Several months before his death, Robin Gibb told a British newspaper that he sometimes wondered if the family is paying a “karmic price” for the Bee Gee’s mind-blowing success. And friends of Barbara Gibb have been quoted as saying she believes the family may be cursed.

Before illness struck, the Gibb family enjoyed remarkable good fortune. The boys were raised in challenging economic circumstances but were exposed to music at an early age because their father was a bandleader and a drummer and their mother had experience as a singer.

They started singing professionally as teenagers, moving within a few short years to prominence first in Australia, then throughout the world.

But the apparent ease of this meteoric rise was followed by later tragedy.

Both Robin and Maurice — the twins — suffered debilitating intestinal problems that led to their premature deaths. Robin suffered from colon cancer and other digestive ailments. He became gaunt even before his cancer diagnosis.

Of the four boys Barbara Gibb raised in England and Australia before they became global stars, only Barry, the eldest, is still alive. She also has a daughter living in Australia who has stayed out of the public eye.

The family’s place in pop history is assured, not only because of the Bee Gees’ groundbreaking success during the disco era, when they helped define a totally new sound that filled dance halls throughout the world, but also with their success as songwriters and producers.

Their career began in Australia in 1963 and saw them score their first major international hits in 1966 and 1967, when their sound was influenced by the success of the Beatles, who were then topping worldwide charts.

They prospered during the disco era, long after the Beatles had broken up in acrimony, and continued to ride a show business wave for several decades afterward.

Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said Monday that Robin Gibb and the Bee Gees left an enduring musical legacy.

“God bless him and God bless his family,” Starr said. “The Bee Gees from our era were quite important, especially the harmonies. I didn’t know him that well, I knew Maurice more than the other two, but he had a great voice and they wrote great songs.”

The group also wrote many hits for other stars, earning substantial royalties when their songs were performed by the likes of Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Dionne Warwick and others.

The British press has reported that Barbara Gibb, a 91-year-old who lives in California, has been in England in recent weeks as Robin’s condition worsened when he suffered from pneumonia and drifted into a coma. She has made no public statements, and the family, including his widow Dwina and his children, has asked for privacy while they mourn.

Plans for a funeral or memorial service have not been announced.

Robin Gibb, 62, died Sunday “following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery,” his family announced in a statement released by Gibb’s representative Doug Wright.

Gibb was the second disco-era star to die this week. Donna Summer — who earned the Queen of Disco title by singing “Last Dance” and “I Feel Love” — died of cancer in Florida on Thursday.

The Bee Gees, born in England but raised in Australia, began their career in the musically rich 1960s but it was their soundtrack for the 1977 movie “Saturday Night Fever” that sealed their success. The album’s signature sound — some called it “blue-eyed soul” — remains instantly recognizable more than 40 years after its release.

The album remains a turning point in popular music history, ending the hard rock era and ushering in a time when dance music ruled supreme. It became one of the fastest-selling albums of all time with its innovative fusion of harmony and pulsing beats. The movie launched the career of a young John Travolta whose snake-hipped moves to the sounds of “You Should Be Dancing” established his reputation as a dancer and forever linked his image to that of the Bee Gees.

Despite financial success, Robin Gibb and his brothers endured repeated tragedies. Maurice died suddenly of intestinal and cardiac problems in 2003. Their younger brother Andy Gibb, who also enjoyed considerable chart success as a solo artist, had died in 1988 just after turning 30. He suffered from an inflamed heart muscle attributed to a severe viral infection.

Robin Gibb himself took care of his health and, at the time of his death, was a vegan who did not drink alcohol.

Gibb was for decades a familiar figure on the pop stage, starting out in the 1960s when the Bee Gees were seen as talented Beatles copycats. They sounded so much like the Beatles at first that there were strong rumors that the Bee Gees’ singles were really the Beatles performing under another name.

Many late-’60s bands were quickly forgotten, but the Bee Gees transformed themselves into an enduring A-List powerhouse with the almost unbelievable, and certainly unexpected, success of the song “Stayin’ Alive” and others from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack that accompanied the movie.

With this second wind, the Bee Gees sold more than 200 million records and had a long string of successful singles, making their way into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Saturday Night Fever” — actually a compilation album featuring the Bee Gees but including songs by other performers — represented the pinnacle of Gibb’s career, but he enjoyed more than 40 years of prominence as a Bee Gee, as a solo artist, and as a songwriter and producer for other artists.

