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Robin Gibb's wife pays tribute to 'songbird'

Jun 9, 2012, 10:01 GMT

Robin Gibb

Robin Gibb's wife paid tribute to her 'songbird' at the star's funeral yesterday (08.06.12).

The Bee Gees singer - who died last month aged 62 after a long period of ill health, including battling cancer - was laid to rest in Oxfordshire and during the service his spouse Dwina read a poem which she had written.

It began: 'My songbird has flown and the world sighs. No music can be heard that is sweeter than the language of his love. My love, my life.'

Three of Robin's children also gave touching tributes at the service.

Youngest son RJ, 29, told mourners: 'He was my truest friend, confidant, and as a father, I don't think a son could ever wish for any better.'

Daughter Melissa, 37, was overwhelmed with emotion so her tribute had to be read by her 39-year-old brother Spencer.

She had written: 'How brave you are. You are a special angel.'

In his own eulogy, Spencer said: 'I will always be humbled by my father's voice and talent.'

Robin's elderly mother Barbara left the service just before her son Barry read his eulogy, in which he admitted it was 'a strange experience' to still be alive following the passing of Robin, Robin's twin Maurice in 2003 and their other brother Andy in 1988.

He said: 'This is a very strange experience, having already lost two brothers and now Rob.

'I think there are an awful lot of things happening right now that maybe you won't be aware of. And one is how many people came on such a terrible day. It is staggering.

'So many people loved this boy, so many illustrious people are here that loved him. And that is such a pleasure to witness.

'The three of us have seen a lot of crowds but I've never seen so much love in one crowd as I'm looking at today - for Rob, you know, for the music. And it's an intense experience for me.

'I think it's an experience none of us will forget. We will keep him in our hearts and minds forever.'

Barry also hinted at recent troubled with Robin and advised mourners to resolve their conflicts.

He said: 'We were laughing all the way. Sometimes crying. God knows how much we argued.

'Even right up to the end we found conflict with each other, which now means nothing. It just means nothing.

'If there's conflict in your lives - get rid of it.'

RJ and Spencer were pall bearers, along with Dwina's other son Steven Murphy and Robin's nephew Stevie Gibb.

Claire Yang, the mother of Robin's three-year-old daughter Snow Robin, did not attend the service in order to be respectful to Dwina.