Bee Gee star Barry Gibb’s son Stephen details drug battle that led to eating out of bins and homelessness
Stephen Gibb, the son of Bee Gees star Barry Gibb, has revealed how he battled drug addiction which resulted in homelessness and dumpster diving.
The first-born son of Linda and Barry Gibb, 46, described his spiralling addiction before turning his life around as he faced either ‘death, prison or a mental institution.’
Steve followed in his father’s footsteps to become a musician and has featured in several metal rock bands including the Underbellys and 58 with Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx in the ’90s.
Journey to recovery: Stephen Gibb, the son of Bee Gees star Barry Gibb revealed his spiralling drug addiction that resulted in dumpster diving and couch surfing
His rock and roll lifestyle eventually took a dark turn as Steve struggled with cocaine addiction that stemmed from alcohol abuse during his childhood.
He said on his podcast, Addiction Talks: ‘The first time I drank I was probably 14 and I downed an entire bottle of Jack Daniels [and] blacked out.’
From their he ventured down a rocky-road of extreme drug abuse which eventually resulted in Steve living on the streets.
Rocky childhood: The Bee Gees legend’s first-born son and rocker musician, 46, resorted to binge drinking at the age of 14 as he described his famous family as beset with ‘problems’
Tough times: Steve Gibb described, ‘after I lost my gig with my band I was homeless, they throw away so much good food in studios and I remember eating out of the dumpster’
He said: ‘After I lost my gig with my band I was homeless, they throw away so much good food in studios and I remember eating out of the dumpster at the record plant praying nobody would see me. I remember thinking ‘This sucks’.
‘I was living in my van or wherever I could land. If somebody let me crash on a couch I was fortunate.
‘The thing for me that was mind blowing was the old saying, from Park Avenue to park bench.’
Family portrait: Steve (pictured centre) captured at Heathrow Airport in the ’80s with his younger brothers, Ashley, 42, (picture far left) and Travis, 39 (pictured centre left)
After the wake-up call of dumpster diving and failing to have a roof over his head, Steve realised it was time to recover or face ‘death, prison or a mental institution.’
He was able to turn his life around and now joins his famous dad on tour where he plays the guitar.
His father Barry formed the internationally acclaimed Bee Gees group in 1958 with his twin brothers, Maurice and Robin.
Maurice Gibb also suffered from alcohol addiction and suffered a relapse following the death of his youngest brother named Andy Gibb.
The Bee Gee trio shared a younger brother who was not in the band but an independent singer/songwriter, and he died in 1988 at the age of 30 due to heart problems relating to years of cocaine abuse.
Robin eventually died in 2012 at the age of 62 following a long battle with cancer while Maurice died in 2003 at the age of 53 after suffering from cardiac arrest.
Tragedy: Robin Gibb (pictured left) died in 2012 at the age of 62 following his battle with cancer while Maurice Gibb (pictured right) died at the age of 53 in 2003 from cardiac arrest
Steve’s father Barry is the only surviving member of the Bee Gees mega group.
Barry was knighted in 2018 for his services to music and entertainment and is now 73 residing in Miami.
Meanwhile Steve Gibb is happily married with two young children and lives in the same city as his father.
Legacy: Barry (pictured right) is the only surviving member of the Bee Gees mega group and currently lives in Miami, Florida at the age of 73