Maurice Gibb

Miami, Jan. 12 (Reuters): Singer Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, one of the disco sounds of the 1970s, has died after undergoing abdominal surgery, his family said today. He was 53.

Gibb, whose high-pitched harmonies with his twin Robin and older brother Barry helped create one of the best-selling musical groups, collapsed on Thursday at his Miami home after suffering intense stomach pain and was rushed to the hospital.

He “experienced cardiac arrest” before his surgery on an intestinal blockage, the hospital said. After the operation and until he died he was listed in critical but stable condition.

“His love, enthusiasm and energy for life remain an inspiration to all of us,” the family said in a statement issued at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, where he was treated.

A hospital spokeswoman, Kathleen Dorkowski, said Gibb had passed away but gave no details. She said the hospital planned no further comment at this time. No time of death was given but it appeared Gibb died late yesterday or very early this morning.

The British-born Gibb brothers formed the Bee Gees as youngsters in 1958 in Brisbane, Australia. The group hit the height of their fame during the disco craze with the soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever.

They dominated record charts worldwide in the 1970s with such hits as “Stayin’ Alive”, “More Than A Woman”, and “How Deep Is Your Love”.