2 Bee Gees Drummers Die 4 Days Apart

Two drummers for the Bee Gees died within four days of one another this month.

Dennis Bryon died last Thursday at age 76; on Monday, Colin “Smiley” Petersen died at 78.

Petersen was the band’s original drummer, and played during the band’s “hit ballads” era from 1967-70 on songs including “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You” and “To Love Somebody”. He was briefly replaced by Geoff Bridgford before the Bee Gees, made up of brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, decided to opt for touring drummers instead of full-time members.

That’s where Bryon came in; he played hits from the band’s disco era including the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack, which featured such iconic songs as “Stayin’ Alive,” “How Deep is Your Love,” “You Should Be Dancing,” “More Than a Woman.”