Young Miss December 1978 by Jane Price
Andy Gibb: Extraordinary Talent From BritainDynamite is the word for Andy Gibb, the young British singer who exploded on the pop music scene with a bang heard round the world. But both his life style and his music are relaxed; he doesn’t assault his listeners, he charms and soothes them. His songs, many of which the composed himself, are usually ballads, so it is not surprising that he strikes a romantically responsive chord in his audiences. Andy is enormously talented, so he doesn’t have to rely on wild costumes and even wilder make- up to capture an audience’s attention. He just sings with warmth and sincerity and his millions of fans are completely spellbound.
It seems that Andy was fated to have a sensational career in the music field. Not only are his three older brothers – Barry, Robin and Maurice – the top singing group on both sides of the Atlantic, the Bee Gees, but his mother was a professional singer and his father was a drummer and the leader of a big band.
While Andy was certainly encouraged by his family, and he learned a great deal from his parents and brothers, he has his own personal style both in singing and in the songs he writes.
Andy was born in Manchester, England, but when he was just six months old his family moved to Australia. His brothers got their professional start there and, because of their increasing popularity in England, the Gibb family moved back there in 1967.
But after three years of being besieged by fans who frequently gathered outside the Gibbs’ home in a London suburb, the family moved again, this time to a small island off the coast of Spain.
It was while living there that Andy was given his first guitar; it was a present from his brother, Barry. Andy wasn’t paid for his work in a local club, even though he appeared on a fairly regular basis, sometimes with his brothers who supplied harmonic accompaniment. But it was excellent training for a youngster who was seriously interested in having a career in the music field.
His first real job as a singer came in 1973. By that time his family had made one more move, this time to the Isle of Man. Joining with some local young rock musicians, Andy played professionally at the two major clubs on the island. And so another Gibb was on his way towards making it big in the pop music field.
Because his brothers had received their early training in Australia and had gotten their start there, Andy decided that was the place to go to learn more about handling himself in front of audiences; he has to get them on his side from the start or he can be devastated by hecklers.
Andy thought it would take about five or six years for him to earn a wide reputation “Down Under,” but he was wrong. In a little more than a year, he was in great demand. His first single recording, ‘Words and Music,” which he wrote himself, was a smash hit. And his concerts were always sold out well in advance.
His brothers’ manager, Robert Stigwood, arranged for Andy to fly to Miami, Florida, to record a few demonstration tapes. This is the way hopeful young singers approach recording companies; they send in tapes of their work. With the help of brother Barry, Andy wrote some new songs which were recorded and sent to RSO Records.
Now there was nothing to do but wait, so Andy flew back to Australia. It can be pretty nerve-wracking sitting around a hotel room with nothing to do but wait for a phone call or for that special letter to arrive.
But no sooner had Andy returned to Australia than he learned that RSO liked his tapes very much, and they wanted him to record an album. So back to Miami he went, feeling pretty good about himself and his career.
The album was extremely well received by both the critics and the public who wanted to hear more from this talented young man. So, soon after the album’s release, Andy went on his first North American concert tour. It probably doesn’t surprise anyone to learn that it was a smashing success! Television audiences – he appeared on a number of variety and talk shows – liked him too, for his charm and humor as well as for his singing. There was no doubt about it – Andy Gibb was on his way to the top! And all this happened, incidentally, before his twenty-first birthday! That milestone in his life won’t occur until March 5, 1979.
While Andy certainly enjoys playing with other professionals at recording sessions, his big thrill comes when he is performing in front of live audiences.
“There is nothing to compare with the instantaneous feed- back a singer gets from the people sitting in front of him,” he said. “That is where it all comes together – all the rehearsing and working to get everything just exactly right.”
Andy also said that no two audiences are exactly alike; some are more restless than others, some are more enthusiastic. “A performer has to be able to size up his audience pretty fast,” he explained. “You have to make some minor changes in tempo or mood right away if you don’t want to loose the fans.”
While Andy is a serious hardworking musician who is always striving to improve himself, off-stage he is a very relaxed person. He appreciates his early success, but he knows he has to keep working and learning if he is to maintain his current popularity.
“I have to take time occasionally,” he said, “to get away from the pressures of this business. If I don’t, I think I would get stale, and that would show in my music.”
Relaxing with his family and friends is Andy’s favorite way of easing the tensions that go hand-in-hand with fame. But he never forgets his fans entirely.
“I respect the people who buy my records and come to my concerts,” he said. “It’s only fair that I always try to give them the very best that’s in me. After all, I need them more than they need me.”
Anyone who has ever seen Andy Gibb in concert or heard one of his marvelous records knows that he means what he says. He always turns in a fine performance and his audiences really get their money’s worth. That’s probably the reason why his concerts are always sold out well in advance!
Andy knows it takes a lot of work and determination – as well as talent – to get to the top in any field, and he also knows that it requires even more work and careful planning to stay there. This doesn’t mean one has to be a fanatic; Andy understands the importance of taking it easy every now and then. But he knows he can’t turn in a shoddy performance if he wants to maintain his following.
But he really doesn’t have to worry; the millions of fans he has all over the world are happy to be around whenever Andy Gibb explodes on the scene.
