Tag Archives: Robin Gibb

‘American Idol’ Finale: Phillip Phillips Crowned Winner

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The lights were dimmed, the votes were counted, and Phillip Phillips became the new “American Idol.”

As expected, Phillips beat out Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday’s (May 23) Season 11 “Idol” finale, live at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre. Phillips topped Sanchez after a reported 132 million votes were cast — “a new world record,” according to host Ryan Seacrest.

Phillips teared up while performing his winning song “Home,” while confetti rained down on the stage around him. The Leesburg, Georgia, native has been a cool cucumber all season long, but he broke down in the moment, just as he did during his hometown visit last week.

Phillips didn’t finish the song, but strolled off stage and into the arms of his family, who were waiting in the first few rows. As streamers fell and the band played on the stage behind him, Phillips hugged his family members, and later judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

Phillips came out of Tuesday’s performance episode the heavy favorite to win it all and was celebrated by the judges for his “Home,” which was tailor made for his laid-back style. On the other hand, Sanchez’s would-be winning song, “Change Nothing,” was sloughed off by the judges and even Sanchez herself, who acknowledged the song wasn’t really in her wheelhouse, and said she’d aim to put more of herself in her future recordings.

Heading into this season, the buzz was that a woman would win “Idol,” becoming the first female winner since Jordin Sparks in 2007. Four of this year’s top six contestants were female, but Phillips proved unbeatable in the stretch.

Sanchez was an early favorite in the season, stepping out in front with her show-stopping rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” on the March 7 episode. But she hit her stumbling blocks along the way, and was voted out on the April 12 episode, and had to be saved by the judges to stay in the competition.

Phillips was steady throughout the season. His name — that name! — made him an instant standout, and he played it cool all season long, never letting much of anything — including the season-long illness he battled — ruffle his fathers. (On Thursday’s show, he joked — he was joking, right? — that he got nine and a half to 10 hours of sleep the night before.) He was often criticized, and fairly so, for his similarities to Dave Matthews, but he came alive in the final two weeks, knocking out Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight” and his winning “Idol” song, “Home.”

Wednesday’s finale packed the usual array of medleys, group performances and guest appearances. Stars on the roster included Rihanna (who hit the stage to perform “Where Have You Been”), Chaka Kahn (who joined the female finalists on “I’m Every Woman”), Neil Diamond (who did “Sweet Caroline” with the male contestants) and Reba McEntire (who sang “Turn on the Radio” with Skylar Laine). Josha Ledet sang Elton John’s “Take Me to the Pilot” alongside Fantasia Barrino, whom he introduced as “the biggest inspiration in my life” and who hit the stage in a wild, form-fitting catsuit and long hair, while another former “Idol” winner, Jordin Sparks, took the stage with Hollie Cavanagh on “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” John Fogerty teamed up with Phillips on the Creedence Clearwater Revival classics “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Bad Moon Rising,” and Jennifer Holliday teamed up with Sanchez on the “Dreamgirls” signature song “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” (Earlier, Sanchez hit the stage on her own to reprise her performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”)

The “Idol” finalists — minus Phillips and Sanchez, who teamed up on Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes’ “Up Where We Belong” late in the show — opened the show with Bruno Mars’ “Runaway Baby,” and the male finalists paid tribute to the late Robin Gibb by running through a handful of Bee Gees classics, including “How Deep is Your Love,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” and “To Love Somebody.”

The “Idol” judges got in on the action as well. Jennifer Lopez performed “Goin’ In” with Flo Rida and Lil Jon and “Follow the Leader” with Puerto Rican duo Wisin Yandel, while Steven Tyler hit the stage with his Aerosmith cohorts to do their new single “Legendary Child” along with “Walk This Way.”

The show also featured “Idol’s” first live wedding proposal, when fifth season finalist Ace Young proposed to third season runner-up Diana DeGarmo while the dramatic “Idol” suspense-building music played in the background. (DeGarmo accepted despite Young’s tacky jewelry store plug mid-proposal.)

Phillips and Sanchez were also given new Ford automobiles for their efforts.

Next up? After the finalists make the media rounds, the “American Idol” summer tour — featuring the season’s top 10 finalists — kicks off July 6 in Detroit.

What did you think of the “Idol” finale? Let us know in the comments!

Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

Robin Gibb Mourned By Justin Bieber, Carrie Underwood

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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.

