Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who has battled colon and liver cancer over the past several months, is now in a coma, and his serious condition has doctors preparing his friends and family for the worst.
The 62-year old contracted pneumonia recently and is being cared for in a private hospital in Chelsea, where friends and family are at his side. The illness has generated a lung infection, which has those closest to him worried. His son, R.J. Gibb, issued a statement about his condition.
“As a lot of people who’ve had family members or friends who have been through a cancer bout know, there are a lot of periphery problems afterwards that you have to deal with. He will have to keep scrutiny on this for his entire life and, God willing and we’re all praying for him, he comes through and makes a speedy recovery.”
Gibb announced in February that his health was on the rise and was hopeful that the cancer had gone into remission; he’s been working with his son R.J. for months on a new symphonic piece for the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster entitled The Titanic Requiem and had planned to see it’s premiere recently, but illness forced him to miss it.
“The one place he really wanted to be in two and a half years he couldn’t be and it was heartbreaking,” R.J. said.
Actor and friend Leslie Phillips said, “It saddens me deeply — poor Robin has taken a serious turn for the worse. I feel very sad if it is true that he has only days to live,”
The Bee Gees were hugely popular in the ’70s with disco hits like “Night Fever” and “Stayin’ Alive”. Those in the younger generation might know of Robin Gibb through Saturday Night Live, where former cast member Jimmy Fallon and guest Justin Timberlake did several sketches based on Gibb and his brother Barry called “The Barry Gibb Talk Show”. Barry reportedly loved the skits and has expressed a desire to be included in future episodes.