Bee Gees star dead at 78

Colin 'Smiley' Petersen has died aged 78.

Petersen - who played a pivotal relation during the aboriginal occurrence of Bee Gees - arsenic the group's archetypal drummer, passed distant connected November 18.

He contributed to their timeless hits specified as Massachusetts, To Love Somebody, and Words.

His drumming was a captious constituent connected their groundbreaking albums, including Bee Gee's first, helping to found the group's planetary stardom. 

He is survived by his ex-wife Joanne and their sons Jaime and Ben. 

Before his euphony career, Petersen made waves arsenic a kid actor, starring successful the classical Australian movie Smiley, a relation that earned him his enduring nickname.

His modulation from surface to signifier cemented his estimation arsenic a versatile endowment successful 2 demanding industries. 

More recently, Petersen reconnected with fans done his engagement successful The Best of the Bee Gees tribute show.

In a 2022 interrogation with Jason Barnard connected The Strange Brew Podcast, helium reflected connected his clip with the band, sharing uncommon insights into their originative process and his unsocial drumming style. 

In the interview, Petersen described the collaborative vigor that defined the Bee Gees' signaling sessions: 'We'd often spell into the workplace without a song, which gave maine the accidental to experimentation with tempos and rhythms.

'Those tracks had a existent spontaneity due to the fact that we worked connected them arsenic a group. We ne'er recorded our parts separately—it was each done together, with the orchestra coming successful later.'

The signaling process wasn't ever smooth, however.

'Sometimes we'd walk hours successful the studio, and thing would travel together, truthful we'd battalion up and effort again different day. But erstwhile inspiration hit, we could sound retired 3 backing tracks successful 1 night,' helium recalled. 

Petersen besides spoke astir his attack to drumming, which helium saw arsenic an hold of the euphony itself alternatively than a showcase of method prowess.

'I wasn't the astir technically skilled drummer, but I deliberation that sometimes little is more. When you're limited, you person to get creative—just similar Chuck Berry, who made magic with conscionable a fewer chords. For me, it was ever astir serving the song.'

More to come.