The Bee Gees consisted of Barry Gibb, the eldest, and twins Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb. Their three-part harmonies became their musical signature, particularly in the disco phase, when Barry’s matchless falsetto often dominated, and they were renowned for their wide-ranging songwriting and producing skills.

The Gibbs were born in England on the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea, but moved to Australia with their parents in 1958 when they were still quite young and began their musical career there. They had been born into a musical family, with a father who was a drummer and bandleader and a mother who liked to sing.

After several hits in Australia, their career started to really take off when they returned to England in 1967 and linked up with promoter Robert Stigwood.

After several hits and successful albums, Robin Gibb left the group in 1969 after a series of disagreements, some focusing on whether he or Barry should be lead vocalist. He released some successful solo material — most notably “Saved by the Bell” — before rejoining his brothers in 1970 and scoring a major hit with “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”

The Gibbs then suffered some slack years — searching for a style that could sustain them in the post-Beatles era — and Barry Gibb started experimenting with falsetto vocals, first on backup, and then in the lead position.

The brothers were at a low point when they went into a French studio to try to come up with some songs for the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack at the urging of Stigwood.

The success of those tunes — closely linked to the popularity of the movie, and the power of the disco movement — changed their lives forever, giving them a string of number one hits.

After several years of chart success, the Gibbs spent much of the 1980s writing songs and producing records for other artists, working closely with top talents such as Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton. They also continued touring and releasing their own records.

Gibb also released more solo albums, including “Secret Agent,” during this period.

The band continued in the 1990s, gaining recognition for their body of work with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Then came Maurice’s sudden death in 2003. The surviving brothers announced that the name Bee Gees would be retired with Maurice Gibb’s death, although Robin and Barry did collaborate on projects and Robin Gibb continued his solo career and extensive touring despite mounting health problems.

He had to cancel several engagements in 2011, including one with British Prime Minister David Cameron, and he showed an alarming weight loss on his rare public appearances. He was hospitalized briefly in 2011 with what doctors said was an inflamed colon and had surgery for intestinal problems in March, 2012.

One of his final projects was “The Titanic Requiem,” a classical work he co-wrote with his son Robin-John, that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra premiered in April to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Robin Gibb remained emotionally attached to the Isle of Man, keeping a house there as well as homes in rural Oxfordshire, England, and Miami.

He also became involved with numerous charities and worked to establish a permanent memorial to the veterans of Britain’s World War II Bomber Command and recorded songs honoring British veterans.

Gibb is survived by his second wife, Dwina, and four children, as well as his older brother, fellow Bee Gee Barry Gibb, and his sister Lesley Evans, who lives in Australia.

The band of Gibb brothers was famed for the influential 1977 “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack that became one of the fastest-selling albums of all time with its innovative fusion of harmony and pulsing dance floor rhythms.

The album remains a turning point in popular music history, ending the hard rock era and ushering in a time when dance music ruled supreme.

“Saturday Night Fever” — actually a compilation album featuring the Bee Gees but including songs by other performers — represented the pinnacle of Gibb’s career, but he enjoyed more than 40 years of prominence as a Bee Gee, as a solo artist, and as a songwriter and producer for other artists.

Gibb was for decades a familiar figure on the pop stage, starting out in the 1960s when the Bee Gees were seen as talented Beatles copycats. They sounded so much like the Beatles at first that there were strong rumors that the Bee Gees’ singles were really the Beatles performing under another name.

Many late-’60s bands were quickly forgotten, but the Bee Gees transformed themselves into an enduring A-List powerhouse with the almost unbelievable, and certainly unexpected, success of the song “Stayin’ Alive” and others from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack. The movie it accompanied also catapulted the young John Travolta to cinematic stardom.

The Bee Gees went on to sell more than 200 million records and had a long string of successful singles, clearing their way to induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are more than 6,000 cover versions of their songs — a substantial testament to their continued popularity.

The name Bee Gees was short for Brothers Gibb. They consisted of Barry Gibb, the eldest, and twins Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb, who died of intestinal and cardiac problems in 2003.

The brothers’ three-part harmonies became their musical signature, particularly in the disco phase, when Barry’s matchless falsetto often dominated, and they were renowned for their wide-ranging songwriting and producing skills.

The Gibbs were born in England on the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea, but moved to Australia with their parents in 1958 when they were still young and began their musical career there. They had been born into a musical family, with a father who was a drummer and bandleader and a mother who liked to sing.

After several hits in Australia, their career started to really take off when they returned to England in 1967 and linked up with promoter Robert Stigwood.

