Maurice Ernest Gibb, CBE (22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who achieved fame as a member of the group Bee Gees. Although his brothers Barry and Robin Gibb were the group's main lead singers, most of their albums included at least one or two Maurice Gibb compositions, including "Lay It on Me", "Country Woman" and "On Time". The Bee Gees were one of the most successful rock-pop groups ever. Gibb's role in the group focused on melody and arrangements, providing backing vocal harmony and playing a variety of instruments.