The 1970s were a golden era for disco and pop music, a time when artists like Elton John, Daina Ross, Aerosmith, and Black Sabbath made their first debut and changed the music scene forever.
Alongside these emerging stars was Andy Gibb, a then 19-year-old pop idol who captured the hearts of fans worldwide with his boyish charm and velvety voice. His rise to fame was rapid, with his debut single I Just Want to Be Your Everything peaking at no. 1 on the US Billboards.
But behind the glitz and glamor, Andy Gibb struggled with personal challenges that would eventually lead to his untimely death. This article covers Andy Gibb’s cause of death and the circumstances surrounding his tragic passing.
What Was the Cause of Andy Gibb’s Death?
English singer and songwriter Andy Gibb passed away on March 10, 1988, five days after his 30th birthday due to a heart condition called Myocarditis.
Image source: Google
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle myocardium, commonly caused by an infection from a virus, parasite, fungus, or bacteria. It’s a relatively rare disease, affecting 22 in 100,000 individuals.
Myocarditis commonly affects immunocompromised individuals, and Andy Gibb’s vulnerability to infection was worsened by years of drug abuse and other unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Andy Gibb was born on March 10, 1958, Andy was almost a decade younger than his brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, who make up the musical group Bee Gees. Andy’s death was sudden, as is often the case with myocarditis.
During an interview with Fox News, Andy’s oldest brother Barry said, “We knew that Andy was in bad shape—he had some bad substance habits—but we never thought we would lose him.”
Andy Gibb’s Early Career and Rise to Success
Andy Gibb’s musical journey began at the young age of 15, fueled by his ambition to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers—Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb—who were renowned members of the iconic band the Bee Gees.
Image source: Google
Andy Gibb’s early songs, Windows of My World and My Father, were written by Maurice Gibb, and were decently popular. However, it wasn’t until 1977 that Andy Gibb took his musical career seriously.
The English-Australian singer rose to immense popularity in the 1970s, with hits like I Just Want to Be Your Everything (1977), Shadow Dancing (1978), and Love Is Thicker Than Water (1978), all reaching No. 1 on the US Hot 100 before he turned 21.
Thanks to Barry’s expertise in songwriting and producing, combined with Andy’s striking looks, dreamy voice, and charming personality, his success seemed almost inevitable.
Andy was so popular that, according to author Matthew Hild—who had written a biography about Andy Gibb—women chased him everywhere and he proactively received checks that would’ve been worth $4 million today for doing seemingly nothing.
Andy Gibb’s father later remarked that Andy had been “given too much too soon,” and the fame quickly became too much to handle. He went from performing occasional songs in small Australian bars to scoring number-one hits in the United States. Suddenly, his face was plastered on magazines and billboards and his songs were played nonstop on the radio.
Image source: Pinterest
Matthew Hild’s book, Arrow Through the Heart, shed light on how this fame affected Andy Gill. Despite his undeniable talent, proven by the number of awards he had received within a short period of time, Andy Gibb struggled with imposter syndrome. Reassurances failed to alleviate Andy’s deep insecurities, which ultimately proved detrimental.
Andy Gibb’s Drug Addiction
Regrettably, Andy’s explosive fame led him down a dangerous path. It was the 1980s, and cocaine use was rampant, especially among musicians. What began as a slow, experimental habit soon turned into a full-blown addiction.
“Cocaine became his first love. He wasn’t the man I married,” Kim Reeder said in an interview with Fox when asked about the reasons behind their divorce, just a year into their marriage.
Andy’s downfall continued from there. He tried to keep up with his responsibilities but the expectations of fame suffocated him. He began missing theater performances and guest appearances, even failing to show up for his own TV show. His unreliability led producers to hesitate when approaching him for contracts.
Broadway producer Zev Buffman recalled that Andy would disappear weeks at a time, only to return one Tuesday looking exhausted and ashamed. “He was all heart,” Buffman said, “but he didn’t have enough strength to follow through.”
Eventually, Andy’s actions caught up to him. Music labels began terminating his contract and musicals took his name off the list. He was also fired from his role as a presenter on Solid Gold, a TV show that featured live performances and music videos from popular artists.
Image source: Google
In 1981, Andy Gibb released a duet cover with his then-girlfriend Victoria Principal of The Everly Brothers All I Have to Do Is Dream. The song performed decently well, peaking at No. 51 on the US charts. All seemed well again until Principal ended their relationship shortly after, which triggered Andy’s most significant spiral yet.
Attempts at Recovery
Seeing how bad he was becoming, Andy’s family urged him to go to rehab. Andy agreed and began checking in to several addiction treatment facilities between 1985 and 1987.
But by the time Andy left the treatment facilities and was ready to go back to work, his reputation was ruined.
His fans, which were once in the millions, had dwindled. And those who used to work with him began withdrawing, not only for fear of backlash but also because Andy was highly unreliable. He appeared in the occasional TV roles and cabaret shows, but his addiction—and subsequent health issues—prevented him from working full-time.
Despite that, Andy still planned on making a big comeback. And for a while, he did.
Andy managed to convince his brother Barry that he was well enough to get back to the music scene. Barry, believing his brother and more than excited about this turn of events, convinced Island Records to meet with Andy for a potential record deal. But when the day came, Andy panicked and didn’t show up.
Image source: Pinterest
The brothers also spoke to Andy about him potentially joining Bee Gees, and it seemed like Andy had agreed because Bee Gees shared their band’s future plans in interviews. Regrettably, those plans never came to fruition.
Final Years and Health Struggles
After a brief disappearance, Andy Gibb returned to the public eye in 1988. He began recording new songs and taking the occasional gig, even appearing in interviews.
In one of his last interviews, he expressed that all he wanted in life was to find peace, happiness, and peace of mind, and that he hoped to continue growing.
Andy recorded Arrow Through the Heart in July 1987. The song was about a man’s vain search for happiness, and one of the lyrics states, “I’m too young to die,” which is both poetic and chilling considering that less than a year later, Andy Gibb passed away from myocarditis.
He celebrated his 30th birthday on March 5, 1988, and just two days later, he collapsed and was rushed to John Radcliffe Hospital. Sadly, his heart gave out due to years of cocaine abuse.
Image source: Google
Despite Andy’s claims to have been clean, it was later revealed that that wasn’t quite true. In fact, Andy’s brother Robin had warned him that his lifestyle would be the death of him just three days before that statement became reality. “That conversation still haunts me,” Robin said.
Final Thoughts
Andy Gibb had both the talent and the soul, but the pressure of fame became too much for him to bear and he turned to drugs to cope. Unfortunately, that would prove to be his downfall as it led to his death from a deadly heart condition called myocarditis. Andy’s tragic life story is a reminder to others about the dangers of unchecked fame and addiction.
Featured image source: Google