a video from an appearance on 'The Midnight Special' with a live performance of "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water".

The studio wasted no time, and had Gibb back in the studio. Just seven months after the release of his debut, 'Shadow Dancing' was release. The album was also certified Platinum, and went to #7 on the Billboard 200 album chart. The first single was the title cut, which truly was a family affair. It was written by Andy, as well as Barry, Maurice and Robin. The song had a sound and feel like much of the music of the brothers Gibb, with tight harmonies and a sexy beat. The song was his third consecutive #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, quite the accomplishment. This is the promotional video for "Shadow Dancing".

While he continued making hit songs, there were no more #1s in the cards for Andy. It was thought he started his relationship with Cocaine, and it continued for several years. His drug problem presented a problem when he was touring with a production of 'Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', and lead to his dismissal. He hosted the television program 'Solid Gold' for two years, but his demons interfered there as well. His relationship with Victoria Principal was also a casualty, after she gave him an ultimatum, the drugs or her. After a supposedly successful stay at the Betty Ford Clinic, Andy returned to work, and was said to be a new man, showing up, and remaining professional. After doing some shows to get his skills back, Andy began working with Brothers Barry and Maurice on new music. A couple of the demo tracks were leaked to industry insiders, and Island Records was looking to sign his up, ready to release new music. But just days after celebrating his thirtieth birthday, Andy was gone. All these songs and more can be found on the album 'Andy Gibb: Greatest Hits'. The album can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon.

Worth Another Listen - 1978

According to Billboard magazine, the following are the Top five songs from 1978. They are all songs that bring me back to then, solidly spanning high school graduation to the start of college. We can start with the #5 song from the year, Kiss You All Over. It was performed by the band Exile, a rock band who moved to pop and hit the charts big. Five years later, they moved to Country, and found a home there, with 10 #1 Country songs. But in 1978, they sounded like this.



In 1977, Saturday Night Fever ruled the Christmas box office, and the the early part of 1977. With it, the soundtrack ruled the airwaves and the charts. The BeeGees, brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, had their first taste of success in the US in 1967, with a pop sound with strong melodies and vocals. In a few years, that success started to fade a bit as Disco started taking center stage. Not to be left behind, the brothers stepped up the beat, and joined the new style. They wrote the the soundtrack to the film, and the #4 song, Stayin' Alive.



Chic was a band headed up by Nigel Rodgers, an amazing guitarist, writer/composer, as well as one of the most innovative and influential music producers of the 70s and 80s. In 1978, however, he was at the helm of Chic, and had the #3 song of the year, Le Freak.



Yet another of the Gibb brothers, Andy Gibb, topped the charts in 1978 with his own music. He was riding high, with a music career in overdrive, having a debut album going to platinum, and several hit singles. He also had a relationship with his wife, who gave birth to their daughter in January. In a few years, the career took a turn for the worse, as his singles didn't have the same success, and he lost a few jobs acting and hosting. Just as it was decided to make him the fourth BeeGee, Andy's helth went bad, and he passed away. But in 1978, he has the #2 song on the charts, the title track from his sophomore album, Shadow Dancing.



Completing the domination of the charts, the #1 song of 1978 was the BeeGees Night Fever. The big track from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the song was everywhere. The British-born brothers, whose family moved to Australia, started out their careers Down Under, but soon ruled the world.