BITTERSWEET, Ky. — I’ve been sick for a week. I hate being sick because there’s not much you feel like doing except sit around … feeling sick.

 

But I must say, in doing so I have come to realize why I don’t watch much television – with one exception over the past seven days. I caught the tribute show to the Bee Gees, and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The show, officially called Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, was half tribute to this famous British/ Australian group and half tribute to the  40th anniversary of the movie, Saturday Night Fever.I was 17 when the movie came out, and it was the ultimate date movie. My girlfriend at the time really liked John Travolta, but that’s another story. It was the musical soundtrack that all the cool disco kids were listening to. I was not one of the cool disco kids. I was one of the redneck, Willie Nelson and the Outlaws kids.

 

But I must say, I really loved the soundtrack and the songs the Bee Gees produced for that album, and it changed the music world forever. Even the country music fans could not deny how good the Bee Gees made you feel.

 

But these brothers were hardly new in 1977; they had been around for more than a decade. And I must say, if you go back and listen to some of their early hits, they were pretty impressive then, as well. Their harmonies were like no others, and I believe they could have made the phone book sound good. (I know you’ve never heard me say that before.)

 

So, while I was watching this tribute show, a host of singers and groups sang Bee Gees songs throughout – and for the most part – they were really good. But there was some country flavor to this disco-infused television event. Little Big Town paid tribute to the Brothers Gibb as did Keith Urban.

 

But Celine Dion created the most emotional tribute of the night with a song written by the Bee Gees for her. She dedicated Immortality to the Gibb brothers, Maurice, Robin and Andy who have passed on, as well asher late husband René Angélil.

 

I may have felt bad that night but for a couple of hours I refused to be sick and enjoyed music that made me remember being 17, once again.

 

Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody. From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer  his opinions on a variety of newcountry music each week. Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.