Barry Gibb still hasn’t come to terms with the deaths of his brothers and The Bee Gees bandmates, Robin and Maurice.
The pair died in 2012 and 2003, respectively and, speaking to CBS Sunday Morning, the star, who releases his new LP of collaborations, Greenfields, on January 8th, admits he’s still unable to accept their passing.
“[It’s been] incredibly, incredibly hard. Because we’d never, was never not been together, you know? It was really tough,” explains Barry.
“The first year after the last brother passed, Robin, that was the most difficult period for me. And people have said, ‘He had a breakdown.’ You know, I didn’t have a breakdown, actually.
”I just didn’t know where to go. I didn’t know what to do. And I didn’t know how to be perceived.
“I didn’t know how to perceive other people’s opinions. So basically, I’ve been in lockdown for years now!”
The hitmaker’s comments come following the release of The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart – a documentary feature Barry hasn’t watched because he “can’t handle” having to address his siblings’ passings.
“I can’t handle watching the rest of my family. I just can’t handle it,” adds the Saturday Night Fever star.
“Who would? I think it’s perfectly normal to not want to see how each brother was lost, you know? And I don’t want to address it. I’m past it.'”
And while the hitmaker admits it is “lonely” performing without his siblings, he’s keen to go back on the road again.
“I wanna be wanted. And if people want me to do it, then, my goodness, I’d be honoured to do it,” confesses the singer.
“It’s lonely up there when you haven’t got your brothers. But you still make it fun. That’s what counts.
“It’s bittersweet. But, you know, that’s one of the things we live with, is loss. And my goodness, I’ve learned so much from it.”
Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook Vol. 1 is released on January 8th – get yours here. The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart out now on DVD and Blu-ray.
