Quote Of The Day By Barry Gibb: 'If You've Lost All Your Brothers ...'

While some artists stand out as the talents of their families, others have creative genius built into their DNA. For British singer-songwriter Barry Gibb, a flair for music was passed down from his father to him and his twin brothers, Maurice and Robin — who would eventually form the central three vocalists of an iconic disco group, the Bee Gees. 

Born on September 1, 1946, Gibb was constantly surrounded by music – whether by watching his father onstage or listening to his older sister's extensive record collection. He and his younger brothers had a natural ability for singing and harmonizing, leading them to perform publicly by the time Gibb was around 10 years old. The group was named the B.G.'s — which eventually became the Bee Gees – after the family moved to Australia in 1958, but their first songs weren't always hits. As Gibb recounted to VH1's "Legends," "I think we made about seven to 11 singles that all flopped in a row, so we really found out what failure was all about before we even started."

Though they started to see international success in the 1960s, it wouldn't be until the Bee Gees' first U.S. No. 1 hit in 1971 that the tide really started to shift. Then came their soundtrack for the 1977 film "Saturday Night Fever," which became an instant and influential disco classic, allowing Gibb to write for a long list of luminaries such as Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, and Diana Ross. Although his personal career accomplishments have been substantial, Gibb's legacy is ultimately characterized by his strong connection to family — and that's why he is today's quote of the day.

"If you've lost all your brothers then you don't look at death the same way." 

Barry Gibb said this to Classic Pop in 2016, in relation to the themes of one of Gibb's latest songs, "Grand Illusion," adding, "In fact, it's perfectly fine with me. There's no way we are going to hang around for more than a hundred years, so now I love the moment ... and we should all stop moaning." 

"Grand Illusion" features the lyrics, "When it comes down to you / The star you follow / May be gone," and "It's got to be your own life / Show no night or day / Your face may turn in sorrow / While the others watch." These clearly point to an awareness of grief, yet affirm that those mourning still have so much life to live. It's clear that death and pain have transformed Gibb, but he is attempting to process them in a way that will only make him stronger.

By 2012, Barry Gibb was the only living Bee Gee following the tragic deaths of his brothers Robin and Maurice, as well as Andy. His quote touches on how, when your worst fears have been actualized, your survival can lead to new roads of acceptance.

All relationships have their ups and downs, including between family members and bandmates, and although the Bee Gees went their own ways in 1969, they reconciled a year later to embark on the strongest leg of their careers. Mourning their deaths will always be an ongoing process for Gibb, but their stardom didn't make it any easier. Speaking about an interview with a German television program, Gibb told Rolling Stone, "They were holding up pictures of Robin and me, trying to get a reaction. There was no sensitivity about the fact that I'd lost my brothers." 

While Gibb asserted to Classic Pop that "People think of the Bee Gees no matter who it is — me, Maurice, Robin or Andy; for me it's the Brothers Gibb, always has been," he knows that the best way to honor them is to continue to live his life to the fullest. We all dread the inevitable end, but fear does nothing to stop it. While it's easier said than done, never take the presence of those you love for granted, and let their legacy live through the memories of small moments you spent together.

• "The secret is to make sure your family comes before anything else, because no matter what you do you've got to come home."

• "Before my brothers died, I wouldn't have thought of it that way. But that's my job now. It's important that people remember these songs."

• "But what I discovered over the years is if you don't have failure, you can't have success. Because every time you fail, you learn something."

• "The trouble with fame is it takes over everything and it makes you competitive, and if you're in a group you can't really compete against each other."

• "You never know if something's going to turn out, do you? You just hope and pray it will."