Barry Gibb was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, on 1 September 1946. He became the eldest of the three brothers who formed the Bee Gees, as well as a successful songwriter and performer.

The Gibb family later lived in Manchester before emigrating to Australia. Barry and his younger twin brothers, Robin and Maurice, performed together while still children. The group that became the Bee Gees was formed in Brisbane in 1958.

After returning to Britain, the brothers established an international recording career during the 1960s. Barry was a singer and guitarist, but songwriting was equally important to his work. The brothers wrote much of the material they recorded and adapted their music as popular styles changed.

Their largest commercial period came during the late 1970s. Songs including ‘How Deep Is Your Love’, ‘Stayin’ Alive’ and ‘Night Fever’ became closely associated with Saturday Night Fever. The soundtrack won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

Barry’s songwriting was not confined to the Bee Gees. He wrote or co-wrote songs recorded by other performers and worked as a producer. Among them was Barbra Streisand’s ‘Woman in Love’, written by Barry and Robin Gibb.

The Bee Gees continued recording through later changes in musical fashion. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, almost forty years after the group had formed in Australia.