Bee Gees drummers Dennis Bryon, Colin Petersen die 4 days apart
Two different drummers from the Bee Gees have died, according to social media posts from former bandmates and a tribute group.
Colin "Smiley" Petersen, 78, the original drummer for the group, and Dennis Bryon, 76, who played with the band during their most successful years, died four days apart.
Blue Weaver, who played with Bryon in the Welsh Rock group Amen Corner, announced his death on Facebook Thursday: "I am lost for words at the moment…Dennis has passed away. Kayte, Dennis's wife has just called me and asked if I would let all friends and fans know."
Petersen's death was announced Monday in a post from Best of the Bee Gees, a tribute band of which he was a member. "It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our dear friend Colin 'Smiley' Petersen. He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect," the group wrote on Facebook.
"Amazingly he was still playing drums, at 78, with all the style and talent he had in his youth. He was sharp witted, humorous and his memory was crystal clear, right down to what the group (The Bee Gees) were wearing at different events in the late ('60s)," Evan Webster, a member of Best of the Bee Gees wrote in a statement emailed to Paste BN Tuesday.
Webster did not share a cause of death for Petersen, who is survived by his ex-wife Joanne Petersen and sons Jamie and Ben.
Petersen joined the band in 1966 before they ruled the disco scene and banged out percussion for the group's first four albums, which included hits like "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and "To Love Somebody." He left the Bee Gees in 1969 after disagreements with the band's manager, according to Billboard. He was also a child actor, appearing in the 1956 movie "Smiley," which is where he adopted his nickname.
Bryon joined the group later in their tenure, as disco-mania took the '70s by storm and the band was cresting stardom. He played drums on the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever," which was responsible for hits "Stayin' Alive" and "More Than a Woman."
The Bee Gees were formed originally by three brothers: Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb. Barry is the last surviving brother − Maurice and Robin died in 2003 and 2012, respectively.
Starting off with more of a Beatles-like pop sound, the group eventually moved toward the ethereal dance albums that would ultimately define their career. With 15 Top 10 hits on the Billboard 100 chart, and 220 million records sold, the band of brothers (and their drummers) became an indelible part of pop culture history.
"I just want the music to live," Barry Gibb told Paste BN in 2020. "I want people to maybe enjoy it years from now. Doesn't matter about whether people remember us or me or the Bee Gees. It's the music that counts."
Contributing: Anika Reed