By quantriweb2023 
Barry Gibb, one of the most revered songwriters of all time, has recently opened up about the devastating childhood accident that shaped his life and career. Alongside his brothers Robin and Maurice, the Bee Gees rose to phenomenal fame during the 1960s and 1970s, propelled further by Barry’s iconic soundtrack for the 1978 classic Saturday Night Fever.
Barry’s songwriting genius is undeniable, having penned hits like ‘Chain Reaction’ for Diana Ross, ‘Islands in the Stream’ for Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, ‘Woman in Love’ for Barbra Streisand, ‘Heartbreaker’ for Dionne Warwick, and even ‘Emotion’ for Destiny’s Child. Despite his tremendous success, Barry revealed that his extraordinary musical instincts were profoundly influenced by a harrowing event from his infancy.
Born in 1946 in Douglas, Isle of Man, to parents Hugh Gibb, a drummer, and Barbara Gibb, Barry experienced a life-threatening accident at just under two years old. One day, as his mother prepared tea and placed the teapot on a table, young Barry climbed up and accidentally pulled it down, spilling scalding hot tea over himself. The severity of his burns led to an emergency hospital stay, with doctors telling the family he had only about 20 minutes left to live.
“I had about 20 minutes to live,” Barry told CBS News. “I spent two years in hospital and after I came out, I never said a word for another two years.”
During his long recovery, Barry suffered from gangrene, a condition exacerbated by the limited medical advancements of the 1940s. He explained that skin grafts and modern treatments were unavailable at the time, which made his burns especially dangerous. Remarkably, Barry has no memory of the two years spent in the hospital.
“The incredible thing for me is that whole two years is wiped from my memory, the whole period of being in hospital. The idea of being burnt is in there somewhere, but I have no knowledge of it. I’ve got the scars but I have no knowledge,” he revealed.
The severe trauma left Barry a very shy and quiet child, a contrast to the larger-than-life stage presence he would eventually embody. Even today, the emotional effects linger, as Barry admitted in a 2013 interview that he is often overwhelmed by his feelings.
“I cry at the drop of a hat. If I’m watching a sad movie or TV show, I sit with a towel on my lap because I cry so much. I came back to Australia recently, for the first time without my brothers. A local reporter showed me a copy of our first television appearance and I started blubbering. I can’t help it – I’m emotionally wired,” Barry confided to The Mail On Sunday.
From the ashes of a childhood accident emerged one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, whose songs have touched countless lives around the world. Barry Gibb’s story is a testament to resilience and the mysterious ways in which trauma can shape creativity and emotional depth.
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