Gibb pays tribute to his brothers while Soft Cell star shares honour with his fans

Gibb, 71, said the award was “as much theirs as it is mine” and said the “magic, the glow, and the rush” of discovering he was to be honoured would last the rest of his life.

The oldest son of a bandleader, there was little doubt that he would embark on a musical career after he began performing with his younger twin brothers, Maurice and Robin, as children.

The three became stars under the Bee Gees name and scored hits, Grammy awards and worldwide success with the soundtrack to John Travolta’s Saturday Night Fever in 1977.

But he was also a prolific writer. Solo - and along with his siblings - Gibb wrote some of the biggest tracks ever to hit the charts, including Islands In The Stream, Destiny’s Child’s Emotion, Diana Ross’s Chain Reaction and even the title track from Grease.

On being named in the New Year’s Honours, Gibb said: “This is a moment in life to be treasured and never forgotten. I want to acknowledge how responsible my brothers are for this honour. It is as much theirs as it is mine. The magic, the glow, and the rush will last me the rest of my life.”

In 2002 the trio received a Commander of the British Empire honour in the New Year Honours list.

Sadly one year later Maurice died and the surviving brothers opted to retire the Bee Gees name as a mark of respect.

Robin passed away in 2012, leaving Barry to venture on alone.

Alongside Ringo Starr, who also received a knighthood, Gibb is not the only musical star to be honoured.

Marc Almond has insisted he is still a “little bit” anti-establishment, despite accepting an OBE for services to arts and culture.

The singer, who rose to fame in the 1980s after co-founding electric duo Soft Cell while studying at Leeds Polytechnic, said he felt as though he has been living an “alternative reality” since finding out he was included in the New Year Honours list.

The 60-year-old, who had a string of hits including classic Tainted Love, Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, and Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart, spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004.

The accident triggered the return of his childhood stammer and he was forced to learn to sing again before returning to the world of music.

He later became a patron of brain trauma charity Headway.

Almond, a self-described “maverick” who has “not always fitted in to the music business”, said that his anti-establishment streak was outweighed by the honour of being recognised.

“It’s such a wonderful thing to be recognised - that I have made a bit of a difference - and also it sheds light.

“It’s something for all my fans that have been through the journey with me as well.”