After several hits and successful albums, Robin Gibb left the group in 1969 after a series of disagreements, some focusing on whether he or Barry should be lead vocalist. He released some successful solo material — most notably “Saved by the Bell” — before rejoining his brothers in 1970 and scoring a major hit with “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.”

The Gibbs then suffered some slack years — searching for a style that could sustain them in the post-Beatles era — and Barry Gibb started experimenting with falsetto vocals, first on backup, and then in the lead position.

The brothers were at a low point when they went into a French studio to try to come up with some songs for the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack at the urging of Stigwood.

The success of those tunes — closely linked to the popularity of the movie, and the power of the disco movement — changed their lives forever, giving them a string of number one hits.

After several years of chart success, the Gibbs spent much of the 1980s writing songs and producing records for other artists, working closely with top talents such as Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Dolly Parton. They also continued touring and releasing their own records.

Gibb also released more solo albums, including “Secret Agent,” during this period.

The band continued in the 1990s, gaining recognition for their body of work with induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Then came Maurice’s sudden death in 2003. The surviving brothers announced that the name Bee Gees would be retired with Maurice Gibbs’ death, although Robin and Barry did collaborate on projects and Robin Gibb continued his solo career and extensive touring despite mounting health problems.

Robin Gibb had to cancel several engagements in 2011, including one with Prime Minister David Cameron, and he showed an alarming weight loss on his rare public appearances. He was hospitalized briefly in 2011 with what doctors said was an inflamed colon, and had several intestinal surgeries to remove growths.

One of his final projects was a classical requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra that he co-wrote with his son RJ to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.

Younger brother Andy Gibb, who also enjoyed considerable chart success as a solo artist, had died in 1988 just after turning 30. He suffered from an inflamed heart muscle attributed to a severe viral infection.

Robin Gibb remained emotionally attached to the Isle of Man, keeping a house there as well as homes in rural Oxfordshire, England, and Miami. He was a vegan who did not drink alcohol.

He also became involved with numerous charities and worked to establish a permanent memorial to the veterans of Britain’s World War II Bomber Command and recorded songs honoring British veterans.

Gibb is survived by his second wife, Dwina, and four children, as well as his older brother, fellow Bee Gee Barry Gibb, and his sister Lesley Evans, who lives in Australia.

With Europe still stunned by last week’s killings in Toulouse, France, a loosely knit group of xenophobic “defense leagues” plans to rally in Denmark Saturday against what they call the growing Islamic presence in western Europe.

The rally was organized by one of the rising forces of Europe’s far-right scene — the Danish Defense League. It’s backed by the English Defense League, which gained prominence in Britain amid urban rioting last summer. Similar groups from Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden are expected.

Danish intelligence services expect up to 700 of these strident, anti-Muslim “counter-Jihadists.” A counter-demonstration is anticipated to draw several thousand people. Police vow to keep the two groups apart. But the clashing views on display show Europe’s heightened polarization.

“These terrorist events are creating sparks, and a small spark can set off a huge fire,” said Magnus Ranstorp, research director of the Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies in Sweden. “It can set off huge social polarization, and this is what the terrorists want to achieve. Now there is an increased rightwing climate — the counter-jihad movement — feeding off these Islamophobic forces.”

The mood is volatile, Ranstrop said, made more so by the methods of the killers — citing how in France, Mohamed Merah shot video of his attacks that was mailed to the Al-Jazeera television network.

“You have the counter-jihad movement, and on the other side you have an old al-Qaida structure giving out directives for people to carry out their own personal jihads by solo terrorist activity. The manner in which you carry out these attacks matters: Recording them, sending films to Al-Jazeera, shooting people execution style, all to create polarization and revulsion, to create an overreaction.”

For decades, western Europe has been the envy of the world with its high standard of living and tolerant social climate. Today, Europe is gripped by a profound economic crisis and festering conflict over immigration, religion and cultural identity.

Tensions over immigration from northern Africa and other countries with large Islamic populations have fueled the rise of far-right movements across Europe. In France, the ultranationlist National Front is expected to make gains in upcoming presidential and legislative elections. Xenophobic parties in Austria, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands have all gained support in recent years.

As anti-immigration rhetoric grows more strident, ideas that were once considered on the fringes of political dialogue have entered the mainstream — with French President Nicolas Sarkozy often seeming to borrow from National Front rhetoric as he campaigns for re-election.

At the same time, anti-Western diatribes on the Internet and sometimes in local mosques have played a role in radicalizing some young Muslims in Europe, even as Muslim community leaders try to steer young people toward productive futures. The long wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have also enflamed passions among Muslims.

