The Bee Gees were a singing trio of brothers, Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, who were born on the Isle of Man, but the family returned to father Hugh Gibb's home town of Chorlton cum Hardy, near Manchester, in the early 1950s, where the boys began to sing in harmony. On one occasion, the boys were going to lip sync to a record in the local Gaumont cinema (as other children had done in previous weeks), but whilst running to get there Maurice dropped the record and it broke. Unable to use it, the brothers sang live, receiving a positive response from the audience, and they decided to pursue a singing career. In 1958, the Gibb family, now including infant brother Andy, emigrated to Redcliffe in Queensland, Australia. The brothers began performing where they could, and were eventually introduced to radio DJ Bill Gates by racetrack promoter Bill Goode (who had seen them perform at Brisbane's Speedway Circuit). Gates begun to refer to them as the ”Bee Gees” after his and Goode's initials, and by 1960, they were featured on TV shows and began working regularly at resorts on the Queensland coast. Barry’s songwriting drew the attention of Australian star Col Joye, who helped the boys get a record deal with Festival Records in 1963 under the name ”Bee Gees”. The trio released 2 or 3 singles a year, while Barry supplied additional songs to other Australian artists. A minor hit in 1965, "Wine and Women", led to the group's first LP “The Bee Gees Sing and Play 14 Barry Gibb Songs”. By late 1966, the brothers decided to return to England, with the rest of their family staying in Australia, and while at sea in January 1967, they heard that "Spicks and Specks", a song they had recorded in 1966, had gone to number 1 in Australia. Prior to departing for England, Hugh Gibb sent demo tapes to Brian Epstein, The Beatles manager and director of NEMS, a British music store and promoter. Epstein gave the demos to Robert Stigwood, who'd recently joined NEMS, and, after an audition with Stigwood in February 1967, the Bee Gees were signed to a 5 year contract where Polydor Records would be their record label in the UK, and ATCO Records would be their US distributor. Work quickly began on the group's first international album, and their second UK single (the first being "Spicks and Specks"), "New York Mining Disaster 1941", was issued to radio stations with a blank white label listing only the song title. Some DJs immediately assumed it was a new Beatles' single and started playing the song in heavy rotation, helping it climb into the Top 20 in both the UK and US. Third single "To Love Somebody" (originally written for Otis Redding) shot into the US Top 20, and has since been covered by luminaries such as Gram Parsons, Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin, The Animals, Nina Simone, and Michael Bolton. Fourth single, "Holiday" peaked at number 16 in the US, and the album, the erroneously titled “Bee Gees 1st”, climbed to numbers 7 and 8 in the US and UK respectively.

Sophomore album, “Horizontal”, released in late 1967, featured the US number 11 and UK number 1 single "Massachusetts", the UK number 7 single "World", and reached number 12 and number 16 in the US and UK Album charts respectively. 2 more singles followed in early 1968, the ballad "Words" (number 15 in the US, number 8 in the UK), and the double A-sided single "Jumbo"/"The Singer Sang His Song", one of the least successful Bee Gees singles, only reaching numbers 57 and 25 in the US and UK respectively. "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" fared much better (number 8 in the US, number 1 in the UK) and "I Started A Joke" made number 6 in the US - both were from 3rd album “Idea”, another US Top 20 album (number 17), and peaking at number 4 in the UK. The Bee Gees’ next LP was supposed to have been a concept album, “Masterpeace”, but it evolved into the double album “Odessa” (number 20 in the US and number 10 in the UK), from which only the minor hit "First Of May" was produced. Feeling that its flipside, "Lamplight", should’ve been the A-side, Robin quit the group in mid-1969, launching a solo career, and achieving success in Europe with the number 2 hit "Saved By The Bell" (from the album “Robin's Reign”). Barry and Maurice continued as the Bee Gees, releasing the first of many compilations, “Best of Bee Gees”, which reached the US and UK Top 10, and featured the non LP single “Tomorrow Tomorrow” (which replaced the Australian hit "Spicks and Specks" on the CD release as Polydor could no longer secure the rights to the Australian track, and which reached number 23 in the UK and number 54 in the US). With Robin continuing solo, Barry, Maurice, and drummer Colin Petersen recorded their next album, “Cucumber Castle”. Lead off single, "Don't Forget to Remember" made it to number 2 in the UK (but only a disappointing number 73 in the US), however the next 2 singles, "I.O.I.O." and "If I Only Had My Mind On Something Else" barely scraped into the charts. The album struggled to numbers 94 and 57 in the US and UK respectively, and Barry and Maurice parted ways. Barry recorded a solo album which never saw official release, though the single "I'll Kiss Your Memory" was released (but didn’t generate much interest), and Maurice released the single "Railroad", and starred in the West End musical “Sing A Rude Song”.

