Colin Petersen, Bee Gees original drummer, dead at 78

Colin Petersen, the archetypal drummer for the Bee Gees, died Monday, Fox News Digital has confirmed. He was 78.

The quality of his decease was "sadly" confirmed by Evan Webster of Best of the Bee Gees, a tribute set that Petersen played with.

"It is with a dense bosom we denote the passing of our beloved person Colin 'Smiley' Petersen," Webster wrote connected the band's Facebook page. "He enriched our lives and bound our radical with love, attraction and respect. Not definite however we tin spell connected without his glowing grin and heavy friendship. We emotion you Col. Rest successful Peace."

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Colin Petersen, inset, the archetypal drummer for the Bee Gees, has died. He was 78. (Getty Images)

Petersen played connected the albums "Bee Gees' 1st," "Horizontal," "Idea," "Odessa" and, though uncredited, "Cucumber Castle."

He performed hits including "To Love Somebody," "Massachusetts" and "Words." 

While Petersen was an acclaimed musician, helium initially recovered fame astatine a young property arsenic a kid actor, starring successful the 1955 movie "Smiley" with Sir Ralph Richardson.

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The movie gave him his nickname – "Smiley" – and further opportunities successful the industry, including roles successful "Strange Affection" and "A Cry from the Streets."

Colin Petersen, bottommost right, performed connected a fig of Bee Gees tracks. (GAB Archive)

Colin Petersen recovered fame astatine a young property arsenic a kid prima successful "Smiley." (LMPC)

Petersen met the Gibb brothers portion attending schoolhouse connected the Redcliffe Peninsula successful Australia and would perceive to the Bee Gees signaling sessions, yet playing connected aboriginal releases of the brothers' records. 

It was not until Petersen met up with the Gibbs successful England that helium became the archetypal non-Gibb member of the Bee Gees.

"I was truly rather imaginative with my playing, but determination were a batch of drummers astatine the clip that were technically overmuch much precocious than I was," helium told the "Strange Brew" podcast successful 2022 of his enactment with the Bee Gees. "Look, Chuck Berry lone astir apt knew 4 chords, right? So, sometimes erstwhile you’re limited, you’ve got to beryllium originative … I deliberation you tin overdo the method and you get to a signifier wherever you can’t spot the wood for the trees. I’ve ever been a opus feline with drumming."

He officially near the set successful 1969, explaining connected the podcast that helium had issues with the band's manager, Robert Stigwood. He accused him of "taking a bigger portion of the pastry than helium was entitled to" and declined to explicate further.

Colin Petersen moved to England to prosecute music, wherever helium met up with the Gibb brothers. (Keystone)

After cutting ties with the Bee Gees, Petersen formed a set called Humpy Bong with vocalist Jonathan Kelly. The set was short-lived, and aft it disbanded, helium managed Kelly's solo vocation for a time.

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In 1974, Petersen returned to his homeland of Australia with woman Joanne Newfield. They raised their 2 sons, Jaime and Ben, successful Sydney. He worked successful accumulation and absorption successful the euphony manufacture for respective years earlier helium was approached by the Best of the Bee Gees set 5 years ago.

Australian instrumentalist Colin Petersen, the drummer for the Bee Gees, with his woman Joanne Newfield astatine their location successful London, circa 1968. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In 2022, helium admitted successful an interrogation with the Fassifern Guardian that helium was "a small spot reluctant astatine first" to get progressive with the tribute band.

"I went to spot the show," helium explained. "It would person been astir the 3rd opus in, and I thought to myself, bloody hell, this set is truly great, and the voices were truthful close, and it was good presented and they each look truly comfy connected signifier and enjoying it, which is truly important."

When they asked him to play with them, helium was tense since it had been truthful agelong since helium played the drums – arsenic a self-proclaimed perfectionist, helium was determined not to marque immoderate mistakes.

Pop radical the Bee Gees posed connected a thoroughfare successful London successful 1967. Members of the set are, from near to right, Colin Petersen, Maurice Gibb, Barry Gibb, Vince Melouney and Robin Gibb. (Ivan Keeman/Redferns)

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The set sent him a drum kit, and helium began practicing, pushing himself to get done the songs without immoderate errors. He said, "After six weeks of this, I enactment my manus up, and I emotion it. It’s truly great."

With Petersen's death, Barry Gibb is the past surviving archetypal subordinate of the Bee Gees.