Over the past year, Europe has suffered deadly manifestations of these tensions with the France attacks and the July massacre in Norway carried out by Anders Behring Breivik, who slaughtered 77 people with a bomb in Oslo followed by a shooting rampage at a Labor Party youth camp on an island retreat.

The two horrors have drawn inevitable comparisons.

Both killers had a terrifying sense of theater. Breveik’s island rampage, in which he picked off the trapped children one at a time, seemed straight out of a horror movie. The French police account of Merah’s last stand, his Colt .45 blazing as he jumped from the balcony, seems inspired by an action film.

Initial reactions to the attacks point to the ambiguities swirling around Europe’s immigration debate.

When Breveik’s deadly bomb ripped through the Norwegian capital on July 22, many counterterrorism experts assumed Muslim radicals were behind the blast. Similarly, many initially suspected that the French killings might be the work of a far-right fanatic.

The bloodshed carried out by both extremes in the heated immigration debated raises the specter of clashes between the two. There already have been street scuffles between the English Defense League and radical Islamists in Britain — although none has escalated into major violence.

Nicolas Lebourg, a historian who studies the far-right at Perpignan University in southern France, said that both Breivik and Merah were products of an increasingly polarized Europe.

“For people who are a little fragile, people who are a little sensitive … we’re overheating them by telling them that there’s this cosmic war between good and evil,” Lebourg said.

___

Associated Press writers Raphael Satter in Paris, Karl Ritter in Stockholm, and Jan M. Olsen and David MacDougall in Copenhagen contributed to this report.

“I felt the stories should be published because there was reason to believe they might possibly be true,” he said, suggesting that the saga of the young girl’s disappearance from a holiday resort in Portugal had generated extraordinary interest throughout the world.

Hill testified before the Leveson Inquiry, a wide-ranging investigation of wrongdoing at British newspapers. The inquiry stems from public anger about the phone hacking scandal, which saw reporters and private detectives hack into the voicemail systems of celebrities, sports stars, crime victims and royal aides.

Committee lawyer Robert Jay seemed angered by Hill’s casual explanation of the decision to link Madeline McCann’s parents to her disappearance, suggesting that Hill had just “whacked it into the paper” regardless of its veracity.

Hill responded angrily that he felt he was being put on trial and said other British papers had taken similar liberties in reporting the McCann case.

The hacking scandal has centered on Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid, which the media mogul shut down in July.

More than a dozen journalists have been arrested in the probe, senior executives with Murdoch’s News Corp. media empire have lost their jobs, and top U.K. police officers have resigned over their failure to tackle the problem.

Another tabloid editor, Dawn Neesom of the Daily Star, testified that reporters do exaggerate headlines, dramatize reporting and occasionally go too far. She said stories are written “to put a smile on people’s faces.”

Neesom’s paper is among the smallest of Britain’s daily tabloids, with a circulation of about 650,000 and a decidedly lowbrow tone. Front pages typically feature seminude reality television stars, celebrity gossip and sensationalized stories about immigration.

Neesom said her paper’s mission was to entertain, but she evaded claims that the paper systematically distorted stories to titillate its readership.

“To be entertaining doesn’t necessarily mean that you can just make a story up,” she said.

Inquiry lawyer Robert Jay then flipped through some of the paper’s more creative headlines — including one stark front-page story that appeared to claim that “American Idol” star Simon Cowell had died.

“TELLY KING COWELL IS DEAD,” the June 2, 2011 headline read, followed by the subtitle: “The show’s finally over for Simon.”

The story itself referred to an off-the-cuff remark by rival talent show judge Gary Barlow claiming that Cowell’s reign at the top of British television was over. Cowell himself is alive and well.

Inquiry lawyer Robert Jay asked Neesom how she could justify the alarmist headline.

“It’s wrong, isn’t it?” Jay said.

“Um … it’s dramatic,” Neesom said. “Eye-catching.”

Even more dramatic was a front-page story published on April 21, 2010, when international air traffic had been paralyzed by a huge ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokul. Over a picture of an airplane wreathed in ash and fire, the headline read: “TERROR AS PLANE HITS ASH CLOUD: Dramatic pictures as jets get OK to defy volcano.”

The “pictures” were actually from a television reconstruction of an event that had occurred almost three decades earlier. Jay told Neesom that U.K. airport officials had been so horrified by the misleading headline that they had pulled the paper from their newsstands.

Neesom agreed the ash cloud terror story may have “over-egged the pudding.”

“Occasionally, I admit, we do cross lines,” she said. “But we do have standards.”