Knight Fever: Barry Gibb 'thought honour was a wind-up'

The 71-year old musician told Sky News that when he first found out he was to receive the honour he “nearly fell over”, adding: “I didn’t believe it at all.”

Sir Barry said: “I actually asked the gentleman from the cabinet ‘is this true?’

“He said: ‘Well it’s not a wind up’. So I spent the rest of the day laughing on the bed.”

Paying tribute to his brothers Maurice and Robin, the Bee Gees singer said: “I wish my brothers could have share it with me, because I know without them this wouldn’t have happened at all for me.”

Maurice Gibb died due to complications during surgery in 2003, aged 53, and his twin Robin succumbed to cancer in 2012.

The trio’s youngest brother Andy, who was not part of the group, died from a heart condition in 1988, aged 30.

The brothers were born on the Isle of Man before the family moved to Australia in 1958.

They returned to the UK in 1967 and went on to pen a string of hits, selling more than 220m records worldwide.

Sir Barry attended the Buckingham Palace ceremony with his wife, former Miss Edinburgh Linda Gray, and three of their five children.

His knighthood follows a triumphant set for the Legend Slot at 2017’s Glastonbury Festival, where he performed classic hits such as Stayin’ Alive, Tragedy and Night Fever.