Bee Gees legend Colin Petersen has died. In a statement on social media, the Best of Bee Gees penned: "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."
Peterson was the first drummer for the legendary band and played a massive part in the group's early success. Among many of their well-known songs he was a contributor to included To Love Somebody and Words. His time with the group included the hugely groundbreaking album Bee Gees' 1st, reports the Mirror.
The stars career began as a child actor and he featured on classic Australian film, Smiley. It was this involvement that helped him acquire his nickname 'Smiley'.
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In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard on The Strange Brew Podcast, Petersen reflected on his time with the Bee Gees. He revealed how the band had a certain creative process and revealed his unique style of drumming. 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."
Speaking of his drumming skills, he added: "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."
The news of his sad death comes just days after the passing of Dennis Bryon. Bryon had worked with the band between 1974 and 1980. His former bandmates Blue Weaver and Andy Fairweather Low confirmed the sad news. In 2003, founding member of Bee Gees, Maurice Gibb passed away. Nine years later, his brother Robin died.
Tributes poured in for the Petersen following the news of his death. On Facebook, a fan page said: "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 Twitter/X, another user penned: "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."
A second on the platform wrote: "RIP Colin Petersen, 60s Bee Gees drummer, child actor, nice man," while a third said: "You guys... I have no words. We are losing our Bee Gees family right and left. #RIP Colin, you were such a magical part of the #BeeGees sound. Sending love & prayers to family, loved ones, & to Best of the Bee Gees musicians in Australia. #ColinPetersen."
Petersen is survived by his ex-wife Joanne and their sons Jaime and Ben.
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