Original Bee Gees member dies as tributes pour in
Original Bee Gees star Colin 'Smiley' Petersen has died aged 78, it's been announced. The Best of Bee Gees revealed the sad news on their social media page with a statement that read: "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."
Fans rushed to pay tribute to the music legend, with one writing: "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"
Another wrote: "So sad to read this, I remember the early days with Colin as one of the original Bee Bees, rest in peace Colin, condolences to his family xx". A third added: "Oh no, not another loss. I am so sorry to hear this sad nhews. Deepest sympathy to Colin's family and friends". Another added: "Oh my, that is so sad" Three of the musicians who played with the Bee Gees have passed just recently. God bless and comfort Colin's family".
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A fourth wrote: "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."
Colin was the original drummer for the Bee Gees and contibuted to some of their classic tunes, from To Love Somebody and Words. Colin wasn't always a singer though and first became a well-known by the Australian public when he was a young actor and starred in the film Smiley - which gave him his nickname.
More recently, Colin reconnected with fans through his involvement in The Best of the Bee Gees tribute show. In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard on The Strange Brew Podcast, he reflected on his time with the band and shared some rare insights into their creative process.
In the interview, Colin described the collaborative energy that defined the Bee Gees' recording sessions: "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."
The news of Colin's passing comes just days after the death of Dennis Bryon, who was known for his work with the Bee Gees between 1974 and 1980 with his former bandmates Blue Weaver and Andy Fairweather Low announcing the news.
