ExCLUSIVE: Stephen Gibb acknowledged Taylor Hawkins’ passing and said the news had hit his father Barry “hard.”
Stephen Gibb has revealed that the death of Foo Fighters icon Taylor Hawkins affected his dad, Bee Gees icon, Barry, “hard”. The music world was left shocked in March 2022 when it was announced that Taylor, aged 50, had died after complaining of chest pains.
On the day of his death, the drummer was scheduled to play. He was unresponsive when his roommates at the Four Seasons Casa Medina hotel called. He was tragically declared dead at the scene, but emergency services immediately began carrying out CPR.
The day after, it was confirmed following a urine toxicology test that Taylor had 10 different drugs, including THC, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, and benzodiazepines, in his system. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Stephen, 50, explained how the death had affected his dad, Bee Gees legend Barry.
He said, “I only spoke to him days before losing him; for both my father and I. My dad and I used to speak frequently at the time, Stephen continued. Dad had to work it out a lot. I’ll never understand why some people stay while others must leave. The best was Taylor. The thing is, he was the real deal when it came to rock and roll love.
The 50-year-old musician continued, “He really enjoyed it. He will never be forgotten, and that is not just a result of my song. Because I adored the man, I wrote that song. We had planned to make music, but I won’t be able to do it. A guy should be getting loved on forever, in this brief love letter. One of history’s greatest drummers, he was the real thing, with heart of gold.
He succeeded in his goals, I believe, and I sincerely hope so for his sake. On their self-titled debut album, Stephen and his Kill The Robot bandmates write a moving song called Western Shores.
Stephen quickly discovered who his real friends were as a father, a global icon, and his own. Knowing who your real friends are is is the hardest part of being a big band when The Bee Gees were still very popular, he said, adding that you might have to sacrifice your life to discover who your real friends were, but you do.
“The big misconception a lot of people have is that because a family is famous, it’s somehow not affected by certain things that everyone else is affected by. The fact of the matter is, like most celebrities that I’ve met in my life, are real people that have problems, just like everybody else – it’s just that they have this unimaginable skill or gift that they’re able to bestow upon the world. It comes with a price.”
He followed his father on the road and in the studios as a child, but when he was eight and nine, he realized that not everyone’s father was a singer, let alone a global icon. We used to be a very close-knit, large family, and we would spend a lot of time together, he said, adding that Maurice and his brothers would often host cookouts. I can’t speak for everyone, but many nights after dinner they would gather around and sing their favorite songs to entertain us. This is one of the most powerful memories we have.
I don’t think it became apparent to me until I was a little older how special, distinctive, and influential their contributions were and are. You are the oldest son of a famous man. I was able to identify the qualities that made me most grateful, such as knowing what it looked like and what it required to excel in a field you truly enjoyed. It required total commitment from my dad, all of them.
What might have happened if the Bee Gees had not returned to the UK, which would have made you the greatest thing ever? Possibly nothing. Being a member of a family that has produced something that has, up until this point, outlived them is an incredible gift and honor. That’s becoming more and more uncommon as I age, in my opinion, with each passing year.
He acknowledged that he had a “bit of a chip on his shoulder” as a child due to his father’s fame and that he had had his fair share of challenges and rites of passage. It does make your children’s lives a little more difficult. Fans of Barry’s appearance at their family home when Stephen was a child faced one of these difficulties.
One or two of them joked, “It’s odd, it comes with its odd things, as I’ve gotten older, I work just as hard as anyone else I know that does what I do,” adding, “I’ve had them say they were my real mum, my dad, and they were going to run away together.” No free lunch is provided, no matter whether you’re John Lennon’s or Barry Gibb’s son. It has two sides, one for each.
Your son has a band, does he sound like his father, you ask? People are disappointed that you have your own fingerprint because I don’t, I don’t. For Kill The Robot’s debut album, “That fingerprint left Stephen” terrified and eager. Although he acknowledges that it’s “hard” to get people to like a new band, the album is a labor of love.
He beamed, “We had a lot of fun making this album with some of my best friends,” he said. He hopes the record will appeal to both new and returning fans as well as those who have remained loyal to him over the years. My hope is that once it’s out, people will be able to identify Kill The Robot as a band and find something to fit their style in our music.
On all major platforms, you can stream and download Kill The Robot via Dark Lab Recordings.
Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
Source: Mirror
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