Despite the fact that he became famous at an early age, Andy Gibb passed away when he was just 30 years old, broke and penniless, leaving behind only his daughter Peta. She is now 45 years old and has the singing ability of her musical ancestor. Peta has been more candid over the years about her upbringing, including how she ultimately established a relationship with her biological father.
Andy Gibb began his singing career in various clubs in Ibiza and Australia, where he quickly established a reputation for himself apart from his more well-known siblings from the band Bee Gees. Despite this, he got back together with his oldest brother, Barry Gibb, and the two worked together to record his debut album.
The author Matthew Hild claims that “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” was written by the elder Gibb in 20 minutes as the younger Gibb watched in amazement. A number of weeks passed before the release of “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” and “Shadow Dancing,” during which time the song remained at the top of the charts.
At the time, Andy was just 19 years old. But, despite his obvious skill and attractive appearance, the young singer struggled with a great deal of insecurity, particularly over his ability to write songs and the fact that he had to depend on his older brother. The singer was quoted as saying:
“I feel as if I haven’t done very much. I know I’ve been fortunate, and I wouldn’t have come as far as I have so fast if it hadn’t been for my family,” she said. “I feel as though I’ve done very little.”
On several occasions, Barry reassured him that he and his other siblings were incapable of doing the same actions as Andy. His agent, Jeff Witjas, also attempted to convince him of his value; but, these efforts were fruitless. Witjas continued by saying, “Yet whenever he glanced in the mirror, you got the distinct impression that he wasn’t seeing anything.”
Despite this, it seemed that young Gibb was hesitant to trust it. During that time, reports about his usage of illegal substances began to spread, and he was forced to go to the hospital on many occasions due to discomfort in his chest and stomach. The singer shared the following with “Good Morning America” in the year 1982:
“I’ve been to hell, and back I guess, literally. I had a really serious mental breakdown…. I had everything I wanted, and I just blew it all up.” “I’ve been to hell, and back I think, literally.”
In 1985, his family was successful in convincing him to check himself into treatment, but by the time he emerged, his musical career was effectively over. On the other hand, his siblings had the best intentions and urged him to visit them in Miami. Later on, the eldest Gibb provided him with transportation to London for the purpose of negotiating a new record contract with Island Records. It had been ten years since his last one.
The struggling artist’s health continued to deteriorate despite the fact that his career seemed to be turning a round. On March 9, 1988, Andy was taken to the hospital after falling at Robin’s home. He had been there since March 9. Unfortunately, he passed away from myocarditis the next day.
According to the author Freddie Gershon, who also served as the president of Andy’s record label, RSO, the news of the singer’s death came as no surprise to him. He went on to say that other superstars had to toughen themselves as a result of the numerous rejections they had received. Gershon elaborated as follows:
Andy became older, but he didn’t mature; he was stuck in time when he was approximately 17 years old. “Andy never built up those layers because he never had to. Andy grew older, but he didn’t mature.”
According to statements released by the hospital, there was no evidence to suggest that his drug usage or alcoholism had anything to do with the cause of his death. In addition, Dr. William Shell said that he had previously treated the singer for heart inflammation in the years 1985 and 1986. His myocarditis seemed to be “viral in origin.”
On the other hand, the problems he had with drugs almost certainly had a role in the decline of his health. Dr. George Ellis, a cardiologist in New York, claims that the usage of some chemicals over an extended period of time might cause the heart to become damaged and enlarged.
When one considers the level of skill that Andy had, the loss is even more heartbreaking. With the release of “I Just Want to Be Your Everything,” he was nominated for two Grammys and had already earned over $2 million before the announcement was made. The year after that, he earned one million dollars more than before.
He is the first solo vocalist in the annals of music history to have all three of his debut songs debut at number one on the Billboard charts. He has sold 15 million records all over the globe. On the other hand, his drug usage caused his fame and wealth to appear out of nowhere before vanishing into thin air just as swiftly.
Even after he completed treatment at a rehabilitation facility, the total amount of his debt was $1.5 million, with an additional million due to his old manager Robert Stigwood. He was forced to declare bankruptcy, and his three older brothers, who were members of the Bee Gees, were forced to assist him financially and emotionally during the latter few years of his life.
