Original Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen passed away on Monday, Fox News Digital confirmed. He was 78 years old.
News of his death was confirmed “sadly” by Evan Webster of the tribute band Best of the Bee Gees, with whom Petersen was performing.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend Colin “Smiley” Petersen,” Webster said in a statement from the band. facebook page. “He enriched our lives and brought our group together with love, compassion, and respect. We don't know how we could do without his bright smile and deep friendship. We hope you I love you, Colonel, and may you rest in peace.”
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The Bee Gees' original drummer Colin Petersen (inset) has died. He was 78 years old. (Getty Images)
Petersen played on the Bee Gees albums 1st, Horizontal, Idea, Odessa, and, uncredited, Cucumber Castle.
He performed hits such as “To Love Somebody,” “Massachusetts,” and “Words.”
Although Petersen was highly regarded as a musician, he first found fame at an early age as a child actor, co-starring Sir Ralph Richardson in the 1955 film Smiley.
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This film earned him the nickname “Smiley” and gave him further opportunities in the industry, including roles in “Strange Love” and “Shouting from the Streets.”
Colin Petersen (bottom right) played on many Bee Gees songs. (GAB archive)
Colin Petersen rose to fame at a young age as a child actor in “Smiley.” (LMPC)
Petersen met the Gibb brothers while attending school on Australia's Redcliffe Peninsula, listened to Bee Gees recording sessions, and eventually came to play on early releases of the brothers' records.
Petersen became the first non-Gibb brother of the Bee Gees when he met the Gibbs in England.
“I was really imaginative in my playing, and there were a lot of drummers at the time who were much more technically advanced than me,” he said. “Strange Beer” 2022 Podcast of Work with the Bee Gees. “Look, Chuck Berry probably only knew four chords, right? So when you have limitations, you have to get creative sometimes. If you overdo the technique, you get to the point where you can't see the chords. I've always been a person who plays the drums and sings. ”
He officially left the band in 1969, explaining on a podcast that there were problems with the band's manager, Robert Stigwood. He accused the government of having “taken more of the pie than it was entitled to” and refused to provide further explanation.
Colin Petersen moved to England to pursue music, where he met the Gibb brothers. (Keystone)
After cutting ties with the Bee Gees, Petersen formed a band called Humpy Bon with singer Jonathan Kelly. The band was short-lived and he managed Kelly's solo career for a time after it broke up.
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In 1974, Petersen returned to his native Australia with his wife Joanne Newfield. They raised two sons, Jamie and Ben, in Sydney. He spent several years in the music industry producing and managing before being approached by the Best of the Bee Gees band five years ago.
Australian musician and Bee Gees drummer Colin Petersen and his wife Joanne Newfield at their home in London, circa 1968. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
In 2022, he admitted in an interview. Fasifern Guardian He said he was “a little reluctant at first” to join the tribute band.
“I went to see a show,” he explained. “It was probably about the third song and I thought, oh my god, this band is really great, the voices are so close, so well articulated, and they all seemed so comfortable and having fun on stage. That’s really important.”
When he was invited to play together, he was nervous because it had been a while since he had played the drums. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, he was determined to never make a mistake.
Pop group the Bee Gees pose on the streets of London in 1967. Band members from left to right are Colin Petersen, Maurice Gibb, Barry Gibb, Vince Meloney, and Robin Gibb. (Ivan Keeman/Red Ferns)
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The band sent him a drum kit and he started practicing, pushing himself to complete the song without any mistakes. He said, “After six weeks of doing this, I raised my hand. I love it. It's really great.”
Petersen's death left Barry Gibb as the last surviving original member of the Bee Gees.
