We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about the Bee Gees, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating tidbits that you definitely (probably) did not know about the life of one of America’s most iconic pop groups below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: Robin Gibb Was in a Terrible Train Accident. In 1967, Gibb and his fiancee were in Britain’s sixth worst train crash. A total of 49 people were killed in the accident, but both Gibb and his fiancee survived.
Number Seven: Robin Gibb Was Addicted to Methedrine. According to FBI files, by 1980, Gibb was not really sleeping or eating, and he was addicted to methedrine. He became very paranoid and was convinced that his wife was part of a plot to drain him of his money.
Number Six: They Were Prolific Writers. The Bee Gees produced a lot of hits, but they wrote some songs for other artists that you might not even realize they wrote. These songs include Frankie Valli’s “Grease,” Barbra Streisand’s “Woman in Love,” and Diana Ross’ “Chain Reaction.”
Number Five: They Have Only Been Outsold by Five People. According to their citation in the Hall of Fame, they have only been outsold by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Michael Jackson.
Number Four: They Moved to England Right as They Hit Their Stride in Australia. The Bee Gees were frustrated that they were not yet experiencing success in Australia, so they decided to move to England. However, once they left Australia, they realized that Spicks and Specks had indeed become a hit.
Number Three: They Didn’t Always Get Along. The Bee Gees may have been brothers, but they definitely got into some disagreements. In 1969, Robin left the group to begin a solo career.
Number Two: They Got Involved with Saturday Night Fever Pretty Late in the Game. Though the Bee Gees are very well-known for providing the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, they didn’t actually get involved with it until post-production.
Number One: They Died With Disco. The Bee Gees experienced unprecedented success in the 1970s, but by the late 1970s and early 1980s people were over disco. Considering that, for many people, the Bee Gees represented disco, many people were done with the Bee Gees as well.