Robin Gibb, founding member and sometime lead singer of The Bee Gees, has succumbed to colon and liver cancer after a long battle with the disease. He was 62 years old.

An official statement reads, “The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.”

The 62-year-old had fallen into a coma earlier this year as a result of pneumonia, but after more than a week, made a remarkable recovery.

As the Bee Gees, brothers Robin, Maurice and Barry became one of the most successful pop acts of all time with record sales exceeding 100 million.

The group disbanded after Maurice’s death, aged 53. Their younger brother Andy died of a cocaine overdose in the 1980s.

Gibb and Dwina have one son, Robin-John, 29. Gibb has two other children, Spencer, 39, and Melissa, 37, by his first wife Molly Hullis.