Former Bee Gees drummer Dennis Bryon has died.
The musician’s death means he is the second percussionist from the band to pass away in the last week. The 76-year-old, who passed away in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 14, 2024, played in the band from 1973 to 1981. He died four days before Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen.
Fellow musician Blue Weaver, who played with Dennis in the Welsh Rock group Amen Corner, announced his passing on social media. He wrote on Facebook: “I am lost for words at the moment… Dennis has passed away. Kayte, Dennis’s wife has just called me and asked if I would let all friends and fans know.
“This was such a shock. Dennis has been my friend, since we were in our first band together age 15. His great drumming will always Stay Alive.” The Mirror reports Andy Fairweather Low confirmed the sad news. In 2003, founding member of Bee Gees, Maurice Gibb passed away. Nine years later, his brother Robin died.
On Tuesday, the Best of Bee Gees announced 78-year-old Colin’s death in a statement which read: “It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our dear friend Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen. He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect. Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.”
Petersen was the original drummer for the iconic band and played a huge part in the group’s early success. Among some of the classic tunes he was a contributor to included To Love Somebody and Words. His time with the group included the hugely groundbreaking album Bee Gees’ 1st.
The star began his career as a child actor and featured on classic Australian film, Smiley. It was this involvement that helped him acquire his nickname ‘Smiley’. In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard on The Strange Brew Podcast, Petersen opened up about his time with the Bee Gees. He explained how the band had a certain creative process and revealed his unique style of drumming.
He said: “We’d often go into the studio without a song, which gave me the chance to experiment with tempos and rhythms. Those tracks 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 in later.”
Speaking of his drumming ability, he went on: “I wasn’t the most technically skilled drummer, but I think that sometimes less is more. When you’re limited, you have to get creative—just like Chuck Berry, who made magic with just a few chords. For me, it was always about serving the song.”
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