Sept. 1: Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees is 64 today.

Singer, songwriter and producer Barry Alan Lee Maddison Crompton Gibb, CBE (Commander of the British Empire) was born on the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed the Bee Gees (Brothers Gibb), one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found major success when they returned to England.

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Barry’s signature falsetto and his song writing prowess were two of the reasons for the groups huge success. In 1978, he penned four straight #1 hits, surpassing the record previously held by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. His songs "Stayin’ Alive," "Love Is Thicker Than Water," "Night Fever," and "If I Can’t Have You" all hit the top of the charts.


Barry also produced many successful albums during the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the notable albums which Barry wrote and produced include those released by Andy Gibb, Barry’s late brother, as well as those by Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick.

In 2004, Barry, along with brother Robin, received honorary Doctor of Music Degrees from The University of Manchester. In 2005, Barry visited Buckingham Palace, where Prince Charles granted him the Commander of the British Empire honor.

During their careers the Bee Gees have sold over 178 million albums and won multiple Grammy Awards. Their career spanned over forty years.

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Sept. 1: Singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan is 53 today.

Born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García, the Cuban-American singer, songwriter and actress is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 90 million albums sold worldwide - 26 million of them in the U.S. She has won seven Grammy Awards.

At age 18, Gloria was invited to sing at a wedding with a local band called the Miami Latin Boys. The group’s leader was Emilio Estefan. The singer quickly became an integral part of the band. Between 1975 and 1977, they polished their sound creating what would be called the “Miami sound”; and the group became the Miami Sound Machine. The day after her 21st birthday she married Emilio.                                                            

In 1984 the band hit it big with the recording of their first album in English, “Eyes of Innocence.” Less than a year later, they released a new album, album “Primitive Love,” which sold more than 3 million copies in the U.S., and produced the hit singles "Bad Boy," "Words Get In The Way"’ and "Conga." "Conga" was the first record in history to appear simultaneously in Billboard’s Pop, Latin, Soul and Dance charts.
 The next two albums, “Let It Loose” (1987) and “Cuts Both Ways” (1989), were also smash hits, with “Cuts Both Ways,” selling more than 10 million copies. By this time, the name of the group changed to Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine.


Besides her seven Grammy's, Gloria has been honored twice by the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1993, she was granted an honorary doctoral degree in music from the University of Miami. In 2007 she and her husband, Emilio, received honorary doctoral degrees in music from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

-- "Rhythm is Gonna Get You"
-- "Words Get In The Way"

Gloria Estefan's Official Website

-- "Betcha Say That"