Colin “Smiley” Petersen, the first official drummer of the world-renowned band Bee Gees, passed away on November 18, 2024. Petersen, 78 at the time of his death, reportedly died due to injuries sustained from a fall.
Petersen, an Australian-born musician, was instrumental in defining the Bee Gees’ early sound. He played on six of the first seven albums of the group from 1967 to 1969.
Born in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia, on March 24, 1946, Petersen was dubbed “Smiley” after his role in the 1956 film of the same name. Prior to his music career, he appeared in several films, including “A Cry from the Streets” (1958) and “Strange Affection” (1957).
At the age of 20, Petersen moved to London, where he teamed up with Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, and guitarist Vince Melouney to form the Bee Gees. His musical contributions are evident on several of the band’s pioneering albums, including “Spicks and Specks” (1966), “Bee Gees’ 1st” (1967), “Horizontal” (1968), “Idea” (1968), “Odessa” (1969), and “Cucumber Castle” (1970).
During his time with the Bee Gees, Petersen performed on several chart-topping songs such as “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “To Love Somebody,” “Holiday,” “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” and “I Started a Joke.”
Petersen parted ways with the Bee Gees in 1970 due to conflicts with the band’s manager, Robert Stigwood. Despite their disagreements, Stigwood had acknowledged Petersen as “very level-headed” and “a very sophisticated person” who had “a good appreciation of good food and wines.”
Following his exit from the Bee Gees, Petersen established the band Humpy Bong. He then founded a management company with his wife, Joanne Newfield, with whom he had two sons, Jaime and Ben. The family moved back to Australia in 1974 where Petersen embarked on a career as a painter.
In his later years, Petersen continued his involvement in music by performing with the Best of the Bee Gees tribute band. His death came just four days after the passing of Dennis Bryon, who played drums for the Bee Gees during their 1970s disco era.
From the original Bee Gees lineup, Barry Gibb is now the only surviving member. His brothers Maurice and Robin passed away in 2003 and 2012, respectively. Their younger brother Andy died at the young age of 30 in 1988.
