The chance of Brian Wilson and Barry Gibb making music together appeared to arise after the pair shared messages of mutual appreciation on social media.

Beach Boys cofounder Wilson and Bee Gees member Gibb first met in 1997, but it seems they were both too “nervous” to connect properly. Such a meeting became more likely after their online exchange.

“I really admire Barry Gibb,” Wilson wrote on Facebook. “He is like King Kong. He and I could probably work something up together.” He recalled their encounter when he inducted Bee Gees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the ‘90s: “Before the show, Barry came down to meet me and he just sat in the room. I heard later that he was nervous. I was nervous, too.”

That led to a response from Gibb on Instagram, where he told Wilson: “You are the reason I’m living. You prove to me that you can do whatever you want to do with your voice. … All these years I have just been following you and everything you do. ... If I’m King Kong, then you are Godzilla!” Thanking Wilson for the “wonderful compliment,” Gibb added: “We must connect and collaborate as soon as we can. I love you, pal! As I said … you’re the reason.”

The exchange inspired hundreds of fans to express support for the idea of a collaboration, with one saying, “Please find a way of making it happen soon. If there’s one thing we’ve learnt during these difficult times with COVID, [it’s that] we need to make the most of opportunities when they come.”

 

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