Robin Gibb Dead At 62: A Big-Screen Tribute

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The disco-music world lost another soldier just days after its queen, Donna Summer, passed away. On Sunday, Bee Gees member Robin Gibb died after a long battle with colon and liver cancer.

The musical group comprised of Gibb and his brothers Barry and Maurice reinvented disco in the late 1970s and became a mainstream success. But it was the inclusion of their music in the John Travolta film “Saturday Night Fever” that really put their stamp on pop culture.

The band of brothers composed and performed a majority of the songs on the soundtrack, and up until Whitney Houston‘s musical collection for “The Bodyguard,” it was the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Producer Robert Stigwood had approached the Bee Gees after the film wrapped to see what they could pull together for the soundtrack, and shortly after, “Night Fever,” “More Than a Woman,” “How Deep Is Your Love,” “You Should Be Dancing” and the classic “Stayin’ Alive” were born. The latter song, featured in the beginning of the movie, jumped onto Billboard‘s Top 100 at #1 immediately following its release and stayed there for four weeks. To this day, the record has sold more than 40 million copies and is one of the top five best-selling albums of all time.

Robin Gibb and his brothers went on to star in “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” a musical adventure co-starring ’70s icon Peter Frampton that centers on a small-town band that finds success in the music industry. Unfortunately, they also come to discover deceit as their instruments and their hometown of Heartland are put in jeopardy by a wicked force. The movie was loosely based on the off-Broadway production of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road” and featured covers of original Beatles songs from their album of the same name as well as Abbey Road.

Over the years, the Bee Gees‘ songs have been featured in well over 100 films and soundtracks, including “50/50,” “The Fighter,” “Despicable Me,” “The Book of Eli,” “Sex and the City,” “Zoolander” and “Good Will Hunting.” The hit Fox musical series “Glee” also paid tribute to the band in a recent disco episode titled “Saturday Night Glee-ver,” in which the cast covered six of the band’s hit songs.

Fellow actor and musician Jordin Sparks told MTV News at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards that she was saddened by Robin Gibb‘s passing and recalled the time when she discovered the Bee Gees‘ music.

“Barry Gibb, 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. I just can’t [believe it].”

Barry Gibb is the last surviving member of the Bee Gees. Brother Maurice Gibb died in 2003 following abdominal surgery.

Share your condolences for Gibb’s family, friends and fans in the comments section below.

Billboard Music Awards Belong To Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift

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Sunday night’s (May 20) Billboard Music Awards were a bittersweet affair, balancing the promise of decades of entertainment from a new generation of record-smashing young artists like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift with fond memories of a number of recently departed musical icons.

In a three-hour show heavy on performances, chart staples LMFAO helped kicked the show off with a typically hyped performance of their inescapable party anthems that featured a cabbage-patching teddy bear and zebra and more animal prints than a Flintstones family reunion.

Justin Bieber was the night’s first winner, taking the Top Social Artist award for his huge online presence. The singer swaggered up to the stage and, in an uncharacteristically emotional moment, said, “I just want to say how much of a blessing it’s been … the past three or four years, growing up in front of everybody. … I want to thank all my fans, because the Internet is where I got my start, and all my fans have helped me get to this position.”

Co-host Julie Bowen took a moment out of the program early on to pay tribute to late Bee Gees member Robin Gibb, who died earlier in the day Sunday after a long battle with cancer. The night also featured a touching tribute to recently passed disco queen Donna Summer by Natasha Bedingfield and a segment devoted to music legend Whitney Houston with a medley of her indelible hits performed by John Legend and Jordin Sparks.

Daughter Bobbi Kristina accepted the Billboard Millennium Award on behalf of her late mother. “I just really want to say thank you to everyone who supported us through it all,” she said. “Not just when it was good, but when it was bad too … thank you so much for showing that much love, because she deserved it.”

Katy Perry was handed the Spotlight Award for tying the record set by Michael Jackson of five #1 hits from the same album, for her handful of smashes from Teenage Dream. Dressed in a floor-length sparkling silver gown, her hair a muted dark purple, Perry said she was “incredibly honored” to be in the same category as someone like Jackson.

“Most of all, of course, I always say that the people have the power, so I want to say thank you to the glittering, gorgeous community of fans out there,” she added to wild applause, while finding a spare few seconds to plug her upcoming 3-D concert film, “Part of Me.” Oh, and she said she couldn’t wait to do shots later that night with her 91-year-old granny, who was in the audience.

