Happy Birthday Maurice Gibb

Maurice Gibb is most closely associated with the Bee Gees, the brother act that he co-founded with his siblings Barry Gibb, three years his senior, and Robin Gibb, a fraternal twin born two hours older than Maurice. In contrast to Barry and Robin, who have shared and alternated the spotlight as lead vocalists, Maurice (pronounced "Morris" in British English) has been almost exclusively a backing vocalist for his four-decade career, providing a key part of the harmony singing for his brothers. In less overtly visible ways, however, he has been essential to the group's sound from the beginning of their recording career -- in addition to sharing arranging chores with his brothers and playing bass on most of their recordings, and in most of the group's live performances for much of their history, he has also played guitar, piano, organ, and Mellotron on their recordings, and even occasionally the drums on their demos. He is also regarded as the trio's resident comedian, with a cunning sense of humor, and a keen appreciation of practical jokes when they were growing up that he reportedly hasn't entirely outgrown as an adult.

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