Died On This Date (May 20, 2012) Robin Gibb / The Bee Gees
themusicsover Robin Gibb
December 22, 1949 – May 20, 2012
Robin Gibb was an English singer and songwriter brother, Maurice Gibb and younger brother Barry Gibb, made up the Bee Gees. The group is one of the most popular and successful of all time and almost single-handedly sent disco into the stratosphere during the late ’70s. But don’t hold that against them. They have sold in the neighborhood of 225 million albums throughout their career. And their younger brother, Andy Gibb, had a successful career as a pop musician as well. While Robin was still just a child, the Gibb family moved from the Isle of Man to Australia where the brothers Gibb, or Bee Gees, formed their band. Robin was considered the lead singer but Barry did sing lead on several of the groups hits, so he might say otherwise. After relocating back to England in 1966, the Bee Gees began getting noticed. Their early albums were more English folk rock and progressive than their late ’70s disco output, and their first album of significance, 1967′s Bee Gees 1st (which it wasn’t) can easily stand along any number of the great British Invasion albums of its time. The album ultimately cracked the Top 10 in both America and the UK. Their later pre-disco albums leaned more rock and even progressive at times. In 1977, the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever was released, and with several Bee Gees tunes on it, their lives changed. The album sold over 15 million copies, and although it didn’t “invent” disco, it certainly helped bring it to the suburbs of white America. Over the next year and a half, the Bee Gees earned six consecutive #1 singles – holding the record until Whitney Houston came along. After disco crashed during the ’80s, the Bee Gees took a long break during which time Robin released a handful of moderately successful solo albums. He also released solo albums during the early years of the Bee Gees. The group reunited during the ’90s and again, the 2000s to respectable success, both on record and on tour. Their final live performance as a trio came in 2002. On May 20, 2012, Robin Gibb died of cancer surrounded by family.
What You Should Own
Robert Nix was the original drummer for popular American Southern Rock band, Atlanta Rhythm Section. Formed in 1971, the band went on to release several best-selling albums that helped define American rock music of the ’70s. Their biggest success came with 1978’s Champagne Jam, which included the popular single of the same name, sold over 1 million copies and reached #7 on the charts. Nix had a hand in writing “Champagne Jam” along with several of the band’s other records. Nix left the group in 1979, but continued to make music. Prior to his run in ARS, Nix played in 
Peter Jones is best remembered as the drummer for Crowded House, which he joined as a replacement for original member, 
Doug Dillard was a world-renowned banjo player and founding member of the Dillards. Formed in 1962, the pickers eventually added electric guitars, drums and keyboards to the mix which in turn, laid the foundation for country rock to come in the early ’70s, and newgrass in the ’80s and ’90s. Artists who have taken a cue for the Dillards include the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Eagles, New Grass Revival, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sam Bush, String Cheese Incident, Ricky Skaggs, and the Byrds. The Dillards made their mark on television as well. During the ’60s, they had a recurring role as the Darlings, a bluegrass band that performed on the Andy Griffith Show. The group continued to release albums well into the ’90s. Outside of the Dillards, Doug also performed alongside the Byrds‘ Gene Clark as the Dillard and Clark Band. Throughout his career, he either performed or recorded with the likes of Elton John, 
Chuck Brown was an influential American guitarist, singer and songwriter who is largely credited for creating go-go, an offshoot of funk that popped up in Washington DC during the mid ’70s. What separates go-go from all the rest is its use of call-and-response, wild street percussion, and long jams. Brown got his start playing with Jerry Butler during the early ’60s. Before he knew it, he was working solo and putting out a string of hits that included “I Need Some Money” and “Bustin’ Loose,” which is used by MLB’s Washington Nationals to celebrate their home runs. Brown went on to record the theme song for The Sinbad Show during the mid ’90s. In recent years, much of his music has reached younger audiences by way of sampling – Nelly’s 2002 #1 hit, “Hot In Here” contains a portion of “Bustin’ Loose.” In 2010, Brown was nominated for his first Grammy for the song, “Love.” He has been cited as a direct influence on such go-go legends as Trouble Funk and EU and is so beloved by his hometown of Washington DC, that they named a street after him – Chuck Brown Way. Chuck Brown was 75 when he passed away on May 16, 2012.