Poem's stories and comments
Arif Mardin, former Bee Gees producer
“The brothers wrote songs equally,” said New York-based producer Arif Mardin, who helped shepherd the group’s move into disco during the mid-’70s. Mardin, known for his work with Aretha Franklin and Isaac Hayes, produced the Bee Gees breakthrough 1975 album, “Main Course,” featuring the hit “Jive Talkin’.” “Their contributions were one third, one third, one third,” said Mardin. “The three brothers” contributions to pop music and to happiness all around the world is immeasurable.”
John Merchant, Bee Gees recording engineer
“There were no clues that this was going on, it’s devastating.”
Blue Weaver, Former Bee Gees’ keyboard player
“Maurice was a gentle, generous joker. He was a wonderful person full of life.” Paying tribute to his musical talent, he added: “He was the key vocalist. He made the Bee Gees sound. Maurice was the multi-instrumentalist for the band. He added so much to that sound.”
Dennis Hetzendorfer, recording engineer who has worked with Maurice and his brothers.
Maurice was extremely talented. People don’t realize, of the three, he had the second harmony which is the hardest note to tune. Whenever I’d listen to the note he’d sing in the studio I’d ask him if he’d find that note and he would just smile, ‘I’m the blender,’ he’d say. He was a big kid at heart and his importance to the group is unexplainable. I’ve recorded the three of them individually and together and… nothing sounds like the three of them together. It’s a sound that can’t be taught and you can’t duplicate. This was three brothers singing together their whole life.”
Peter Graves and Neal Bonsanti,
Musicians who collaborated with Maurice and his brothers
Peter Graves and Neal Bonsanti have played in the Bee Gees’ horn section in concerts and on several albums. Graves plays trombone, Bonsanti the saxophone. “You were part of their family when you worked with them, that’s just the way it was,” said Graves, who added that he had seen Maurice just a few weeks ago. “He came prancing in, in the middle of our demo session,” Graves said, “and was typical Maurice, you know, just brought smiles to everybody’s face … just a magic moment.” Asked what he would miss most about Maurice, Bonsanti said, “I think his sense of humor … I think that’s what I remember most about him. He had a great sense of humor and he was very personable.”