Bee Gees star dies at 76, just four days before drummer Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen’s death

Dennis Bryon has died at the age of 76, making him the second Bee Gees drummer to die in the past week.

The musician played with the band from 1973 to 1981 and died on Thursday, November 14, in Nashville, just four days before the death of Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen at the age of 78.

Dennis’ death was announced by fellow musician Blue Weaver, who played with him in the Welsh rock group Amen Corner.

He took to his Facebook to reveal the devastating news and express his shock and sadness, writing: ‘I’m at a loss for words right now… Dennis has passed away.

‘Kayte, Dennis’ wife just called me and asked me to let all my friends and fans know. This was such a shock.

‘Dennis has been my friend since we were in our first band together at the age of 15. His amazing drumming will always live on…’

Dennis Bryon has died at the age of 76, making him the second Bee Gees drummer to die in the past week (pictured in 1967)

The musician played with the band between 1973 and 1981 and died on Thursday, November 14 in Nashville, just four days before the death of Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen at the age of 78 (pictured)

Colin, who played a pivotal role in Bee Gees’ early success as the group’s original drummer, passed away on November 18.

Despite not being listed as an official Bee Gees member, Dennis took over drums for the backing band after Colin left in 1969.

Geoff Bridgford was briefly replaced, but the band soon decided to hire touring drummers instead of full-time members, and brought in Dennis.

He played drums on their studio albums Mr. Natural (1974), Main Course (1975), Children of the World (1976) and Spirits Taking Flown (1979), as well as their famous contributions to the best-selling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in 1977.

He also performed with the Bee Gees on all recordings, television and tours from 1973 to 1980, including nine number one singles, with him and Ringo Starr being the only drummers to have five songs simultaneously in the top ten of the Billboard chart .

Dennis previously explained that he got the drummer position thanks to the band’s lead guitarist, Alan Kendall, who invited him to audition for the Gibb brothers.

He recalled: ‘In 1972, after Amen Corner broke up, I was living in an apartment in London. In an apartment in the same building lived a guitarist named Alan Kendall.

“Alan was playing with the Bee Gees and one day he came to my apartment and told me the guys were looking for a drummer, and I was interested.

Dennis’ death was announced by fellow musician Blue Weaver, who played with him in Welsh rock group Amen Corner, taking to Facebook to reveal the devastating news and express his shock and sadness.

Despite not being listed as an official Bee Gees member, Dennis took over drums for the backing band after Colin left in 1969 (pictured front left with Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Vince Melouney and Maurice Gibb)

Meanwhile, Colin, who played a pivotal role in Bee Gees’ early success as the group’s original drummer, died on November 18 (photo 1967)

‘I was, and Alan took me to Barry Gibb’s house for my audition. Then I met Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.’

In January 2016, Dennis went on tour with Blue in a Bee Gee’s tribute band called The Italian Bee Gees.

He is survived by his second wife and musical partner Kayte Strong, while his first wife Jenny died of breast cancer in 2010.

Meanwhile, Colin is survived by his ex-wife Joanne and their sons Jaime and Ben.

His drumming was an essential element on a number of the band’s albums, including the seminal Bee Gees’ 1st, and helped establish the group’s international fame.

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

Before his music career, Colin made waves as a child actor, starring in the classic Australian film Smiley, a role that earned him his enduring nickname.

His transition from screen to stage cemented his reputation as a versatile talent in two demanding industries.

More recently, Colin has reconnected with fans through his involvement in the tribute show The Best of the Bee Gees.

His drumming was an essential element on a number of the band’s albums, including the groundbreaking Bee Gees’ 1st, which helped establish the group’s international fame (pictured below right with Vince Melouney, Maurice, Barry and Robin)

Before his music career, Colin made a splash as a child actor, starring in the classic Australian film Smiley (1956), a role that earned him his enduring nickname.

In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard on The Strange Brew Podcast, he reflected on his time with the band, sharing rare insights into their creative process and his unique drumming style. The band pictured here in 1967

In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard The Strange Brew Podcastreflected on his time with the band and shared rare insights into their creative process and his unique drumming style.

In the interview, Colin described the collaborative energy that defined the Bee Gees’ recording sessions: ‘We often went into the studio without a song, which gave me the opportunity to experiment with tempos and rhythms.

‘Those songs had a real spontaneity because we worked on them as a group. We never recorded our parts separately; it was all done together, with the orchestra coming later.”

However, the recording process did not always go smoothly.

‘Sometimes we’d sit in the studio for hours and nothing would come out, so we’d pack up and try again another day. But when inspiration struck, we were able to knock out three backing tracks in one night,” he recalls.

Colin also spoke about his approach to drumming, which he saw as an extension of the music itself rather than a showcase of technical prowess.

‘I wasn’t the most technically skilled drummer, but I guess sometimes less is more. When you’re limited, you have to get creative, like Chuck Berry, who made magic with just a few chords. For me, it was always about serving the song.”