The ladies had a great night, as Taylor Swift was honored with the Billboard Woman of the Year award, acknowledging her stadium full of impressive credits, including a place as the only woman in music history to score three #1 albums in a row, each of which has sold more than 5 million copies. Swift, 22, dressed in a flowing red evening gown and ever gracious, thanked her legions of fans, saying, “I just love you so much, I’m just so humbled and honored by this.”

As Miley Cyrus noted, you’re only new to the game once, so it was fitting that red-hot rapper Wiz Khalifa best the competition for the Top New Artist trophy. “I’m up here shakin’, man,” the rapper admitted as he thanked his whole crew and label family, as well as his “beautiful fiancée,” Amber Rose. “She’s my world and she puts up with my crazy butt, too,” he smiled, as Rose beamed from her seat in the audience.

Some other men got a bit of attention as well, with an absent Lil Wayne beating out Chris Brown, Drake, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber for Male Artist of the Year.

Hot 100 Song of the Year was a tight race featuring smashes from Adele, Perry, Maroon 5 and Pitbull. But could it have gone to anyone but LMFAO for “Party Rock Anthem”? With six weeks atop the Hot 100, the uncle/nephew duo scored the third longest-running top 10 hit of all time. “This is a dream come true,” said singer Redfoo. A short time later, Khalifa shouted out the Beastie Boys’ MCA before LMFAO were up on the stage again for the Top Duo or Group prize.

Brown got his chance a bit later with a win in the RB Artist of the Year category, Foster the People took Top Rock Song for “Pumped Up Kicks,” Coldplay were named Top Rock Artist, U2 Top Touring Act, Lady Gaga Top Dance Artist and an Icon Award for Stevie Wonder. For a full list of Sunday night’s winners, head to Billboard.com.

Among the night’s other performers, Kelly Clarkson made the televised debut of her rocking ballad “Dark Side” and British boy banders the Wanted were busy “Chasing the Sun” and saying they were “Glad You Came” above the sound of shrieks from their female admirers. Brown rode his glowing BMX bike out for a high-energy lip-synched run through “Turn Up the Music,” while Usher got all gothic and mysterious with a flashy, Las Vegas-worthy, high-concept staging of “Scream.”

Bieber stalked the DayGlo stage for a clown- and geisha-assisted future-funk performance of “Boyfriend,” followed by his protégé Carly Rae Jepsen singing “Call Me Maybe” and Carrie Underwood standing her ground amid a sea of blowing fans during “Blown Away.”

In addition, the performance-heavy show had Linkin Park cranking up the flames for “Burn It Down,” Nelly Furtado sporting “Big Hoops,” Alicia Keys jamming with Icon winner Wonder, Perry doing a high-wire act in the virtual clouds during “Wide Awake” and Cee Lo Green and Goodie Mob joined by a one-legged Cirque du Soleil break dancer on “Fight to Win” and a stage full of dancing kids for a cover of the Beasties’ “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)” in another nod to MCA.

What was your favorite part of the Billboard Music Awards? Let us know in the comments below!

Billboard Music Awards Remember Whitney Houston, Robin Gibb

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While the Billboard Music Awards were full of upbeat moments, thanks to highly charged performances from Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and more chart-toppers, the show also was somber at times, paying tribute to some of the music industry’s brightest stars who died in the months before Sunday’s (May 20) broadcast.

While Whitney Houston had the glitziest of the tributes, other late legends from all musical genres also mourned at the show. Right before the broadcast, the tragic news of Bee Gee Robin Gibb‘s death broke. The pop star died at the age of 62 after a lengthy battle with cancer. While his tribute was short, it was also very sweet, with “Modern Family” star and host Julie Bowen saying, “His voice and the music of the Bee Gees will live on forever.”

Just two days before Gibb passed, the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, died after her own battle with cancer; she was 63. British pop songstress Natasha Bedingfield recalled Summer’s influence over her own music. “Donna Summer was a remarkable woman who brought so much light to so many. If we can remember her through her music, this can never really be the last dance,” she said before launching into a rendition of Summer’s dance-floor anthem “Last Dance.”Whitney Houston‘s tear-filled tribute was handled by many. Three-and-a-half months after Houston’s untimely death in February, comedian Whoopi Goldberg said in her introduction, “I adored Whitney Houston. What all performers want and need and should get is love, and many of us here loved Whitney, and even if you’re one of those who didn’t show the love to Whitney, now is your chance, because tonight, that’s what we’re doing: We’re going to be giving Whitney the greatest love of all.”

