How Maurice Gibb Went from Healthy to Dead in Just 4 Days after Family Dinner

Starting out in the late 50s and early 60s, the Australian band Bee Gees soon spread their music around the globe. The three brothers, Barry Gibb, and twins Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb, made music that would remain popular for longer than most of their lives, and their work secured them a place in the prestigious Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

After more than four decades of producing hit after hit, the band’s career sadly came to an end when the first of the three brothers passed away. The only surviving brother, 76-year-old Barry Gibb, has looked back over the years, reflecting on his longstanding music career, the loss of his siblings, and being the only one of the three still alive.

Although the band had started in the 50s, they didn’t release any hugely popular music until the 60s, when they began to produce disco music that would solidify them as a household name. Before releasing any of their popular tracks, Robin briefly left the band to go solo, leaving his two brothers to recruit their older sister, Lesley Gibb, in his stead.

That said, Maurice seemed to be in excellent health by 2003, but things would take an unexpected turn a few days after a family dinner.

However, Robin soon found his way back to the band, and Lesley chose a quiet life out of the spotlight following her stint as a musician. Shortly after Robin returned, the band began to see a noticeable spike in popularity. That said, they would only release the music that truly put them on the map in the late 70s, producing the theme for “Saturday Night Fever.”

The band struggled with in-fighting throughout the years, although they managed to stay together and keep touring for well over four decades. Sadly, the brothers lost their younger brother, Andy Gibb, in 1988, which sent Maurice down a spiral of alcoholism that eventually claimed his life. Maurice followed Andy into the grave in 2003.

The Passing of the First Gibb Brother

Barry has opened up about the loss of his younger brother, noting that Andy had had problems with his mental health for years. Following a briefly successful music career, Andy struggled to make it to the top of the charts. After 1981, the musician couldn’t manage another hit track, and he started facing marital problems as well.

Although things looked promising at first, Maurice’s vital signs started to weaken by January 11.

Andy divorced his wife of two years, Kim Reeder, in 1978. Shortly before they went their separate ways, Andy and Kin welcomed their first child, a daughter named Peta Gibb. Andy struggled tremendously with his mental health following his divorce, which was exacerbated by his continued drug abuse.

On March 10, 1988, Andy passed away of myocarditis, a heart disease that was likely caused by his years of substance abuse. Barry recalled that he wanted to help his younger brother turn his life around before he passed away, going so far as to invite him to join him in the United States. Sadly, Andy passed away right before his oldest brother could help him get better.

His passing left his older brothers in shock. Maurice was especially devastated to hear about Andy’s death, and he turned to alcohol to help him cope. For the next few years, Maurice struggled to deal with his grief, and his family recalled how much he relied on alcohol to numb the pain. Almost five years later, Maurice would lose his own life to health problems.

That said, Maurice seemed to be in excellent health by 2003, but things would take an unexpected turn a few days after a family dinner. Maurice celebrated the Christmas holidays with his family in 2002, sharing a meal with his wife, Yvonne Gibb, and their two kids, Samantha Gibb and Adam Gibb. The meal was meant to mark the musician’s 53rd birthday.

Maurice spent most of his time with his family. Although his brother’s death had rocked him, the musician found tranquility with his family, with whom he spent his last few years. He also worked on new music. On January 8, during a regular family dinner, Maurice felt stinging pains wrack his stomach, the first indications of what would lead to his death.

Maurice’s Unexpected Passing

Maurice had been in almost perfect health when he started to experience stinging pains in his stomach. Luckily, the pain passed, and Maurice didn’t give it a second thought. Later that same day, however, the pain would return with a vengeance. Maurice collapsed at home out of nowhere, screaming from the pain coursing through his stomach.

Maurice’s family called emergency services and rushed him to the hospital. Once there, medical professionals rushed Maurice to the operating room, where they attempted to find the reason for the musician’s sudden bout of pain. Finally, they found an intestinal blockage – although it can happen due to a range of reasons, Maurice’s was caused by a malrotated small intestine.

The surgeons opted for an emergency procedure to correct the musician’s twisted small intestine, and the operation seemed to be a success. Following the surgery, Maurice was in a coma, although there were signs that the musician was doing well. He exhibited movement in his extremities and held his daughter’s hand while unconscious.

Although things looked promising at first, Maurice’s vital signs started to weaken by January 11. With his family and both his brothers present, Maurice’s doctors were becoming slightly concerned. Slowly, Maurice lost brain function, and the family eventually made the hard decision to switch off the machines keeping him alive.

After his death, it was discovered that Maurice had also suffered a cardiac arrest, which largely contributed to his death. Following this revelation, his two remaining brothers accused the medical staff of negligence. The brothers maintained that a lack of defibrillation led to Maurice’s death.

Although Maurice’s death was tragic and the brothers mourned their loss, the musician’s passing helped save his twin brother Robin’s life. In 2010, Robin was admitted to the hospital with similar abdominal pains. Following Maurice’s diagnosis, doctors knew the cause of Robin’s problems as well and he was able to recover. Robin passed away in 2013 due to colon cancer, leaving only Barry to keep the legacy going.