The 3 brothers reunited in the latter part of 1970, and although they had lost traction in the UK charts, they made number 3 in the US with "Lonely Days" (from the US Top 40 reunion LP and “2 Years On”) and enjoyed their first US number 1 with "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" (from “Trafalgar”, also a US Top 40 album). The trio performed several songs on the soundtrack for the 1971 film “Melody”, and in 1972 the single “Run To Me” (from their 3rd consecutive US Top 40 album, “To Whom It May Concern”) made number 16 in the US, and was also their first UK Top 10 in 3 years. However, 1973 begun badly. The album, “Life in a Tin Can”, and its lead-off single, "Saw a New Morning," sold poorly, with the single peaking at number 94 and the album at number 68. This was followed by an unreleased album (known as “A Kick in the Head Is Worth Eight in the Pants”), and a second compilation album, “Best of Bee Gees, Volume 2” (which didn’t repeat the success of Volume 1). On the advice of Ahmet Ertegün, head of US label Atlantic Records, Stigwood arranged for the group to record with soul music producer Arif Mardin. The resulting LP, “Mr. Natural”, failed to attract much interest (US number 178), but in response, the brothers assembled a live stage band that could replicate their studio sound. In addition to lead guitarist Alan Kendall (who had come on board in 1971), they added drummer Dennis Bryon, and also ex-Strawbs keyboard player Blue Weaver. Other changes saw Maurice, who had previously performed on piano, guitar, organ, mandolin, moog, mellotron and bass guitar, confined to bass onstage. At Eric Clapton’s suggestion, the brothers relocated to Miami, Florida, in early 1975 to record, and the new band, coupled with Barry & Robin’s first attempts at singing falsetto (based on Mardin’s suggestion), found success, with the LP “Main Course” climbing up the US charts to number 14, followed by next album “Children of the World” (number 8).

Following a successful live album, “Here at Last… The Bee Gees… Live”, the Bee Gees agreed with Stigwood to participate in the creation of the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack. The brothers wrote the songs ‘virtually in a single weekend’ at France's Château d'Hérouville studio. 3 singles from the soundtrack, "How Deep Is Your Love", "Stayin' Alive", and "Night Fever", all reached number 1 in the US, and in various countries worldwide. The “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack was number 1 in both the UK and US, and with more than 40 million copies sold, it is one of the best selling soundtracks ever. Around this time, the Bee Gees’ younger brother Andy followed his older siblings into music and his first 3 singles, all produced by Barry, all topped the US charts. The brothers also penned the song "If I Can't Have You", which became a number 1 hit for Yvonne Elliman (while the Bee Gees own version was the B-Side of "Stayin' Alive"), and wrote "Emotion" for Samantha Sang (and also provided backing vocals). From Christmas 1977, the brothers wrote 6 songs that held the number 1 position on the US charts for 25 of 32 consecutive weeks (3 under their own name, 2 for Andy Gibb, and the Yvonne Elliman single). On the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for April 8, 1978, 5 songs were in the Top 10 at the same time ("Night Fever", "Stayin' Alive", "If I Can't Have You", "Emotion" and "Love is Thicker Than Water"). Barry Gibb also became the first songwriter to have 4 consecutive number 1 hits in the US (breaking John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s 1964 record).

Barry wrote the title song to the movie version of the musical “Grease”, which Frankie Valli performed, and which went to number 1, and the 3 Bee Gees also co-starred with Peter Frampton in the movie “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” in 1978. The Bee Gees’ follow-up to “Saturday Night Fever” was ”Spirits Having Flown”, which produced 3 more number 1 hits - "Too Much Heaven", "Tragedy", and "Love You Inside Out", giving them 6 consecutive US number 1 singles within 18 months. They even had a country hit in 1979 with "Rest Your Love On Me" (the flip side of "Too Much Heaven"), which made the Top 40 on the Country charts (Conway Twitty's 1981 version of "Rest Your Love On Me" topped the Country charts). “Spirits Having Flown” topped the album charts in both the UK and US, however, by the end of 1979, the Bee Gees’ popularity had waned, and US radio stations even begun promoting "Bee Gee Free Weekends". In 1981, the Bee Gees released the album “Living Eyes”, but it failed to make the US Top 40, and limped to number 73 in the UK.

