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Piers Morgan Live

Interview with Two Men Wrongfully Convicted of Murder; Interview with Barry Gibb

Aired February 07, 2014 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PIERS MORGAN, HOST: This is Piers Morgan Live. Welcome to our viewers in United States and around the world. Tonight, exclusive, an incredible story of justice denied for 21 years. Antonio Yarbough, Shariff Wilson, are finally free men tonight after spending more than two decades behind bars for vicious triple murder. They did not commit the killings of Mr. Yarbough's mother, his 12-year old sister, and a 12-year old friend.

Tonight, they're speaking out for the first time as they were released from prison yesterday. Antonio Yarbough and Shariff Wilson will join me exclusively.

Plus, on the 50th anniversary the day the Beatles arrived in America, the band that gave them a run for their money. I'll talk to Barry Gibb, now the soul surviving member of the great Bee Gees, on the price of fame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARRY GIBB: Fame is an animal. It just takes all of you and says "Well, go this is who you are. This is what you got to do."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: And his advice to Justin Bieber.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIBB: And you have a lot of people around you that just want to have a party, you know, and live off what it is that you're getting attention for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: But I'll begin tonight with our big story. It's a quite extraordinary story. Freedom for Antonio Yarbough and Shariff Wilson after more than two decades behind bars for triple murder they did not commit. This is the first interview since their release from prison yesterday. Antonio Yarbough and Shariff Wilson join me now exclusively along with their attorneys Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma and Adam Perlmutter. Welcome to all of you.

Let me start first of all Antonio and Shariff with congratulating you of finally securing your release. Antonio how do you feel? ANTONIO YARBOUGH, EXONERATED AFTER 21 YEARS IN PRISON FOR TRIPLE MURDER: So vindicated. So, well, it just happened yesterday. That's how I feel. I feel vindicated.

MORGAN: And Shariff, how do you feel?

SHARIFF WILSON, EXONERATED AFTER 21 YEARS IN PRISON FOR TRIPLE MURDER: I feel free. I feel great right now. I'll able to do things that I can't do for the last 21 years.

MORGAN: It's an extraordinary story. I want to explain to the viewers exactly what's happened here. It was the summer of 1992 in New York City. You two--you spent the night partying in the West Village in Manhattan. Shariff, you were 15, Antonio, you were 18 at that time. You returned very late to Coney Island where you both lived. Shariff, you went to a friend's house. Tony, you went home. And when you went home Tony, what did you discover?

YARBOUGH: I discovered the bodies of my mother, my little sister, and my cousin. My mother Annie Yarbough, my little sister Chavonn Barnes, and my little cousin Latasha Knox. Yeah.

MORGAN: And they have been stabbed and they have been strangled...

YARBOUGH: Yes.

MORGAN: ... the girls that have their clothes partially removed.

YARBOUGH: Yes.

MORGAN. It was a horrific triple murder. What then happened?

YARBOUGH: I was asked to come down to the precinct. So, they want to find out that if I have known anybody who want to hurt my mother and my little sister. And when I got down there to the precinct, I was just held there for so long before anybody even decide to speak to me. And before you knew it, I have these photographs shots in my face and I was being threatened and slapped around and they wanted me to sign a false confession, and I wouldn't.

MORGAN: Now, what happened down there was a Brooklyn detective...

YARBOUGH: Yes.

MORGAN: ... placed Antonio and Shariff into separate interview rooms and they coerced false confessions from both of you. You're both later convicted in separate trials. Antonio, you got 75 years to life imprison. An extraordinary aspect of this is that you two haven't seen each other for 23 years until literally half an hour ago. What was that moment like? Shariff, I understand it was you that went up to Antonio. Describe that moment for me.

WILSON: Well, I just wanted to apologize for all that I put him through, all that I went through with him. It was great to see him.

ZACHARY MARGULIS-OHNUMA, ATTORNEY FOR ANTONIO YARBOUGH: Piers, I think it might help Piers if we make it clear that Shariff was coerced by the authorities into testifying falsely, putting on false testimony against Antonio Yarbough. And Antonio can speak to this but I think that's -- that was one of the moving causes of the conviction, at the same time, it was a coercion and the manipulation by the authorities that's completely clear from the record we have now. And more importantly, on just a human level, I think Tony is actually already moved past that and ready to see, you know, the culprits here who are the authorities that put the boys in this situation when they were boys.