Then, John Legend sat at his piano to perform Houston emotional, uplifting ballad, “Greatest Love of All.”

Jordin Sparks — Houston’s co-star in her final film, “Sparkle” — handled Houston’s legend-making “I Will Always Love You.” Dressed in a flowing blue and black gown, the singer belted out the track, while Whitney’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, sat in the audience crying.

As the song wrapped, Whitney’s sister-in-law Pat Houston and daughter accepted the Millennium Award in her honor. “This is truly an honor. We thank you, Billboard; we thank you, Whoopi, Jordin; we love you, John. But tonight, the one person that should be accepting this award is the one person that Whitney loved most.”

“I just really want to say thank you to everyone who supported us through it all,” Bobbi Kristina added. “Thank you so much for showing that much love, ’cause she deserved it. There will never be another one, ever. I thank you so much.”

The outpouring of love and emotion didn’t end there. Adam Yauch, MCA from the Beastie Boys, who died May 4 from his own battle with cancer, also was remembered. Top New Artist winner Wiz Khalifa said during his acceptance speech that the Beasties took hip-hop to new levels. “I just want to thank the Beastie Boys, and we will never forget MCA.”

Later on, Cee Lo Green and Goodie Mobb may have been there to perform their own track, “Fight to Win,” but afterward, Cee Lo told the room to get their asses up for their own spirited homage to MCA with “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party).”

Share your condolences for the four late musical legends in the comments below.

Bee Gees’ Robin Gibb Dead At 62

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Bee Gees member Robin Gibb died Sunday (May 20) after a long battle with cancer; he was 62 years old.

“The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” read a statement confirming the news. “The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.”

Gibb, who had been battling colon and liver cancer, lapsed into a weeklong coma last month. In February, doctors said he’d made a “spectacular” recovery from the disease, but he was soon back in the hospital for surgery. The “Saturday Night Fever” singer had bowel surgery almost two years ago for an unrelated condition, at which time doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with colon cancer. It appeared as if the cancer was in remission as recently as March.

Robin was one-third of the Brothers Gibb, alongside lead singer Barry and twin brother Maurice, who died in 2003 from complications of abdominal surgery. The siblings created the Bee Gees as teens in Brisbane, Australia, in 1958. They made their initial impact on pop during the Beatles-led British invasion of the mid-’60s, sending “New York Mining Disaster 1941″ into the top 20 and beginning a string of hits that would last through 1972′s “Run to Me.” The ’71 smash “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” reached the top of the charts.

The Bee Gees‘ style shifted during the disco era, and their success with funky, dance-oriented pieces such as “Jive Talkin’” and “You Should Be Dancing” set them up for the pop juggernaut of Saturday Night Fever.

With falsetto vocals and irresistible rhythms, the trio became one of disco’s most resonant symbols. Three Bee Gees songs from the film’s soundtrack, “How Deep Is Your Love,” “Stayin’ Alive” and “Night Fever,” reached #1 on the Billboard chart. The Saturday Night Fever album is pop’s best-selling soundtrack, having moved over 40 million copies.

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

Robin Gibb Stuns Doctors After Emerging From Coma

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Bee Gees member Robin Gibb shocked his doctors over the weekend when he emerged from a weeklong coma. The 62-year-old disco icon lapsed into a coma after contracting pneumonia during his battle with cancer.

According to BBC News, a family spokesperson said Gibb, 62, was able to nod and communicate with the members of his family who’ve held a vigil in his London hospital room. Gibb has been battling colon and liver cancer and in February he said he’d made a “spectacular” recovery from the disease, but was soon back in the hospital for surgery.

The “Saturday Night Fever” singer had bowel surgery 18 months ago for an unrelated condition, at which time doctors discovered a tumor and diagnosed him with colon cancer. It appeared as if the cancer was in remission as recently as last month.

Weakened from chemotherapy and two operations, Gibb lapsed into the coma last week after contracting pneumonia. Dr. Andrew Thillainayagam said on Friday that he had warned the singer’s family that Robin might not wake up. In a statement, Thillainayagam said Gibb remains in intensive care and is, “exhausted, extremely weak and malnourished.” He’s breathing with the help of an oxygen mask and needs intravenous feeding and antibiotics.

He added, “It is testament to Robin’s extraordinary courage, iron will and deep reserves of physical strength that he has overcome quite incredible odds to get where he is now.” Wife Dwina, and sons Robin-John and Spencer and daughter Melissa have been at Gibb’s side talking to him and playing his favorite music.