Maurice Gibb, Singer for the Bee Gees, Dies

Maurice Gibb, a member of the famed disco band the Bee Gees, died Saturday, his family said. He was 53.

Gibb, who joined with his twin and older brother to harmonize their way to becoming one of the best-selling musical groups ever, suffered cardiac arrest before undergoing emergency surgery for a blocked intestine.

He was admitted Wednesday to Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, and underwent surgery Thursday.

Gibb played bass and keyboard for the group, whose name is short for the Brothers Gibb.

The Bee Gees -- twins Maurice and Robin, and their older brother Barry -- have lived in South Florida since the late 1970s.

Their younger brother, Andy, who had a successful solo career, died of a heart ailment in 1988 at age 30.

Known for their close harmonies and original sound, the Bee Gees are members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and their 1977 contributions to the “Saturday Night Fever” album made it the best-selling movie soundtrack ever with more than 40 million copies sold.

A full obituary will appear in Monday’s Times.