MORGAN: Right. I think it's very important to make that very clear that both these confessions were coerced and were false confessions. And we'll come to some of the details which was so obviously false in a moment.

And you Shariff, I know were compelled or felt compelled to testify against your friend. When you were made to do that, what were you thinking?

WILSON: I really -- at this moment, I really don't even know what I was thinking. I was scared, afraid, I was lied to. Manipulated into believing that I was going to go home if I do tell what happened, but this had happened against him.

MORGAN: Two things, I mean, Antonio, I'm going to come to you in one second, but there were two things that then developed after this. You're both convicted on the back of this false confession that both of you made and the testimony that Shariff gave against Antonio.

But then, two things happened. One is that seven years later, another woman is murdered in New York City. They discovered the exact same DNA that was discovered, Antonio, on the body of your mother making it quite clear that the real perpetuator of the murder was not you, it wasn't Shariff, but it was this other person who has never been caught. When you heard about that or when did you hear about that and what did you expect to then happen?

YARBOUGH: Well, when I heard about it, I was extremely overwhelmed. I was happy. Me and my lawyer have been fighting for so long trying to get this on my conviction overturn and get me vindicated. And then when the evidence popped out that it was somebody else, and not that it was somebody else, but the motive was the same. I mean, or not the motive, the MO was the same. It was stabbed, strangled, and murdered -- she was murdered in that fashion the same way my mother, my little sister, my cousin was.

The whole pack came, the whole pack finally started to come sync (ph) in the way I was at. The way I was being held at for all those years.

MARGULIS-OHNUMA: Let me just explain the sequence real quick, which is, in 1999 is when the murder happens, but we didn't get the DNA evidence until last summer. There was ample evidence of Tony's innocence which brought me into the case and his friend Eric Barden (ph) from Attica brought me the transcripts and other things. So I realized he was innocent way before we got the DNA evidence. We got the DNA evidence last summer and what I would want to say was I would never forget the moment I was standing in the courthouse in another case and I got the call from the DA's and she said, "I got something to tell you."

There was a hit on the DNA and that's just -- it fit like a glove, it fell into place. Everything else that I had seen that showed that he was innocent was confirmed by that DNA evidence. I communicated as quickly as I could to Tony. I was talking to him every week from prison in Attica.

And from there, it's been -- I told him, "You're going to get out. It may take a while, but you're going to get out." It took another six months really to tea up the final DNA report. It took the new DA in Brooklyn, Ken Thompson, about a month to look at that report and to make the right decision, and then he made the decision that anybody would make in seeing this evidence. There was never any chance this guy was guilty of these horrendous murders.

MORGAN: Let me come to Adam Perlmutter now because this must really angry you as a lawyer, doesn't it? That there was such a breakdown in the legal process that the medical examiner was not even spoken to by the attorneys?

ADAM PERLMUTTER, ATTORNEY FOR SHARIFF WILSON: You know, I described this case as a perfect storm, everything that could go wrong in a criminal justice situation. You know, we have coerced confessions of Shariff. He was 15 years old at that time. We have DNA evidence that you know, frankly, prosecutors in New York and all across the country try to dig their heels in to prevent and not test DNA evidence from prior convictions. And it's a real problem. It's something that we're trying to change in New York but not without a fight with law enforcement, with prosecutor's offices.

MORGAN: And there are now a number of other cases, a lot of them DNA related which I'll go into the system which will also be -- it would seem travesties of justice.

Let's take a short break. When we come back, I want to talk to Antonio Shariff about the fact you've been incarcerated for more than two decades of something you didn't do.

And Antonio, in your case, allegedly killing your own mother and sister, I can't imagine a more horrendous set of circumstances. And I want to talk to you about how you cope with that and how you're going to cope with coming back into the real world again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: Clearly emotional scene when Antonio Yarbough was freed after 21 years in prison for triple murder he didn't commit. Back with me now exclusively, Antonio and his fellow false convicted friend Shariff Wilson along with their attorneys.

We painted a picture here of a series of travesties. The way that you guys, the two of you were treated by the police and bullied and coerced into false confessions, the way the trial was conducted. The medical examiner and the evidence he gave was clearly wrong. And the results of all these Antonio and Shariff is that you both go to prison for over 20 years. Antonio, what has that been like for you, I mean, bad enough doing present time anyway but to be doing it -- to having falsely convicted of killing your own mother and sister and your little sister's friend, what did that do to you?

