Original Bee Gees star Colin Petersen has sadly died, aged 78.
The Best of Bee Gees shared the sad news: “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. Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.”
He was the original drummer for the band and was a huge reason for their early success.
He began his career as a child actor, appearing in Smiley – earning him his nickname.
In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard, the drummer opened up about his time in the band. He said: “We’d often go into the studio without a song, which gave me the chance to experiment with tempos and rhythms.
“Those tracks had a real spontaneity because we worked on them as a group. We never recorded our parts separately—it was all done together, with the orchestra coming in later.”
“I wasn’t the most technically skilled drummer, but I think that sometimes less is more. When you’re limited, you have to get creative—just like Chuck Berry, who made magic with just a few chords. For me, it was always about serving the song.”
His passing was announced only days after the passing of Dennis Bryon who worked on the band between 1974 and 1980. Former band member Blue Weaver and Andy Fairweather Low shared the sad news.
Tributes have been pouring in for the drummer. One fan wrote on Facebook: “More sad news. Colin Petersen, the Bee Gees’ first drummer in the 1960s, has passed away this morning. He played and recorded songs like “New York Mining Disaster 1941”, “To Love Somebody”, “Massachussetts”, “Words” and many more. R.I.P. Colin”
On X, another fan said: “I hate to be the bearer of bad news this morning, but it appears we have lost another member of the Bee Gees family. Colin Petersen, the original drummer from the 60’s, has passed away. This was taken from the GSI FB group. May his memory be a blessing.”
He is survived by his ex-wife, Joanne and their two sons, Jamie and Ben.
RIP.
