Colin Petersen was a child actor, musician and record producer best known as the original drummer for pop legends the Bee Gees.
- Died: November 18, 2024 (Who else died on November 18?)
- Details of death: Died from a fall at the age of 78.
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Colin Petersen’s legacy
Before Petersen ever took the stage with the Bee Gees, he was already acquainted with some degree of stardom. He worked as an actor as a child, starring in Australian films such as “Smiley,” “Strange Affection,” and “A Cry from the Streets.” His mother chose to cut his acting career short, however, so he could focus on his education.
Petersen first intersected with the Gibb brothers while attending Humpybong State School, though they didn’t fully connect until after graduation, when Maurice Gibb (1949–2003) invited him to sit in with the trio. Petersen became the first non-Gibb to officially join the band, and he played drums on a number of their early hits, including “To Love Somebody” and “Words.” However, a dispute with management and other internal strife led to him and the band parting ways – not amicably, either, as they traded a series of lawsuits.
Petersen was credited as a band member on four of the Bee Gees’ early albums – “Bee Gees’ 1st” though “Odessa” – and he also appeared on two other group LPs: “Spicks and Specks” and “Cucumber Castle.”
He briefly played with folk artist Jonathan Kelly in a band called Humpy Bong, and then he managed Kelly’s career as a solo artist. Later in his career, he played with The Best of the Bee Gees tribute act.
Petersen’s death came just four days after the death of Bee Gees drummer Dennis Bryon (1949–2024), who died November 14.
Tributes to Colin Petersen
Full obituary: Billboard
