Bee Gees Drummers, Colin Petersen and Dennis Bryon, Die Within Days of Each Other

Two members of iconic disco group The Bee Gees have died.

Colin Petersen, who was the band's original drummer, has passed away at the age of 78, The Guardian reports.

Petersen joined the Bee Gees in 1966, alongside brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. He contributed to their second studio album, Spicks and Specks, released that same year, and played on early hits like "To Love Somebody," "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" and "I Started a Joke."

Born in Kingaroy, Queensland in 1946, Petersen first gained attention as a child actor, starring in the 1956 Australian film Smiley. He drummed with the Bee Gees until 1969, when tensions with the band's manager, Robert Stigwood, led him to leave and form the short-lived band Humpy Bong with singer-songwriter Jonathan Kelly and Tim Staffell.

Petersen was eventually replaced by Geoff Bridgford, but the band soon opted for touring drummers rather than full-time members. They ultimately settled on Dennis Bryon, who played drums during the Bee Gees' peak years from 1973 to 1980.

In a strange and tragic twist of fate, Bryon is also reported to have died within four days of Petersen. He was 75.

Although not officially listed as a band member, Bryon contributed percussion to several of the Bee Gees' iconic recordings, including the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and hits like "How Deep Is Your Love" and "More Than a Woman."

Born in Cardiff, Wales, Bryon started drumming at 14. In 2015, he released his memoir, You Should Be Dancing: My Life With the Bee Gees, which reflects on the band's massive influence during their prime. Bryon recalls one instance when, while driving home to Miami, he switched radio stations and found five of them playing songs from the Saturday Night Fever album.

In later years, both Bryon and Petersen performed with Bee Gees tribute bands. Bryon played with the Italian Bee Gees, a group formed by three Italian brothers, while Petersen joined the Best of the Bee Gees tribute show. It was reported that Petersen was still performing live as recently as last week.

Currently, Barry is the last surviving member out of his brothers. Both Maurice and Robin died in 2003 and 2012 respectively.

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The bee gees, Dead, Death