The?Bee Gees?are a musical group that was originally made up of three brothers:?Barry,?Robin, and?Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a harmonic "soft rock" act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a foremost act of the?disco?music era in the late 1970s. The group sang three-part?tight harmonies?that were instantly recognisable; Robin's clear?vibrato?lead was a hallmark of their earlier hits, while Barry's R&B?falsetto?became their signature sound during the late 1970s and 1980s. The brothers co-wrote all of their own hits, as well as writing and producing several major hits for other artists.

Born in the?Isle of Man?to English parents, the Gibb brothers lived their first few years in?Chorlton, Manchester, England, then moved in the late 1950s to?Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, where they began their musical careers.?After achieving their first chart success in Australia with "Spicks and Specks" (their 12th single), they returned to the United Kingdom in January 1967 where producer?Robert Stigwood?began promoting them to a worldwide audience. It has been estimated that the Bee Gees' career record sales total more than 220?million,?making them one of the?best-selling music artists?of all time. They were inducted into the?Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?in 1997;?the presenter of the award to "Britain's first family of harmony"?was?Brian Wilson, historical leader of the?Beach Boys, a "family act" also featuring three harmonizing brothers.?The Bee Gees'?Hall of Fame?citation says "Only?Elvis Presley,?The Beatles,?Michael Jackson,?Garth Brooks?and?Paul McCartney?have outsold the Bee Gees".

Following Maurice's sudden death in January 2003, Barry and Robin Gibb ended the group after 45 years of activity. In 2009, however, Robin announced that he and Barry had agreed that the Bee Gees would reform and perform again.