YARBOUGH: It was a nightmare, extremely nightmare of -- and not only was a nightmare, but they had me in the worst, worst maximum security prison in the State of New York which is Attica. And they don't care whether I'd be innocent, is whatever paperwork that come through that's who you are and that's how they treat you. And 21 years and seven months, it was more like 42 years and seven months. When you know that you're in prison for something you're convicted that you didn't do. So it was a nightmare, it's a nightmare.

MORGAN: That moment Antonio, when you walk out a free man and you saw day light and you saw family, friends, whatever you did, describe that to me.

YARBOUGH: I'm still going through it right now. It was -- I haven't slept yet. I've been up for like over two days now. I have no words right now, I'm just extremely happy, and you know, and I thank my lawyer right here sticking by me and helping me.

MORGAN: What was the one thing, Antonio, you wanted to do when you first came out? The one thing you've missed most?

YARBOUGH: New York air.

MORGAN: Which is pretty cold right now, right?

YARBOUGH: Yeah.

MORGAN: Shariff, let me turn to you. What is the experience been like for you? I can't even begin to imagine the horror of what you two have been through. But describe to me as best you can, how you dealt with it?

WILSON: It was horrible. Tried to keep faith in God and believe that one day that all of this would be over with.

MORGAN: And when you came out, Shariff, what was the first thing you wanted to do?

WILSON: Have some New York pizza.

MORGAN: New York pizza, New York air, just regular things that you would have been deprived off all this time.

WILSON: Yes.

MORGAN: And Shariff, you've also, of course as we heard earlier, you've lived also with the guilt I would imagine of having -- given evidence against your friend...

WILSON: Yes.

MORGAN: ... and you knew to be wrong. That evidence that you believe is a panicky young 15-year old may get you out of a long prison sentence.

WILSON: Yes.

MORGAN: How do you cope with that part of this?

WILSON: Well, for many years, I felt horrible that I had to do that and that I actually did it. Knowing that he wasn't guilty for a crime that we didn't commit but, I just felt horrible and I felt horrible then, I still feel horrible now that we had to go through this long process, just to give justice.

PERLMUTTER: You know, Piers, what really got the ball rolling with Zachary on this case is that Shariff wrote to Tony's family and said that they had to do something, that the -- that this was wrongful conviction, that this were -- that they were both innocent. And they have to do whatever they could to find their way to justice. And the way they find it was through Zachary's office door and they were lucky that they did that.

MARGULIS-OHNUMA: And we...

MORGAN: Right. And Shariff, I wanted to ask you about this, Shariff, because you wrote this letter in 2005, saying to Antonio's family, "We are innocent. We never did anything. Tony is innocent. I was wrong for turning on him, but I was scared and pressurized into it." I suppose the obvious question I would ask you is a tough question. But why did it take you so long to write that letter? I mean that is, you know, 13 years after you were sent to prison.

WILSON: Well, I didn't know who to contact and just out of the blue, I got a letter from his aunt. And she asked me, did we really do it? And I had to tell the truth, "No, he didn't do it. And no, we didn't do it" and that I was pressured into making a false confession.

MARGULIS-OHNUMA: Piers...

MORGAN: Antonio, let me ask you. When you discovered, Antonio, that he had made this revelation to your family, what did you think?

YARBOUGH: Well, like I told them about a few hours ago, that I have no animosity towards him. I know he wasn't the one who murdered my mother. I know he wasn't the one who murdered my little sister. And I know that he wasn't the one that murdered my little cousin. And so -- and I know what they did to him because I know what they did to me. And -- I mean, but before that, I was extremely angry with him, you know, as I had all right to be, but, you know, like he said earlier, it's the gift of God man, and I'm just grateful that God has sent, like I said before, send me some lawyers who believed in me and took a chance on me because I don't have the funds to get a lawyer.

And as you know, New York lawyers are extremely expensive and I don't have that type of money. But he -- my lawyer Zachary, you know, he opened up his heart and -- and it's the gift of God. That's what I have got to say like I'm just overwhelmed right now. All animosity are less out of way is all going now. I'm here to live to my life. I'll be 40 next week and hopefully God willing, I'll have another 40 or 50 years to live an extraordinary life. The life I should have been living.

MORGAN: Antonio, let me ask you this question which is, you've been in prison since your mother and your sister and your cousin were killed. You've never, I guess, been able to properly mourn their deaths. You don't know till this day who murdered them. Do you have any hope of finding the real killer now and getting justice for your mother, your sister, and your cousin?

