Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb and niece Samantha sing for her late dad in beautiful duet
The Gibb family might be considered the most gifted musical clan worldwide, with brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb—known as the Bee Gees—creating an unparalleled record of chart success through the years. The musical gifts extend beyond just the brothers, as demonstrated when Maurice's daughter, 34-year-old Samantha Gibb, joined her uncle Barry on stage to perform the Bee Gees classic "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"
Samantha appeared with Barry at the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia on May 19, 2014, for a touching duet. They embraced on stage before Barry introduced the song by saying, "We're going to sing a song that is our favorite, and certainly one of her dad's favorites, and we hope you like it."
The performance became a tribute to Maurice, who passed away unexpectedly at 53 on January 12, 2003, after cardiac arrest following surgery for an intestinal issue.
Samantha began with the first verse, singing Skeeter Davis's hit "The End of the World," a song about missing someone dear. She clearly inherited her father's musical abilities, as she transformed the country pop vocal into an R&B style with skill.
Barry joined in next and shifted into "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?", which shares similar lyrical themes. Samantha then sang the second verse of the Bee Gees song, adding her own soulful interpretation. Their voices merged for the chorus, creating a truly special moment.
The Bee Gees delivered another notable performance of this song on April 17, 2001, at the Manhattan Center, with all three brothers present and singing passionately.
Samantha lives in Nashville and has established her own music career. She formed a songwriting partnership with Lazaro Rodriguez in 2004 and now releases her own original music while writing songs for other artists.
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is significant in Bee Gees history as their first US number one hit. The ballad was released as the lead single from their 1971 album Trafalgar and achieved Gold status in the US.
The song was composed in August 1970, initially credited to Barry and Robin Gibb. Maurice later received writing credit when the song appeared on the 2009 compilation album Ultimate Bee Gees. The track was recorded on January 28, 1971, at IBC Studios in London.
The song was recorded with remarkable quickness, as Robin later mentioned, stating "The whole thing took about an hour to complete. The song reached the number one spot, to our great satisfaction." The musical quality on the track stands at excellent levels, making the one-hour recording time an impressive musical achievement.