Andy married Kim Reeder while he was just 19 years old, and the couple settled in West Hollywood in 1977. Reeder said how her spouse became totally involved in the drug world and “went to the mountains by himself.” She continued by saying that:
He fell into depression and paranoia, and he was not the guy I married. Cocaine became his first love.
In 1978, Kim became pregnant, and she and Andy eventually divorced after she gave birth to their daughter Peta back in Australia. It was 1980 that she moved her daughter and herself back to Los Angeles. It was the very last time that they ever came into contact with him.
Throughout the 1980s, disco music was experiencing a decline in popularity; yet, Andy was able to pursue numerous other chances. Nevertheless, because to his addiction and the challenges he was having with his mental health, he turned them all down.
In 1981, he began working with Marilyn McCoo as a co-host on the television show “Solid Gold.” The producers were in love with him up to the point when he started missing filming days. According to the producer Brad Lachman:
“He was going through things he couldn’t cope with. He wanted everyone to adore him. He had so much going for him, and he just couldn’t believe it.” “He wasn’t being difficult. He was going through problems he couldn’t deal with.”
On the other hand, he was experiencing difficulties in his love life. He had developed feelings for Victoria Principal, who was 31 years old, and even Lachman was aware that there was something off about their relationship. After dating for 13 months, they decided to end their relationship. The breakdown of that connection served as the impetus for the development of a more serious addiction to drugs. The singer was honest and said:
“I just fell apart and didn’t care about anything. I started to do cocaine around the clock — about $1,000 a day. I stayed awake for two weeks, locked in my bedroom. The producers kept calling up, sending cars for me, but I refused to go…. I really believe that the primary reason I fell from stardom was my affair with Victoria.”
Victoria rebutted his claim and said that their breakup was due to his addiction, which she said was the cause. She made an effort to assist him, but she was unable to do so, and she was forced to flee. In 1981, he was given the principal role in “The Pirates of Penzance,” but the experience did not live up to its initial promise, and he continued to skip the other performances.
In 1982, he had a role in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Nevertheless, he missed numerous nights of the production and was dismissed once again. Everyone who knew him wanted him to be successful and detested it when he came back after long weekends away looking “like a little dog.”
In addition, he enjoyed frivolously spending his money, whether on drugs or other things. According to Stigwood, Andy “blew millions” of dollars and finally became very nervous about everything, even traveling on a public airplane. As a result, they were forced to fly on private aircraft, which added significantly to his already substantial costs.
Marc Gurvitz took over as Andy’s manager when Stigwood departed the music industry, and Gurvitz said that it was tough for the singer to deal with the fact that he wasn’t getting “the royal treatment anymore.” Andy was despondent, and he wanted to cancel tour dates too often.
In the years 1985 and 1986, he earned just $24,727 and $7,755 respectively, but he took the decision to become clean at that time. On the other hand, after traveling to London with his older brother, Andy had one more opportunity. He had gone as far as calling his ex-wife and requesting a visit with his kid, who was then eleven years old.
While Kim had little interest in going, she insisted that he make the trip to Australia in September. At the time, it had been eight years since they had last seen one another, but they kept in frequent contact over the phone.
When Kim learned of his passing, she did not experience any shock or astonishment. She was prepared for the phone call to arrive at some point. She said that Andy maintained their shaky and difficult connection for a decade because she and Peta “were the only contact with reality he ever had.” This was based on what she alleged Andy told her.
Peta Gibb On Her Relationship with Her Father
Andy’s daughter has, during the course of her life, avoided the spotlight and has never been willing to discuss her father or what it was like growing up as his daughter. She also has never spoken her desire to have children of her own. For a good number of years, she was unaware of and unwilling to acknowledge the fact that her father was a famous person.
Peta did not want to discuss her traumatic childhood experiences or bring up her past in general. Yet, in 2017, she got together with her cousins to make a special album called “The Gibb Collective,” and it seemed as if Peta was finally prepared to become a part of the Gibb heritage. She went on to Explain:
“I didn’t have the opportunity to get to know my father as well as I should have while I was growing up. When I got older, I discovered that he was renowned and that he had famous siblings, but to me, he was simply a person on the other end of the telephone line.”