YARBOUGH: Yeah, I have hope. All that they just tell you is that it's in God's hands now. And he's -- it's in God's hands now.

He's in God's hands now so that's all I got to say right now.

PERLMUTTER: Piers, I think the thing that's most revolting about this case is that if the police didn't have the tunnel vision that they had in the beginning of this case, they would have picked up on clues that might have led to the real killer in this case.

MARGULIS-OHNUMA: And prevented ...

MORGAN: Right.

MARGULIS-OHNUMA: ... the 1999 murder.

PERLMUTTER: And that never happened. And that is the problem with policing all across the United States and prosecutors, is that they become tunnel blind, they find their suspects, they target those suspects and they miss the truth, and that's where injustice happens.

MORGAN: And Adam, the prevalence now of DNA, you know, historically years, decades after these offenses are being committed and wrongful convictions being made, it's going to be a huge thing isn't now, with many cases that DNA evidence is emerging which completely contradicts convictions against people.

PERLMUTTER: Which is one of the reasons why we fought very hard in New York to allow people to have access to post conviction and post plead DNA testing which is a reform that has just happened in about the last year in New York.

So you know, let me just say Piers, you know, Zack and I were both at that moment when Tony and Shariff spoke and to say that it was one of the most moving thing I've ever seen, one of the most complete acts of forgiveness that you could ever imagine to witness.

I can't even put words to it. It was so powerful and it was really -- it was a mystery.

MORGAN: Well, I thought Antonio spoke very -- yeah, I think Antonio summed it up really is that he better than anybody knows what Shariff probably went through before making this confessions PERLMUTTER: That's right.

MORGAN: And the whole case is a complete travesty. It shames American justice. It shames the police force in New York City who pushed this through, who forced the wrong confessions, the medical examiner, the people involved in that trial.

And I sort of said it to you guys, I wish you all the very best now in having a new life and I think you've got the right attitude, Antonio.

I mean you guys, do you think you have the ability now to be friends again, to -- do you think you've been bonded by this awful experience enough that you can put everything behind you? Shariff, what do you feel?

WILSON: I say yes, if he's willing.

YARBOUGH: I have to take it day by day, it's a day by day thing. I'm still trying to get my bearings as of right now and right now I haven't a clue what I'm going to do so.

But like I said before, anything is possible. I mean you got God in your life, so -- and in your heart so.

MORGAN: And finally, Antonio, just -- for people who didn't know your mother, and your sister, and your cousin, just tell me a little bit about them what they were like.

YARBOUGH: Well, my mother, anyone that knew her knew that she was, you know, she had a heart of gold. And she was on drugs, I can tell everybody that there's no perfect parent, but she was my perfect parent. She was my best friend. And my little sister and my little cousin that's awesome, they have such a bright future in front of them.

And, you know, knowing that they died together, they known that they love each other as hard as they did. There's no word to describe them. They didn't need to die the way they died. They didn't need to be murdered the way they needed to be murdered. They were just little kids and I miss them so much. It's like this just happened yesterday. So I'm still coping with that and I have yet to go and visit my mother's grave. They were just were beautiful people.

Whoever this person was, he took some real strong and beautiful people out of this world and hopefully and if it's God's will, that person will get caught, much sooner rather than later. I mean justice really can be served.

MORGAN: Antonio Yarbough and Shariff Wilson, you two in particular, your lawyers also Zachary and Adam thank you all for coming on the show so soon after what happened. I think anybody whose listened to this is going to share my horror and outrage on what you've had to go through and your determination to bring the real murderer to justice and to try to show to other people in America, they do not have to go through what you've been through and it's a very important issue. And I'm just so glad that you finally got the freedom that you should always have had. And I wish you both all the very best of luck in rebuilding your lives. And thank you again for coming on and sharing your story.

YARBOUGH: Thank you for sharing our story.

WILSON: Thank you.

YARBOUGH: Thank you.

WILSON: Thank you.

MORGAN: A really shocking story.

When we come back, 50 years after The Beatles came to America, there was one band that gave them a run for their money. I'll talk to the sole surviving member of the Bee Gees, the legendary Barry Gibb.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MORGAN: In 1958, three young brothers joined together to form a music group called the Bee Gees. The trio's music helped to find the disco era of the 70s, one of the biggest acts in the world selling an incredible 220 million albums.

