Bee Gees band member Robin Gibb in a coma

Singer and songwriter Robin Gibb, best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded together with his brother Maurice and elder brother Barry, is in a coma due to pneumonia.

Gibb was in Malta on a short visit back in December 2009, and stayed at the Excelsior Hotel. A friend of Gibb, Mario Camilleri (responsible for many concerts held in Malta hosting top international artistes), and who also helped make arrangements for the renowned singer's visit, told MaltaToday that while in Malta, Gibb had felt rather unwell due to a condition he suffers from. Since he hadn't brought his family doctor's prescription for the drugs over to Malta, a problem had ensued to supply him with the necessary medication. However, according to Camilleri, the problem had been resolved later in the day.

While in Malta, the music legend was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Malta Music Awards. Gibb also honoured unsung war heroes by laying a wreath at the War Memorial in Floriana.

Gibb was hospitalised last year for stomach and colon problems. He has not specified the exact nature of his illness - widely reported to be cancer - but told the BBC he had a growth on his colon that was removed.

He said earlier this year that he was making a good recovery, but had intestinal surgery last month and was forced to miss the London premiere of his classical "Titanic Requiem" this week because of illness.

In 1968, Gibb married Molly Hullis. The couple had survived the Hither Green rail crash, which killed 49 people on 5 November, 1967. They had two children together. They divorced in 1980 after years of living separate lives, with Gibb almost permanently in the US and Hullis remaining in the UK.

Gibb's second wife, Dwina Murphy Gibb, is an author and an artist. She is interested in Druidry and is a follower of the Brahma Kumaris. They have a son together.

Gibb is a close friend of the former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was criticised for staying at Gibb's Miami mansion over Christmas of 2006.

The Bee Gees became members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and won seven Grammy Awards.

Maurice Gibb, Robin's twin brother, died in 2003 at the age of 53 due to complications from a twisted intestine.

The Bee Gees' younger brother, Andy, who had a successful solo career, also died in 1988 at age of 30 of a heart ailment.

The official Robin Gibb website is down due to "the extraordinarily high volume of traffic, and is temporarily unavailable. However, a message posted on the home page reads: "Sadly the reports are true that Robin has contracted pneumonia and is in a coma. We are all hoping and praying that he will pull through.

"This website is currently receiving an extraordinarily high volume of traffic and is temporarily unavailable."