Barry Gibb and son Stephen perform stunning lockdown medley of stripped back Bee Gees hits

12 January 2021, 12:31 | Updated: 28 January 2021, 17:22

Barry Gibb and son Stephen perform Staying Alive on Twitch

Barry Gibb and his musician son Stephen Gibb streamed a live trio of acoustic hits including 'Stayin' Alive', 'Words' and 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart'.

Musicians are just like the rest of us; they need to keep them occupied when in lockdown with their families.

But when your name is Stephen and your father is a Bee Gee, a jamming session of his greatest hits is the natural step in keeping boredom at bay.

See more: Queen and Adam Lambert release new lockdown version of 'We Are The Champions'

Barry Gibb, 74, and Stephen Gibb, 46, recorded a live jamming session back in March 2020 and streamed the medley for lucky Bee Gees fans.

The musical pair gave a stripped back acoustic performance of three of the band's most famous songs: 'Stayin' Alive', 'Words' and 'How Do You Mend A Broken Heart'.
The musical pair gave a stripped back acoustic performance of three of the band's most famous songs: 'Stayin' Alive', 'Words' and 'How Do You Mend A Broken Heart'. Picture: Stephen and Barry Gibb/Twitch/YouTube
Since then Stephen has played regularly for his father as his lead guitarist and also for the Bee Gees' charitable causes.
Since then Stephen has played regularly for his father as his lead guitarist and also for the Bee Gees' charitable causes. Picture: Stephen and Barry Gibb/Twitch/YouTube

Barry Gibb - Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers' Songbook (Vol. 1 / Album Trailer)

See more: The greatest Bee Gees songs of all time, ranked

The musical pair gave a stripped back acoustic performance of three of the band's most famous songs: 'Stayin' Alive', 'Words' and 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart'.

Recorded at Barry Gibb's house in Miami – a property the Bee Gee made his permanent home in 1974 – the duo are very comfortable playing with one another and sound effortless as they duet.

See more: Barry Gibb and Michael Jackson's powerful forgotten duet 'All In Your Name' is spectacular

Stephen, the first-born son of Linda and Barry Gibb, is a musician in his own right and has been in bands including Black Label Society, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow and The Underbellys.

After graduating from music school and cutting his teeth in bands across the US, Stephen joined his father as his lead guitarist and went on the remaining Bee Gee's first solo tour, Mythology, in 2013.

See more: When Barry Gibb made rare appearance with wife Linda to sing 'Silent Night' with their kids on TV special

Since then Stephen has played regularly for his father as his lead guitarist and also for the Bee Gees' charitable causes.

In 2020, Stephen opened up about his battle with drug-addiction and how he managed to turn his life around.
In 2020, Stephen opened up about his battle with drug-addiction and how he managed to turn his life around. Picture: Stephen and Barry Gibb/Twitch/YouTube
Stephen, the first-born son of Linda and Barry Gibb (pictured in 1974), is a musician in his own right.
Stephen, the first-born son of Linda and Barry Gibb (pictured in 1974), is a musician in his own right. Picture: Getty

Barry and Steve Gibb - Live on Twitch (28/03/2020)

Barry Gibb is very involved with raising money for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation based in Miami, Florida and Stephen has joined his father in performing at the annual black tie gala.

See more: Barry Gibb inviting Maurice's daughter on stage for duet of 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart' is so moving

In 2020, Stephen opened up about his battle with drug-addiction and how he managed to turn his life around.

The 46-year-old revealed how his drug addiction lead him into a spiral of homelessness and scavenging for food.

Stephen recalled that he came to a crossroads and turned his life around, knowing that if he carried as he was he faced 'death, prison or a mental institution.'

See more: Barry Gibb's ex-addict son reveals he was homeless and ate food from bins on recovery podcast

Speaking on his recovery podcast, Addiction Talks, the performer said: "The first time I drank I was probably 14 and I downed an entire bottle of Jack Daniels [and] blacked out."

He went on to describe his spiral from having regular work to losing everything.

'After I lost my gig with my band I was homeless, they throw away so much good food in studios and I remember eating out of the dumpster at the record plant praying nobody would see me," he says.

See more: When Bee Gees Barry and Robin Gibb sang a flawless medley as Maurice tried to make them laugh

Speaking on his recovery podcast, Addiction Talks, Stephen Gibb said: "The first time I drank I was probably 14 and I downed an entire bottle of Jack Daniels [and] blacked out." Pictured with his parents when he was a teenager.
Speaking on his recovery podcast, Addiction Talks, Stephen Gibb said: "The first time I drank I was probably 14 and I downed an entire bottle of Jack Daniels [and] blacked out." Pictured with his parents when he was a teenager. Picture: Getty
Once he turned his life around and got getting sober, Stephen Gibb went back to performing, writing music and regularly playing the guitar with his dad (pictured on tour with Barry Gibb in 2013)
Once he turned his life around and got getting sober, Stephen Gibb went back to performing, writing music and regularly playing the guitar with his dad (pictured on tour with Barry Gibb in 2013). Picture: Getty

See more: Private studio footage of Barry Gibb and the Bee Gees recording 'Tragedy' is phenomenal

"I remember thinking ‘This sucks’.'I was living in my van or wherever I could land. If somebody let me crash on a couch I was fortunate.

"The thing for me that was mind blowing was the old saying, from Park Avenue to park bench."

Once he turned his life around and got getting sober, Stephen Gibb went back to performing, writing music and regularly playing the guitar with his dad, however the threat of addiction has sadly been rife in the Gibb family.

See more: The time Barry Gibb got his finger stuck in a bottle during a Bee Gees TV interview

Barry Gibb's youngest brother Andy Gibb died in 1988 aged just 30 due to heart problems caused by cocaine addiction.

Maurice Gibb was a recovering alcoholic who died after a cardiac arrest in 2003 aged 53, and Robin Gibb died in 2012 after a long battle with cancer.

Following on from the release of the new Bee Gees documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Barry Gibb went on the record to say he won't watch the film because he can't handle seeing the loss of his family.

See more: Bee Gees first TV gig: Teenage Barry Gibb and 10 year olds Robin and Maurice sing in 1960

Speaking to CBS Sunday Morning on January 3 the 74-year-old said: “I can’t handle watching the loss of my family. I just can’t handle it."

Barry Gibb emotionally reflects on losing his brothers

Barry Gibb recently spoke out about not wanting to see the new Bee Gees documentary: "I think it’s perfectly normal to not want to see how each brother was lost, you know?". Pictured (L to R) Robin, Maurice, Barry and Andy Gibb.
Barry Gibb recently spoke out about not wanting to see the new Bee Gees documentary: "I think it’s perfectly normal to not want to see how each brother was lost, you know?". Pictured (L to R) Robin, Maurice, Barry and Andy Gibb. Picture: Getty

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive Music Video

“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.”

See more: Barry Gibb releases love song 'Butterfly' he wrote with brothers Robin and Maurice when they were kids

Touching upon the loss of his brothers in the interview, Barry described it as "incredibly, incredibly hard".

"We've never not been together," he said. "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."

See more: When Andy Gibb joined the Bee Gees for a rare phenomenal performance of 'You Should Be Dancing'

The singer continued: "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!"

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