With me now is the founding member of the Bee Gees launching his US Solo Tour Mythology to tour live in May, the legendary Barry Gibb joining me In The Chair.

Barry, it's so good to see you.

BARRY GIBB, SINGER/SONG WRITER: Thank you, Piers. It's good to see you.

MORGAN: I thought about you recently because apart from being one of the all time great British music stars, a lot of people celebrating The Beatles this week with their 50th anniversary.

GIBB: Right, yes.

MORGAN: But you guys did something that even The Beatles ever did. I don't even know this but The Bee Gees are the only group in music history to write, produce and record six straight number one hits. Not even The Beatles did that.

GIBB: Well, you know, I'm proud of that. I don't know how we did it and I think Robert Stigwood is probably the person I would point at and say, you know, "He did that" because Robert was a genius and he opened doors for us that would never have been opened otherwise so, you know. And you're never on your own. It takes a whole bunch of people to make something like that happen. It's just we are really lucky.

MORGAN: The strangest thing talking to you now is that I met you with your brothers over the years ... GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... in various events and things and we had ...

GIBB: I know.

MORGAN: ... done a lot of fun stuff but ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: It feels strange to me to be seeing you on your own. It must feel 100 times stranger for you to be going out on tour ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... without any of your brothers.

GIBB: Yeah. Well, I mean, I did -- I did mope around for a few months, a good few months, and the whole family did and nobody really knew how to deal with it at all because it's the loss of three brothers.

MORGAN: Because Andy was -- he was 30 ...

GIBB: He was only 30 years old. Yeah. So it was all of that and then we have to go through that valley, you know, the whole family. Even now, my mother is still one way or the other she goes up and she goes down but you know ...

MORGAN: Because your mom's in her 90s.

GIBB: She's in her 90s.

MORGAN: And you were the oldest brother.

GIBB: Yes. I was the oldest brother. Yeah.

MORGAN: So it seems doesn't it, it seems strange that ...

GIBB: It is strange.

MORGAN: ... that your mom and you ...

GIB: Yes.

MORGAN: ... have out survived the three younger boys ...

GIBB: And my oldest sister Lesley. So she lives in Australia and I think the last count eight children. So she's keeping it all going in her way, you know. Yes, Lesley, me and mom and we have the memories now. We have the memories.

MORGAN: When you went back over it all, I mean you must have extraordinary memories. What for you were the great highlights, the moments if I can replay them for you now ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... you would choose.

GIBB: I would choose the time before we have a -- before anyone knew who we were because in those days we lived on the beach, went to school in Redcliffe which was paradise. We immigrated to Australia at that point probably the most magical moments of my life because the three of us arrived in Australia in Melbourne on my birthday 12 -- I was 12 years old.

The rest was incredible. I mean we did all of the first live television in Australia. We did -- those are the best experiences for me because nobody -- because it wasn't about fame. It was just about what was going to happen tomorrow, when can we get another show and ...

MORGAN: And you had that kind of, I guess, an innocence about it ...

GIBB: Absolutely.

MORGAN: And an excitement because you just didn't know what was going to happen.

GOBB: Yeah and not knowing is really in the end the most fun.

MORGAN: When you achieved that kind of stratospheric superstardom that you guy did in the 70s, the absolute sort of personification of the disco era in many ways and of course Saturday Night Fever and so on. Will it came huge fame, huge money all the trappings and glory and so on you're hinting I guess from your previous comments that it's not always cracked up to be.

GIBB: No.

MORGAN: ... the fame and the money and ...

GIBB: No.

MORGAN: ... and the glory that you aspired to ...

GIBB: Well, I suppose it is and it isn't because there's all the good stuff and then there's the fact that fame is something that takes hold of you and then decides what you do with your life and I never really enjoyed that at all. And I enjoyed sort of knowing what I was going to do and knowing what my brothers and I we're going to do but fame is an animal. It just takes hold of you and it says, "Well, this is who you are. This is what you're going to do."

MORGAN: Tell me about your brothers. Let's start with Andy because he -- you lost him when he was 30 years old.

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: I guess, he'll always be in your head ...

GIBB: Yeah. MORGAN: ... a 30 year old ...

GIBB: Yes.

MORGAN: ... young man. Right?

