Introduction:
Barry and Robin Gibb Deliver Bee Gees’ Final Public Performance on American Idol
The legendary Bee Gees brothers, Barry and Robin Gibb, took to the stage for what would become their final public performance during the 2010 finale of American Idol. The emotional event marked the end of an era as they performed their timeless ballad How Deep Is Your Love—a poignant moment that occurred just two years before Robin’s passing from kidney failure related to cancer.
The performance, joined by American Idol finalists Aaron Kelly and Siobhan Magnus, was a rare and cherished moment. It was the last time Barry Gibb would share a stage with any of his brothers. Fans quickly recognized the significance of the performance, leaving heartfelt comments online. One wrote, “Oh my God… how I miss Maurice seeing this. RIP Maurice and Robin. You’re terribly missed.” Another remarked on how lucky the contestants were, saying, “I wonder if these kids even understood the magnitude of this moment,” while a third added, “The opportunity to harmonize with the Gibbs is a blessing. RIP Robin and Maurice.”
For many, the rendition of the 1977 hit brought back memories of simpler times. “Certain songs have a way of taking us back to a much simpler, happy time,” one fan wrote. Another said, “This is literally my favorite moment from all singing competitions.”
Originally part of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, How Deep Is Your Love became one of the Bee Gees’ most iconic tracks, and was famously covered by Take That in 1996 before their hiatus.
The American Idol performance came nine years after the original trio—Barry, Robin, and Maurice—last performed together in 2001. Their final public performance as a trio was on June 17, 2001, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, where they sang You Should Be Dancing.
Jeff Wells, a fan who attended the concert, recalled the electric energy of the night: “When the Saturday Night Fever songs were performed—Night Fever, More Than A Woman, Jive Talkin’—the entire stadium was on their feet clapping, singing, dancing… whipped into a frenzy.” He added, “As the last chords of You Should Be Dancing played, fireworks lit up the sky above Dodger Stadium. It was a spectacular end, and the crowd responded with a thunderous roar.”
Though that night was the last recorded group performance, the Bee Gees’ final appearance as a trio came eight months later, on February 23, 2002, at the private Love and Hope Ball in Miami. Unfortunately, no video footage exists from that intimate performance, where Barry and Maurice performed songs by The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and The Everly Brothers, later joined by Robin for Bee Gees classics.
In 2012, shortly after Robin’s passing, Barry Gibb gave a tearful interview on Australia’s Sunday Night, expressing the heartbreak of losing his brothers. “I’m the last man standing. I’ll never understand that—I’m the eldest,” he said. Breaking down in tears, Barry added, “Nobody really knew what the three of us felt for each other… only the three of us knew. We were one person, united by the same dream. That’s what I miss most.”
In 2023, Barry Gibb had a chance to pay tribute to his late brothers on a national stage. At the Kennedy Center Honors, held on December 3, he was recognized for his lifetime artistic achievements alongside fellow icons Billy Crystal, Dionne Warwick, and others.
In his moving acceptance speech, Barry expressed deep gratitude. “Thank you all, this is the most incredible honour of my life,” he said. “Without my brothers, I wouldn’t be standing here. I salute Maurice, Robin, and Andy. We were a family of music and a family of love.”
The celebration included pre-recorded tributes from Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, and Paul McCartney. Country group Little Big Town performed the Bee Gees’ Lonely Days, and Michael Bublé honored Barry with a heartfelt rendition of How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, the song that helped launch Bublé’s career. Ariana DeBose also took the stage to perform a medley of the Bee Gees’ greatest hits.