Barry & Robin Gibb released various solo albums in the 1980s, but only achieved moderate chart success. However, they successfully wrote and produced for several artists - in 1982, Dionne Warwick enjoyed a UK Top 5 and US Adult Contemporary number 1 with the single, "Heartbreaker", in 1983, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers recorded the US number 1 "Islands in the Stream", and in 1984, Diana Ross hit number 1 in the UK charts with "Chain Reaction". In addition, Barbra Streisand recorded her entire 1980 album, “Guilty”, with the assistance of Barry Gibb, and the single "Woman in Love" (written by the 3 brothers) reached number 1 in both the UK and US.

In 1983, the Bee Gees had greater success with the soundtrack to “Staying Alive” (the sequel to “Saturday Night Fever”), which reached number 6 and was certified platinum in the US, peaked at number 14 in the UK, and included their Top 30 hit "Woman In You". 1987’s “E.S.P.” sold over 3 million copies, reaching the UK Top 5, and the single "You Win Again" went to number 1 in numerous countries, including the UK, but was a disappointment in the US, charting at number 75.

In early 1988, the group decided that younger brother Andy should join them, however in March, Andy tragically died, aged just 30, from myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle caused by a viral infection. The Bee Gees’ next album, the UK Top 30 effort “One” (1989), featured a song dedicated to Andy, "Wish You Were Here", and the title track became their first US Top 10 hit in a decade, reaching number 7. Success continued with “High Civilization” (another UK Top 30 album), which contained the UK Top 5 hit “Secret Love”, and in 1993 with another UK Top 30 album, “Size Isn't Everything”, home of another UK Top 5 hit, "For Whom the Bell Tolls". 4 years later, they released “Still Waters”, which sold over 4 million copies, debuting at number 11 in the US and reaching number 2 in the UK, with first single "Alone" achieving a US Top 30 and yet another UK Top 5 placing. In November 1997, the Bee Gees performed a live concert in Las Vegas called “One Night Only”, including a performance of "Our Love (Don't Throw It All Away)", synchronized with a vocal by deceased brother Andy, and a cameo appearance by Celine Dion singing “Immortality”. The CD of the performance sold over 5 million copies, rising to number 4 in the US album chart (although it only just made the UK Top 75). In 1998, the group's score for “Saturday Night Fever” was incorporated into a stage production, first in London’s West End, and then on Broadway. They wrote 3 new songs for the adaptation.

In 2001, they released what turned out to be their final album of new material as a group, “This Is Where I Came In”, which peaked at number 16 in the US and number 6 in the UK. In January 2003, Maurice died suddenly from a strangulated intestine. Barry & Robin decided to retire the group name, leaving it to represent the 3 brothers together. In the same month, Robin released a solo album, “Magnet”, and in February 2003, the Bee Gees received the Grammy “Legend” Award. In 2005, Barry reunited with Barbra Streisand for her top-selling album “Guilty Pleasures” (released as “Guilty Too” in the UK), a sequel album to the previous “Guilty”, and in February 2006, Barry & Robin reunited on stage for a Diabetes Research Institute charity concert in Miami, their first public performance together since the death of Maurice. They also played at the 30th annual Prince's Trust Concert in the UK in May 2006, and in October 2008 Robin performed a couple of songs in London as part of the BBC Electric Proms Saturday Night Fever performance.

The Bee Gees songs have been covered by singers as varied as Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Al Green, Eric Clapton, Lulu, Elton John, Tom Jones, Nina Simone, Feist, Billy Corgan, Michael Bolton, Robert Smith, Ardijah, Steps, Destiny's Child, and John Frusciante (who has covered "How Deep Is Your Love" during Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts - "How Deep Is Your Love" is their most popular composition, with over 400 versions by other artists in existence).

The Bee Gees have sold in excess of 220 million records and singles worldwide, making them one of the best selling music artists of all time, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.