Andy Gibb's Real Name: Andrew Roy Gibb

Quick answer: The singer was known professionally as Andy Gibb. His official memorial page and AllMusic both give the name Andrew Roy Gibb, place the birth on March 5, 1958, and record his death on March 10, 1988, at age 30. The two sources differ on the precise birthplace and on how they name the place of death.

Real name and early life

The official Andy Gibb memorial page identifies him as Andrew Roy Gibb, also called Andy Gibb, and places the birth on March 5, 1958, in Manchester. AllMusic independently gives the same fuller name, the same birth date, and places the birth in Stretford, Greater Manchester, England. The official page says he was brought up in the United Kingdom, on the island of Ibiza in Spain, and in Australia, and that he later moved to Sydney at 15 to live with his older sister Lesley. AllMusic independently identifies him as the youngest of the Gibb brothers.

Career highlights

The official memorial page says he made his first album, Flowing Rivers, after moving to Florida in 1976, working with his brother Barry and Robert Stigwood, and that his first three singles from the album reached number one on the Billboard charts. AllMusic independently says that, following the Bee Gees' revival with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 1977, he began a solo career, and that his first three singles, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," "(Love Is) Thicker Than Water," and "Shadow Dancing," all hit number one, followed by three more consecutive Top Ten hits. AllMusic says the later single "Desire" reached number four, and that "Me (Without You)" was his last Top 40 hit the following year, after which he had a brief stint as the host of Solid Gold.

Death

The official memorial page says he died on March 10, 1988, in Oxfordshire, England, five days after his 30th birthday, from myocarditis, which it describes as a heart condition brought about by years of drug abuse. AllMusic independently gives the same date, places the death in Oxford, England, at age 30, and describes the cause as an inflammatory heart virus, after earlier mentioning cocaine addiction.

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Andy Gibb or Andrew Roy Gibb are looking for the same singer, including the later work and the song Shadow Dancing most often associated with his name. Search traffic often uses the professional name Andy Gibb.