Bee Gees star looks for Paisley pattern in his family tree

May 24 2011 by Andy Newport, Paisley Daily Express

MUSIC fans were left in a spin when Bee Gees star Robin Gibb paid a surprise visit to Paisley to carry out some research into his ancestors.

The award-winning singer was spotted with a film crew at Paisley’s museum and library as he began a hunt for family links to Renfrewshire that date back centuries.

He was also seen being interviewed in other parts of the town.

Robin – who formed the Bee Gees along with his brothers Barry and Maurice before going on to achieve worldwide fame – is to feature in a new series of the popular BBC TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, which helps celebrities to trace their roots.

Yesterday, museum and library staff were remaining tight-lipped about the family tree secrets that 61-year-old Robin uncovered during his two-day visit to Paisley.

One insider told the Paisley Daily Express: “No-one is allowed to say too much because bosses at the museum and library have signed a confidentiality agreement with the BBC.

“However, Robin does seem to have found lots of items of interest during his visit to Paisley.

“It looks like we will have to wait until the show is broadcast before we find out more about his family links to this area.”

Reid Kerr College student Kevin Cantwell contacted the Express after he spotted the Bee Gees star while he was helping to set up a fine art exhibition at the museum.

Kevin, who lives in Renfrew, also revealed that taking a photo of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer as he walked past ended up being a costly experience.

“I saw him walk past out of the corner of my eye as he was going to the toilet,” said Kevin. “I told some of the guys I was working with but they didn’t believe me.

“When he came back out, I quickly grabbed a photo of him on my mobile phone. It’s not every day you see someone like Robin Gibb walking about Paisley.

“He had a huge minder with him, so I didn’t bother asking him for an autograph but I did stay to watch for a bit.

“It actually ended up costing me £30 because we hung around for so long that I got a parking ticket!”

Robin and his twin brother Maurice were born on the Isle of Man in 1949 but the family moved to Australia nine years later.

It was while living Down Under that the twins and elder brother Barry formed the Bee Gees.

Their career flourished after returning to the UK in 1967, especially when they ditched their soft rock sound to become the leading disco act of the late 1970s, with hits such as Jive Talkin’ and You Should Be Dancing helping them to total record sales of over 220million.

Now it seems that one of the most famous families in music history can be traced back to Paisley.

A James Gibb was born in the town in 1762, while another infant of the same name was also registered in 1775, although it is unclear whether either is related to the Grammy Award-winning group.

Yesterday, a spokesperson for the Wall2Wall production company which is behind Who Do You Think You Are? refused to comment on Robin’s trip to Paisley.

The Express understands that the programme featuring Robin may be broadcast this autumn or early next year.

The Bee Gees recorded around 30 international number one hits but stopped touring when Maurice died in 2003.

Robin is not the first star with Paisley links to feature on Who Do You Think You Are?

Back in 2006, former Doctor Who actor David Tennant discovered that his great-grandfather, Archie McLeod, had been a footballer who played for Irish club Derry City and remains their record scorer to this day.