Watch Barry Gibb serenade his beloved wife Linda with tender rendition of 'Words'
22 July 2022, 17:11
The Bee Gees were at the height of their fame in 1979.
After the stratospheric success of the film soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, the Gibb brothers were renowned the world over.
The Bee Gees brought disco to the mainstream masses in 1977, with a record-equalling six consecutive number-one singles from that very same album.
Riding high on their enormous global fame and fortune, and after the success to follow-up album Spirits Having Flown, the trio decided to take their music on tour.
The Spirits Having Flown Tour saw the Gibb brothers at the peak of their powers as a band, performing night after night to adoring crowds across the USA.
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To capture them in their element, they took along a film crew which followed them from city to city.
The footage was later used for The Bee Gees TV Special broadcast on NBC after the tour came to a close in Miami, Florida.
The television programme spliced live concert footage, scenes of the brothers recording in the studio, and an impromptu jam session with Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell.
But one moment stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Each and every night of the tour - which included 49 concerts across 39 different cities - Barry would put down his guitar and take the mic in his hands.
There were moments throughout the set where all of the Gibb brothers would get their time to shine, and this was Barry's.
After all the glitz and glamour of the concert, the lights go down and the spotlight shines solely on the Bee Gees' only surviving member.
In a soulful moment that almost has a gospel feel, Barry would begin singing 'Words'.
Despite the quiet tenderness of the performance, the crowd scream maniacally throughout as though the song he penned was about them.
Though, we all know it was written about just one woman: Linda Gray.
Bee Gees - Words (Live 1979)
Barry would serenade his beautiful, beloved wife throughout his entire career and continues to do so when he sings 'Words'.
The song is synonymous with his love for Linda, and their remarkable relationship that's lasted over half a century.
This performance is uniquely special however, as both Linda and their son Stephen were in the crowd watching.
And you can tell that Barry is communicating directly with his wife, as his voice shifts from quiet and sentimental to powerful and passionate as he delivers the verses and choruses.
Accompanied by only a piano, the entire performance hinges on his incredible vocal range, given you can hear the audience screaming from start to finish.
At one point, the image of Linda holding their son as she watches fades into the shot, whilst Barry lovingly performs under a single beam of light.
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It's a goosebump-inducing performance, and one that's dedicate to the enduring love Barry has for his family, and his one true love Linda.
In 2020 Barry and Linda celebrated their gold anniversary, fifty years after originally tying the knot in 1970 three years after they met.
With performances like on this night, there's a reason they've been in love, and stayed in love for so long.
