From archive: “We Are Haunted by Ghost of Sad Andy” (1989)

Barry Gibb (on Andy) : "He sank into a terrible depression and found it impossible to pull himself out of it. 

     He saw no hope for himself.  If only he had believed in himself as much as we did.  He just seemed to give up."

Robin: "Andy had developed a fear of life.  And what he did to himself, almost driving himself to oblivion, was born out of that fear.  It was an extremely destructive emotion."

Barry: "If I went down to the cemetery, I don’t think I would find Andy in his coffin. 

     I definitely feel Andy is in my home in Miami.  That is wgere he has an affinity to and that is where he wants to be.

     He has been trying to get in touch with us.  One night he appeared at my wife’s bedside.  She saw him as clearly as I am seeing you.

     Our son Travis was restless, and had come into our bed, which made it rather too crowded on a hot summer night.  I had trouble getting off to sleep, so I went off to lie down in another room.

     Linda told me later that she was woken up by Andy, who was standing by the bed.  He had stubble on his face and he bent and kissed her on the cheek.

     Then he evaporated into thin air.  Linda told me she wasn’t frightened because Andy seemed so calm and peaceful.  I knew then he was happy.

     Next day Linda was talking to my mum on the phone, and mum said exactly the same thing had happened to her.  It was uncanny."

Maurice: "One day I was barbecuing in our garden which is where Andy used to love hanging out.
     Suddenly I heard Andy’s voice asking me, "How are you doing, buddy?" It was his favourite expression and one he used when everything was going well.

     Afterwards I learned what I had experienced was called a psychic echo."

    "We have thought of getting in touch with Andy ourselves and we have had lettters from people saying they will help.

     But the problem is that there are a lot of phoney people out there masquerading as psychics and we don’t want to get involved with them.  If only Doris Stokes were alive, I am certain she would put us back in touch with Andy."

Robin: "It was like a nightmare except that I was awake.  It frightened the living daylights out of me.
      Everything started to close in on me  I felt I would not be able to escape, like I was trapped in a box.
      I was claustrophobic and gasping for breath.  A few days later Andy was dead.  I’m sure it was a sign.  We all had a pecucliar feeling of unease about Andy. I always felt his life was going to be a short one, that he was walking on a razor’s edge.  There was a sense of foreboding and doom about him.

     "Andy’s problem started again when he came back from America.
   He had just signed a recording contract and was about to start with two new songwriters.
     But it terrified him because he was scared stiff that he would not be able to prove a success again.
     He became scared of everything, including me and his own family.  He locked himself in the Chancery which is at the bottom of my drive, and refused to see anyone.

     We saw him sliding downhill again and tried to help, but he would not take help from anyone. 

    It was dreadful being so close to him and yet being unable to do anything.  He did not want to see any of us:

     I am sure there are people out there now who are suffering like Andy did.
     We hope that by talking frankly like this, they will realize they are not as alone as they think.  And if they only let people know about their problem, they may be helped."

     "He kept a watch at at the window for hours because he was petrified of anyone comig up to see him.  He did not want to have contact with anyone.  It was very strange.  He went to elaborate lengths to avoid everyone.
     "He would watch all the cars coming down the road and when he spotted mine turning into the drive, he would disappear and start dashing around turning all the lights off.

     "He pretended the whole time he was not there.  He did not want anyone to see him."    

Barry:  "We had not done it (performing live) for over ten years.  We had been talking about it but never got around to doing it. But Andy’s death decided things for us.  We thought if we did not go out and do what we were meant to–and what we were best at–it would be such a waste."

     "Andy’s death made us realize just how short life is and how you spend so much time not being in tune with the spiritual side that is all around us.

     "We all believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and there was a reaon for Andy’s death.

     It came about to respiritualize the group and the whole family.  To bring us in touch with our spiritual side and get our souls growing again."

(Rick Sky in Hamburg, West Germany)

<From: "We’re haunted by ghost of sad Andy, The Sun, Monday, May 15, 1989>