Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees has been honored along with five other non-citizens who have received medals for bettering the nation.
Barry Gibb was named an honorary Companion of the Order of Australia on Thursday. Gibb and his late brothers Robin and Maurice formed one of the world’s most successful and well known pop groups of all time after emigrating to Australia from the UK in 1958.
There is a statue of the three on a road named after their band in Redcliffe, Queensland, where the Bee Gees first started performing before going on to dominate the global stage.
Gibb has also been recognised for his philanthropy and charity work, including his involvement in a 2009 charity concert benefiting Victorian bushfire and Queensland flood victims, where he performed with Olivia Newton-John.
He has also been credited for supporting and developing the Australian music industry and introducing it to the world.
Gibb is a US citizen and the honorary award he has received is designed to honor non-citizens “where their service has benefited Australia and Australians” in “Australia’s pre-eminent means of recognizing service and achievement,” Governor-General David Hurley said.
Unlike citizen appointments that are considered by the Council of the Order of Australia, honorary award recipients are recommended by the prime minister before being approved by the governor-general.
In addition to Mr Gibbs’ honorary companion award, five other non-citizens were awarded honorary medals in the Order of Australia.
Back in November, Gibb was honored with the issue of a special set of stamps by the Isle Of Man Post Office, celebrating the musical achievements and tireless charitable work of the great singer, songwriter, and producer.
“I’m very proud of my Manx roots,” says Barry. “I was born and bred on the ancient, mystical, magical Isle Of Man, and I have very fond memories of growing up there, so to appear on a set of its stamps is not only a wonderful surprise, but also an honor and a privilege.”
In other news, Barry Gibb has won this year’s award at the UK Americana Awards 2022 for the best-selling Americana Album by a UK Artist, for his magnificent album Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook Vol.1.
Listen to the best of the Bee Gees on Apple Music and Spotify.
