Robin Gibb has died. The Bee Gees singer has passed away after a battle with cancer aged 62. His family, including wife, Dwina, brother, Barry, daughter Melissa, 37, and sons Spencer, 39, and Robin-John, 29, had been keeping a vigil at his bedside at a hospital in London in recent weeks.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time," said a statement released by relatives.

Robin had surgery on his bowel last year for an unrelated condition, but a tumor was discovered and he was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and then liver. He was recently thought to be in remission, but his condition worsened when he was diagnosed with pneumonia last month.

In February Robin told how he felt "fantastic" and had made spectacular progress in his cancer battle, and even returned to the stage, receiving a standing ovation when he appeared at a London Palladium charity concert supporting injured servicemen and women with The Soldiers, performing Bee Gees tracks "How Deep Is Your Love" and "I've Gotta Get A Message To You."

The Bee Gees sold over 220 million records in their career but the group - made up of Robin, his twin brother Maurice and Barry - also suffered heartache, with their sibling Andy dying of heart failure aged just 30. The group disbanded in 2003 after the sudden death of Maurice, from complications resulting from a twisted intestine.

Robin never recovered from his brother's death saying, "How did I get over Maurice's death? I didn't. And I never will. I just don't accept it."

Robin had also said he felt his health issues may be a "karmic price" for the enormous worldwide success of the Bee Gees, whose high pitched harmonies and disco sound made them one of the defining pop groups of the 70s and 80s, with hits such as "Stayin' Alive," "Jive Talkin" and "Night Fever."

"I sometimes wonder if all the tragedies my family has suffered, like Andy and Maurice dying so young and everything that's happened to me recently, is a kind of karmic price we are paying for all the fame and fortune we've had. But we've worked hard for everything we've achieved. Now I know how precious time is, and that you can't put it in the bank. So I intend to make the most of every single second of it that I've got left," he said.

Paying tribute, Rick Sky, Managing director of BANG Showbiz, who met and interviewed the Bee Gees on numerous occasions said, "Robin's death is a tragedy. We have lost a wonderful man and one of the greatest songwriters of the last 50 years. He and his brothers created some of the most hypnotic love and dance songs ever. The one comfort is that those songs are pop classics and will last as long as people have hearts and heartbeats."