Colin Petersen was 78 The drummer of the Bee Gees is dead
Colin Petersen was a child star in film in the 50s and was formative for a pioneering phase of the Australian band Bee Gees in the 60s. Now the drummer has died at the age of 78.
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- The Bee Ge es made music history with songs like "To Love Somebody".
- The Gibb brothers became famous worldwide. Now one of their early musical companions has died.
- Colin Petersen was formative for a groundbreaking phase of the Bee Gees. Now the drummer has died at the age of 78.
The music world is mourning the loss of a pioneer of the swinging sixties: Colin Petersen, who was the drummer for the legendary Bee Gees for two years, has died at the age of 78.
This was announced by the tribute band The Best of Bee Gees on their Facebook page. Petersen was last active in the group as a drummer.
"It is with a heavy heart that we announce the death of our dear friend Colin 'Smiley' Petersen," the statement reads.
It continues: "He enriched our lives and guided our group with love, care and respect. We don't know how we can go on without his beaming smile and deep friendship. We love you, Colin. Rest in peace."
The Gibbs carried on without the drummer
Colin Petersen, born in Kingaroy in Queensland, Australia, became a child star at the age of nine in the feature film "Smiley" (1956), to which he also owed his nickname. After two more film roles in the 1950s, he turned to music in the following decade.
As a session drummer, Peterson made the acquaintance of the Bee Gees, of whom he became a permanent member in 1967. The drummer shaped a short but pioneering phase of the young beat band with the well-behaved image. Hits such as the dark ballad "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and the later often covered "To Love Somebody" were created.
In 1969, the Bee Gees disbanded after a dispute between the brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb. This also marked the end of Colin Petersen's career with the band.
In mid-1970, the brothers settled their dispute and carried on without Petersen and guitarist Vince Meloney. The new formation proved to be a wise decision: Because in the 70s, the band became more commercially successful than ever before. The highlight was the soundtrack "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) at the height of the disco wave.
Of the founding members of the Bee Gees, only Barry Gibb (78) is still alive today. Maurice Gibb died in 2003, Robin Gibb in 2012.