GIBB: Yes. Yes. Andy was -- Andy was mostly like me, Maurice and Robin were not alike but alike in all so many ways. Andy and I were the two guys to play tennis. Maurice and Robin never really did. It just didn't really interest them. But that's -- but Andy was sort of like, almost like my twin brother but he was a not as lanky as me. I was very skinny and lanky and he was strong.

MORGAN: And when we died and there was you and the twins ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... did you feel slightly disconnected? Is that inevitable when two of your brothers are twins?

GIBB: I think we became disconnected about 12 years ago and then we last, Mau, Robin and I gravitated back towards each other a little bit and he's always been twins and the older brother and so there was a real difference. I think they always talk to each other more than they talk to me so that's twins.

MORGAN: What causes that kind of rift between siblings who've been so close? Is it simply being together too much? Is it the precious outside forces of fame and so on?

GIBB: I guess it's the difference between being in a group and being brothers in a group or being sisters in a group, you know. And there's another kind of rivalry which is really in the book, you know, and who wants to be the favorite child, who wants to be the favorite performer, who do they love the best, you know. And parents always love the youngest the best so we all knew well. Mom and dad love Andy, you know, but I think mom and dad loved all of us and didn't know really how to divide that up.

We were competitive. We were always trying to thrust ourselves out front, you know. Robin was really competitive with me and Maurice was the middle guy. Maurice was the guy that would mediate. You know, Robin and I were the ones that would clash. And he had beautiful voice and I'm always going to miss that because there was nothing more fun than harmonizing.

MORGAN: I heard when he was dying and I was due to interview Robin actually ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... on this show and I was so sorry not to do that. And but I heard that you wrote a song for him, you actually went and sang it for him ...

GIBB: I did. I did and I will get down to recording because of I've got my studio refitted and I'm going to make records with my kids with Steven and Ashley and the song is called the "End of the Rainbow" and it sort of -- it's like a lot of songs that I have. It sort of like bits of paper around the house, you know, I have to go look for songs. So there's one, you know, there's one -- little one called the Million Years which I have somebody in mind but I haven't presented it yet but the songs keep coming.

MORGAN: Well, that must have being for you a very special moment to write a song and sing it to ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... Robin knowing you are losing him and ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... and knowing you are losing your last brother ...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... or three brothers.

GIBB: Yeah. It's a very strange experience to know that you have no brothers now. That's unusual. That's weird. I mean I have a hard time dealing with it but I -- my whole family has a hard time dealing with it. So I come into terms with this slowly that I really missed them.

MORGAN: I bet you do.

GIBB: And what I miss more than anything else is how much we use to laugh because we were the goonies, you know, and anyone who has no lagoon (ph) should check them out because that was our way of life.

MORGAN: Yeah.

GIBB: We always put everything into those terms.

MORGAN: Barry stay with me, let's talk more about the Bee Gees phenomenon. Saturday Night Fever of course is one thing, they've been immortalized on Saturday Night Live. I want to get your reaction to that when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEE GEES: And it's me you need to show. How deep is your love. How deep is your love, how deep is your love. I really need to learn because we're living in a world of fools.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: The 1977 hit "How Deep is Your Love" which was number in the U.S. for three weeks. I'm back with Bee Gees member, singer, songwriter, Barry Gibb It's funny listening to your music, Barry Gibb. You must hear this so many times but that's such a template of my youth and even now, every party I ever go to at some stage somebody would put on a Bee Gee's record and the place explodes. If I said to you what you can only play one Bee Gee's record, which one would you choose.

BARRY GIBB: I've had to be -- it would have to be "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart."

MORGAN: Why that one?

GIBB: Because it's really about lost love in all the young people. And for me, it was a reflection on the first crush I ever had, what it was like, and I was always dumped. So what if it's like being dumped, you know. I think I was just so possessive and I always had to be -- I always had to fall in love.

MORGAN: And then you've had one -- you've had one of the longest successful marriages.

GIBB: Right, right.

MORGAN: You have 44 years. How did you met?

GIBB: Well, we met on the set of Top of the Pops when "Massachusetts" was number one and then we had a cup of tea in the canteen of the BBC and then we had a couple in -- and (inaudible) and time stood still.

MORGAN: And how do you manage that because show business is so, this is so listed with broken marriages, how have you managed to sustain such a lasting love do you think?

GIBB: Because I think we've just always been in love. That's the truth of it. We never really saw other people. Once it happened, that was it, you know.

