The late Andrew Roy Gibb was known not only for his great looks and singing abilities, but also for being the youngest brother of some pretty famous singers. Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, and Maurice Gibb, better known as the Bee Gees, are Andy’s older brothers. While Andy was climbing the music charts and dating famous women, he was also struggling with drug addiction. Tragically, Andy passed away when he was only thirty years old.

Andy Gibb was born on March 5, 1958, in Manchester, England. The Gibbs moved to Australia shortly after his birth, and Andy began displaying his musical talents as a young teenager, performing at various tourist clubs. He released his first single, "Words and Music," in 1976, and the track was well-received in Sydney, where it entered the top five. This track would signify the beginning of Andy’s rise to the top of the music world.

In the same year that Andy released his first single, RSO Records producer Robert Stigwood signed Andy, and brother Barry helped him produce his first album. When Flowing Rivers, Andy’s first full length album was released in 1977, the singer quickly skyrocketed to superstardom. With three consecutive number one singles, the album quickly entered the U.S. Top Twenty, selling over a million copies.

Eager to maintain his popularity, Gibb quickly recorded his second album. Shadow Dancing also sold over a million copies, and the title track spent an incredible seven weeks at #1, eventually achieving platinum status. The album’s singles "An Everlasting Love" and "(Our Love) Don’t Throw it All Away," also entered the top ten.

While Andy’s career seemed to be unstoppable, he was battling drug addiction. His demons were destroying his ability to write and sing, contributing to a career decline. With a lot of help from brother Barry, he released his third album After Dark. The album produced only one top ten single. As a result of his rapidly declining popularity, that was Andy’s last studio album. Andy Gibb’s Greatest Hits was released in 1980, signaling the end of his contract with RSO Records.

After recording his last album, Andy took on other jobs outside of the music industry, including performing in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway masterpiece Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. For a short time, he was a co-host on the television program Solid Gold. During this time, however, he continued to battle his drug addition, and his family eventually convinced him to seek treatment. After conquering his addictions at the Betty Ford Clinic during the mid 1980s, Andy had dreams of reviving his recording career. His brothers offered to help, and Andy produced a number of new singles.

Sadly, his dreams of once again topping the music charts would never be realized. He turned to alcohol, and in March of 1988 was taken to the hospital with stomach pains. He died three days later as a result of a heart infection. Andy was only thirty years old.

With his good looks and fame, Andy was connected to a number of Hollywood beauties during his brief life. He married Kim Reeder in 1976, but divorced her after only two years when the stress and demands of his career proved to be too much for the relationship. His daughter, Peta, was born in the same year the couple divorced. After his brief marriage, Andy dated a number of high profile gals including Victoria Principal, Marie Osmond, Susan George, and Olivia Newton John.

YUDDY