Browse Sections

• Education
• Special reports

How deep is love for Bee Gee, Maurice

Ailsa Cranna
16/ 1/2003

TRIBUTE has been paid this week to the late Maurice Gibb by one of his greatest fans - Ordsall-born DJ Mike Sweeney.

The Bee Gees, famous for Saturday Night Fever and five decades of hits, made one of their last UK radio appearances on the Capital Gold DJ's show about six months ago.

It was a treasured memory for the broadcaster, who this week spoke of his admiration for Maurice, whose sudden death was announced on Sunday.

Still stunned at the news, Mike told us: "This is a great tragedy and came as a great shock to everyone.

"My generation were brought up to believe we were going to be big kids forever and when something like this happens it gives us a sense of our own mortality."

Just over six months ago, Mike had the Bee Gees on his show and persuaded them to give an impromptu performance. Often derided for their falsetto singing, Mike is adamant that they were greater at harmonies than The Everley Brothers and The Beatles.

He first met the Bee Gees over 20 years ago when he was a DJ on Piccadilly Radio. "I was talking about eating toast and dripping as a kid and we all just got on like a house on fire because they had come from a similar background," he recalled.

"They were the least big time of any of the stars - they never had an entourage and never stipulated what could and couldn't be talked about. Above all, they were survivors and had hits in every decade. They simply just kept coming back time and again."

As a tribute to Maurice Gibb, Mike will be playing some of the group's best-loved singles on his show this week. One of the requests came from a fan late last Friday, wanting to wish Maurice a speedy recovery after it was announced he had undergone major surgery.