MORGAN: You've never looked to anyone else since she's always in love with you?

GIBB: Well, I think we've both loved. I think it's OK to look, you know.

MORGAN: I want to play a clip. This is from "Saturday Night Live." This is brilliant. This is Justin Timberlake with Jimmy Fallon and of course somebody joins them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the Barry Gibb talk show.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIBB: Hard to watch.

MORGAN: Absolutely, you know, that you were funny here. Hard to watch, why? GIBB: Because I hate looking myself at different ages. When people put things in front me to sign, it's always a different age and its freaks me out, you know. This is me 10 year ago. This is me 20 years ago. It's hard to go from being able to do anything with your body to not being able to get out to bed. So yeah, that you have to live with that stuff and -- but, you know what, my throat still feels great.

MORGAN: I was going to ask you. You're going out on tour...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ...and I think about you're going out with your son...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... and also Maurice's daughter which -- is that right?

GIBB: Yes, Sammy? Yes.

MORGAN: It's a wonderful way continuing the family.

GIBB: I think it is too. And it -- but it sort of happened organically. It's like we just sort of came towards each other and started singing and that worked out great. And she is lovely, and you know what, she likes up the stage. And my oldest son Steven, who is this sort of primeval sort of hunk who have plays greatly guitar and sings great. And so, it's all -- yeah.

And it's nice to look around the stage. And when I look at the side of the stage, my daughter is on the teleprompters, you know, so I get to see her eyes at that -- on that side of the stage and I can tell by her eyes whether things are working.

MORGAN: And how is your voice because the Bee Gees voices were so utterly unique. I'm sure it's one of the reasons that you have such longevity, isn't it? They really were unique voices.

GIBB: Oh, because we're always experimenting and that was part of it. Robin's vibrato was wonderful and he's a great singing voice. But Robin wasn't a social singer. We would sit around -- Maurice and I would sit down and sing all night, you know, but Robin was -- "I got to go now." He never really got into that, you know, but when it was time to sing, Robin sang, you know.

MORGAN: And how's the -- how's your voice on that, I mean, how is it compared to what it used to be?

GIBB: It's OK.

MORGAN: Did people expect you to talk about that?

GIBB: Yes.

MORGAN: We got a big movie airing at tomorrow night on CNN about the 60s invasion focusing on the people of the 60.

GIBB: Yes, yes, yes.

MORGAN: But, rather a nostalgia about that, did you and the Beatles hang out much or not?

GIBB: Not really. I think, you know, I think Maurice did because Maurice is married to Lulu at that period of time and that they used to go to a lot of Beatles things and -- but there was a place called the Speakeasy which was underground where everybody went and you'd have the Beatles and The stones and The Who in one room, you know, easy and all of the shredding could be on the stage or Sam and Dave (ph). Those were days where, you know, there was a coffin in front of the door and if you had a membership card then the wall went around...

MORGAN: Fabulous.

GIBB: ... and it was just an incredible world.

MORGAN: Let's take another break. Let's comeback and talk what Justin Bieber with you.

GIBB: Yes.

MORGAN: You've been from teenage superstardom. Want to know what advice you may have for the Bieb after the break. Hold you're thought.

GIBB: OK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEE GEES: Jive talkin' so misunderstood, yeah. Jive talkin' you're really no good. Oh, my child, you'll never know just what you mean to me

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Jive Talkin' in 1975, yet another number one hit from the Bee Gees. And Barry Gibbs is back with me now In the Chair.

You had amazing number of people that you've written hit songs for forgetting the Bee Gees is Janice Joplin, Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John, Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Nina Simone, Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, hit albums with, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, (inaudible), Neil Moore (ph). Amazing. Portfolio and stuff that you turned out really.

GIBB: It is to me too. Because I never know what's going to happen tomorrow and if somebody wants to -- first with Janis Joplin, we didn't work with it (ph). She just talked "To Love Somebody" and recorded it. So people do that.

MORGAN: And what advice would you have for Justin Bieber? A lot of people talking about him in the moment. You're in a great position to judge because you had to come through all this teenage superstar. GIBB: Yeah. Well, what I see with Justin Bieber is sort of what I see with Andy, you know and...

MORGAN: Your brother Andy?

GIBB: Yeah. Heading through a brick wall. Heading through a brick wall and that's a shame because this is a great talent. This kid's got great gifts, you know. And I would like to do the things he does. I would like to dance and do all those wonderful things that even some Justin does, Justin Timberlake, you know.

