Celebrity News Blog: Robin Gibb Mourned By Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood

Monday, May 21, 2012

Robin Gibb Mourned By Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood

At Billboard Music Awards, Jordin Sparks recalls paying tribute to the Bee Gees during her time on 'American Idol.'
By Kara Warner

The Bee Gees
Photo: Chris Walter/ Getty Images

The music industry lost yet another influential artist Sunday (May 20), with the untimely death of Bee Gees' member Robin Gibb.

The news was met with sadness and shock from the celeb attendees at Sunday's Billboard Music Awards. They were quick to express heartfelt sentiments to Gibb's family and friends, as well as weigh in on the huge impact the Bee Gees had on the music industry as a whole.

"Oh no!" Jordin Sparks said in shock upon hearing the news. "I thought he was doing better. Barry Gibb [Robin's brother and fellow Bee Gee], when I was on '[American] Idol,' he was one of our mentors, and it was so amazing to meet him. I actually discovered my love for Bee Gees music through that week, and 'Too Much Heaven' and 'Emotions' are two of my favorite songs, and 'Stayin' Alive,' of course. Classic. But it's so sad," she added. "I just can't [believe it]."

"I definitely listened to the Bee Gees," Justin Bieber told us. "I'm not too familiar with them, but it's definitely sad what happened. My heart goes out to him and his family."

"My first memory of the Bee Gees was the film 'Saturday Night Fever,' which is one of my favorites," recalled Max George of the Wanted. "I love the Bee Gees. They're obviously legends and heroes of ours and people we look up to. It's a really sad loss. Our thoughts go out to all of his family."

Chart-topper Carrie Underwood remembered discovering the group during her childhood. "My parents listened to the Bee Gees quite a bit when I was little, so I was definitely exposed to them at an early age. They just had a sound that was all their own, obviously, [it was] never duplicated," she said. "They were very influential on music in general, and it's very sad to hear about any loss. There have been a lot of legends lost this year, so it's always sad to see it happen, but they are paying a couple of tributes here [at the Billboard Music Awards], and I know that they'll be classy and respectful and allow us all to remember them."

Singer/songwriter and recent "Dancing With the Stars" castmember Gavin DeGraw spoke to the group's influence with their own music, as well as the hit songs they went on to write for other artists.

"Let's talk about the Bee Gees. That's an iconic group. Not just a great band, but a great group of songwriters," DeGraw said. "Even long after the Bee Gees' success on the pop charts, they were still writing songs for other people, huge hit songs. Their talent went far beyond their moment of normal pop success. It is a loss to the music industry and a loss of an iconic group. The beauty of this industry is that we do pay tribute and every artist coming up is a fan of a generation prior to it, so there's a real tradition element to it."

Please share your condolences for Gibb's family, friends and fans in the comments.

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