I often get asked what Andy was really like, and since the media tends to go
for the “sensational” for ratings,  I don’t think his fans have been given
an accurate picture of Andy, the person and the entertainer. Yes, there was a
drug problem - nobody is denying that - but that was not who Andy was!  I was
a big fan of his from the beginning, and I was lucky enough to see him in
concert, on Broadway in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and
to meet him many times so that I slowly got to know him as a person and
friend.  I was always amazed at Andy’s versatility onstage!   Andrew Lloyd
Webber called Andy the best actor of his celebrity “Josephs,” and his the
“nightclub act” he did in Atlantic City and Las Vegas in the ‘80s was
amazing!  Even I didn’t realize how talented Andy was until I watched him
singing everything from his hits to his brothers’ hits, to the Mills Brothers
-- complete with a “soft shoe” song-and-dance routine! 

As remarkable as Andy’s talents were, the man he was, was even more special. 
I was lucky enough to see Andy almost every week (and sometimes twice a week)
from December, ‘86 until Jan., ‘88 - in other words, the whole last year of
his life.  Until the time he was in England, he was happy and healthy and was
enjoying flying small planes, playing tennis every day, spending time with
his family, and even recording again! 

The Andy that I knew from that special year (and from the many years before
it) is the Andy the fans could see from his TV appearances and concerts  --
he was a very sweet, gentle, caring person who adored his family, was
wonderful and playful with the kids, and had a wicked sense of humor, like
all the Gibb brothers. He was warm, affectionate, and fun to be around.  He
was always totally open and honest about everything and was a normal,
down-to-earth person who was insecure about his looks and his talent (if you
can believe that!)   Andy was also involved in a great many charities,
including the American Heart Association and the Diabetes Research Institute
and helped many people. Sure, Andy wasn’t perfect and he made mistakes - he
was as human as we all are - but he had to deal with all his mistakes being
made public knowledge.  Not many people could stand up to that kind of
scrutiny, and Andy always handled it well.  He never lied about anything or
denied anything - he always wanted his fans to know the truth! 

 After Andy passed away, there was an article in our local Ft. Lauderdale
paper, and the headline read, “Andy Gibb Remembered as a Caring Man.”  The
music columnist who wrote it said she had been swamped with calls from people
telling her about how Andy had helped them and things he had done for them. 
That was also the Andy I knew and will always love and miss.  Not a day goes
by that I don’t think of him.  Barry said it best on the VH-1 special - Andy
was a very beautiful person, and that’s how he should be remembered  - not
for the problems that sometimes get so much attention in the media!

Karen Witkowski
Co-Founder, “Andy Gibb Memorial Foundation”

(c) Copyright by Karen Witkowski
"Joseph" sings in his coat of many colors.

ANDY PHOTOGRAPHS  &
MEMORIES
by Karen Witkowski

    I’d like to share some
memories of Andy’s debut on Broadway in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Andy was in the show December, 1982 - January, 1983, and I was fortunate enough to see the show twice. Joseph was a very happy, colorful, fun show!
   Andy appeared in the original version of "Joseph," which was the shortest show ever to run on Broadway at approximately 80 minutes long (subsequent versions have been lengthened by adding a children's chorus and expanding the song & dance numbers), and the musical was based on the famous biblical story.
   Joseph has the power to interpret dreams, and since he was also his father’s favorite son (there were 12 sons, Joseph being the youngest), his father presented Joseph with a beautiful coat of many colors. His gift of prophecy and the gift of the coat make his brothers jealous, so they sell Joseph to a passing merchant so he can be made a slave in Egypt. Joseph is eventually thrown in jail when his new master thinks he’s been fooling around with his wife, and in jail, he reveals to the prisoners his ability to interpret dreams. When the powerful Pharaoh hears about Joseph’s abilities, he takes Joseph from jail and makes him his most honored advisor. While Joseph is in the Pharaoh's court, he is reunited with his dear, old father and eleven brothers. When they prove they are repentant for their crime against Joseph, they are all reunited,
a family once more, and Joseph’s coat of
many colors is even returned to him.
   The story is told completely through music and
a musical narrator, who was played by the talented Sharon Brown, a beautiful young woman who Andy became friends with and socialized with. (She is the daughter of actor Johnny Brown, who played the building maintenance man on the ‘70s show "Good Times," among other roles.) Andy got to show off his singing abilities (singing Broadway showtunes is much different singing than one would do on a pop record), as well as his dancing and acting ability! Everyone (including creator/producer Andrew Lloyd Webber) was impressed with his
performance, and Andy got good reviews from the
New York theatre critics, which is quite an
accomplishment in itself! Andy’s singing talent was especially highlighted during his beautiful solos of "Close Every Door To Me" and "Any Dream Will Do," and he was able to easily go from dramatic moments,
to singing and dancing, to funny moments, often
earning a standing ovation at the end of the show!
   There were always fans waiting for Andy when he would arrive at the theatre and leave the theatre after a show, and he was especially mobbed after a show! (It was hard for him to even get through the crowd to get to the limo that was waiting for him, but he always signed autographs as he worked his way through, and always had a big smile on his face!) The stage door for the Royale Theatre was in a long, narrow alley on 45th Street, and although it was December and January and VERY cold,
Andy would *always* stop to talk to fans, sign
autographs, and take pictures! I have really
special memories of that alley myself since the
first time I ever had my picture taken with Andy
was by that stage door on December 1, 1982,
the first time I was there to see Andy in "Joseph!" :-) I know it was important to Andy to prove himself on Broadway, and I’m just glad I could share some of that special time. I hope my descriptions and pictures help other fans feel like they were there too!
 

Thanks,
Karen Witkowski

karenwitkowski@hotmail.com
All photos of Andy are copyright (c). They
cannot be reproduced without Karen Witkowski's
permission

(c) Copyright by Karen Witkowski
"Elvis" singing to slave Joseph

(c) Copyright by Karen Witkowski
"Joseph" with his father