So on that level, I'm sort of envious but I just think it's time to grow up. Time to grow up and be what -- all these young girls love you. Be a good example, you know.

MORGAN: Do you need people around you telling you that? Is that part of the progress?

GIBB: Yes. And you have a lot of people around you that just wanted to have party, you know, and leave off what is it that you're getting attention for and I think that's the problem. It's always the problem. And buying wild animals is one of first signs like my Andy had a baby lion, Justin had a monkey.

MORGAN: Right.

GIBB: And I go on, "OK."

MORGAN: Here we go.

GIBB: Here we go.

MORGAN: You're seeing the signs.

GIBB: Nothing matters. I can do what I want. It's a shame. And I think it's more of a shame for his parents because they probably really told one way on the other, you know, they love their child but they can't do much about what's going on. And I feel for it. I feel for the whole...

MORGAN: Yeah. I feel for him. Yeah. He said, "I'm a free kid."

GIBB: But same time...

MORGAN: Throughout his age and it's...

GIBB: Yes.

MORGAN: Only image how hard it is. It's something you give a lot...

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: ... of billion dollars and say, "You're the biggest pop star on the world."

GIBB: Yeah. MORGAN: I mean, it's going to get to their heads.

GIBB: But there will be brick wall if you don't want to grow up quick. Grow up quick.

MORGAN: Good advice. I want to play -- this is you and your brothers in 1997. Closer than close. Let's watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want to get closer than close to you. I know that one way or the other any test of my faith will do. And lovers fall for lovers' friends. We make each other cry, living in each others lives, and trying to make the fantasy come true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Very poignant lyrics I've ever seen. When you go out, Barry, without your brothers on this tour and they've already started it, what did you got in America in particular where you enjoyed such huge fame? What would be your favorite memory or perhaps the big times with your brothers, not the early days (ph)?

GIBB: Yeah, being around the microphone together.

MORGAN: Just like that, just singing.

GIBB: Singing on one microphone. And actually be able to feel each other's breath and knowing what it is we were all doing. And we would all be able to know this is good. This is working tonight, you know. And the other night, I was going to go, "it's not working, you know, and we don't know what, you know. Best moment.

MORGAN: Let's just listen a little bit more of this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEE GEES:: I just want to get closer than close to you. I know that one way or the other any test of my faith will do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: You know, I find that really sad.

GIBB: Yeah.

MORGAN: But being in a warm way, in a sense, I have such great memories of the Bee Gees...

GIBBB: Yeah, me too.

MORGAN: ... you know, as it permeated (ph) so much of my life just as a fan and there must be so many millions like me around the world.

GIBB: All I can say is wonderful, wonderful memories. That was mostly on that song and... MORGAN: What would you like the Bee Gees to stand for, to be remembered for, do you think?

GIBB: As song writer, beyond anything else and harmonies, you know, there was no great approach.

MORGAN: Just writing great songs that everyone could enjoy.

GIBB: Great songs. Yes. Not every song. Not every song we love ourselves (ph) but we knew we may had a great one. And like others on the street (ph). We just thought a new and Maurice would tell, "Why don't we record it, you know?"

MORGAN: I sang that on this very show with Kenny Rogers.

GIBB: Wow.

MORGAN: I was playing the Dolly Parton role.

GIBB: Well Kenny said to me, "You know, I feel what with that song's about."

MORGAN: He exactly didn't want -- I sang it.

GIBB: So you sang it?

MORGAN: I was the Dolly role and Kenny sang his role. It was fair to say I murdered your best music.

GIBB: Oh, I doubt that but you were in costume.

MORGAN: I was wearing costume. Barry, I can talk to you all night. It's been fabulous talking to you. I'm a huge, honored bash fan of you and your brothers.

GIBB: Thank you, Piers.

MORGAN: I wish you all the best of success with Mythology, The Tour Live. Tickets are going to sale on live nation.com. Best of luck with that.

GIBB: Thank you Piers.

MORGAN: It's been so good to see you.

GIBB: My pleasure. Thank you.

MORGAN: Great. Barry Gibb. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOY GEORGE: I'm a man without conviction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORGAN: Monday, I'll be joined by the Karma Chameleon, himself, musician artist and pop icon, Boy George joins me and it could be (ph) fascinating character.

That's all for us tonight, then. We'll see you again, back here, Monday night.