Peta also shared stories of the early years of her parents’ lives, including how her father became so consumed with celebrity, money, partying, and drugs. She shared the news that he was unable to flee. When some time had passed, his mother presented him with an ultimatum, and then she went. She had a normal childhood in Australia, despite the fact that her father was a successful businessman. Peta went on to explain:
“I knew I had a dad, I knew that he was a singer, and I knew that he resided in the United States, but that was essentially all I knew about him,” she said. “I didn’t know he was famous until much later.”
She can still clearly recall her mother pointing at the singer and stating that the guy on the screen was her father while “Solid Gold” was playing on the television. The little girl had a difficult time comprehending the fact that the “man in gold trousers” was in fact her father, the one who would sometimes call.
Peta revealed the details of a certain phone conversation in which her father made a promise to her about setting up a meeting with Michael J. Fox. “I was quite enthusiastic on that notion,” she chuckled. “I was pretty keen on that idea.” Regrettably, we were unable to schedule that meeting.
Peta was forced to go through the struggles that come along with having renowned parents. She described how children had begun picking on her when she was featured on the cover of gossip magazines. They would tease her about having a father who was addicted to drugs.
Peta’s days at school were challenging, but what she wanted more than anything was to feel a connection to her father. She expressed her regret that they were never able to connect:
“I always desired that we had a greater opportunity to get to know each other. I wanted to be close to him, as any daughter wants to be with her father, but outside factors conspired against us,” she said. “I wanted to be close to him, like any daughter wants to be with her father.”
After Andy’s passing, the media made Peta’s life a living hell. She was just ten years old at the time, and she remembered that she was taking part in the swimming competition for the district the following day when they received the news that her father had passed away. She added:
“Mother, my grandparents, the phone … everything was going bananas. There was no sleep in the home that night. My father had died, and everyone was freaking out.”
Her family had made an effort to provide her with a normal existence, and as a result, someone brought her to participate in the carnival, and thereafter, they drove her to the airport. She was harassed by the media the whole time she was at the competition, and they followed her all the way to the airport. Peta also disclosed the fact that the bullying did not improve following Gibb’s passing; rather, it became much more severe.
“When he passed away, it became much more unbearable; it was a kind of torment that I would never want on anybody, and it has accompanied me throughout my whole life.”
Peta has never been comfortable opening out about her illustrious grandfather, father, or uncles. She seldom had much to say, but the people around her were always fascinated about what she had to say. Later, as Maurice and Robin walked by, the press was all over her, but she continued to refuse to comment on the situation.
Where Does Peta Gibb Stand at This Moment?
Andy handed Kim a bracelet imprinted with the words “With all my love – A.G.” during their short vacation to Los Angeles in 1980. That was the last time they saw Peta’s father, and the little girl attempted to stay out of the public eye for a considerable amount of time after that.
After reconciling with her relatives, Peta made the fortunate decision to accept her role in the family’s history. She went on to Explain:
I came to the realization that if anybody was going to represent him, it should naturally be me since my father is such an important contributor to the musical tradition of the Gibb family.
The singer made the decision to participate in the Gibb Collective project as a means of reconciling her history and strengthening her bond with her father. She included a recording of a song that her father had composed as part of the effort. She went on to Explain:
“I wanted something that was written by him alone. Not that I don’t have huge respect for the stuff that he wrote with his brothers, I just wanted this to be a connection with him and I in the studio,” he explained. “Not that I don’t have huge respect for the stuff that he wrote with his brothers in the studio.”
Moreover, throughout this process, the young singer was able to locate something that is much greater than herself: her family. Peta commented:
The long overdue family reunion that came out of this project is something I never imagined. I’m now able to connect with that aspect of my life in a good manner, on my terms, and in a way that makes me feel proud. “I’ve discovered such a connection with my cousins.”
In the meanwhile, fans’ reactions to footage showing the younger Gibbs singing together were mixed: they were both thrilled and startled. They were all in agreement that Peta has inherited her father’s skill and that she has a striking resemblance to her father. She is 45 years old and feels fortunate to have forged this connection with her cousins via the power of love and music.