Introduction:
Barry Gibb and his younger brother Andy Gibb delivered a breathtaking duet of the Bee Gees’ classic “To Love Somebody” at the annual Love and Hope Ball in Miami in 1987—just one year before Andy’s tragic passing.
A rare 1987 video capturing the brothers on stage is one of the few known moments where Barry and Andy performed publicly together. The two were attending the prestigious Love and Hope Ball, an event dedicated to raising funds for the Diabetes Research Institute, when they surprised guests with a heartfelt rendition of the Bee Gees’ 1967 hit.
Barry and his wife, Linda Gibb, had become deeply involved with Miami charities after relocating to the city in the 1970s. By 1985, they were appointed International Chairmen of Love and Hope, and for nearly four decades, the Gibb family has supported the event through special performances. Still, Andy’s duet with Barry remains one of the Ball’s most memorable highlights.
The poignant footage gains even more emotional weight knowing it was filmed just a year before Andy’s untimely death in 1988. At only 30 years old, he suffered a fatal heart attack linked to years of cocaine abuse.
Andy had attended rehab twice and, by 1988, was planning a comeback with a new record deal at Island Records. Although the Bee Gees had even discussed officially adding him as the fourth member of the group, Andy continued to struggle behind the scenes. In a 2009 interview with The Mirror, Barry and Robin Gibb reflected on the heartbreaking days leading up to Andy’s death, recounting their efforts to help him overcome addiction.
“We’ve had as much tragedy as success,” Barry said. “But of course, we’d give up all that success to have Andy and Maurice back.”
Robin recalled warning his younger brother just three days before his collapse: “I told him, ‘Andy, if you keep living like this, you won’t see 47.’ I still don’t know why I said that number. That conversation haunts me.”
Barry added that although the family knew Andy was struggling, they never imagined they would lose him so young. Signs of an undiagnosed heart condition later became clear in hindsight: “We’d play tennis, and by the second or third set, Andy’s face would turn very red. Even after water breaks, something seemed off.”
The loss weighed heavily on the Gibb family. “In fifteen years, my mother lost Andy, then my father, then Maurice,” Robin said. “Two sons and her husband. No one expects a 30-year-old to die.”
Barry fondly remembered Andy’s energetic spirit and adventurous nature. “He was a boy at heart. We were so alike—even had the same birthmarks. If Andy wanted to do something, he did it. He learned to fly a plane. He could barefoot water-ski. He had this fearless belief that you should chase whatever you dream.”
Just two days after celebrating his 30th birthday in London, Andy was admitted to a hospital in Oxford with chest pains and passed away shortly after.
Andy Gibb now rests at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills. His headstone reads:
“Andy Gibb / March 5, 1958 – March 10, 1988 / An Everlasting Love.”