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 between 1973 and 1981 and died in Nashville on Thursday, November 14, 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 have no words right now…Dennis has passed away.
‘Kayte, Dennis’ wife just called me and asked if she could tell all my friends and fans. This was a big shock.
“Dennis has been my friend since we were in our first band when we were 15. His great 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 in Nashville on Thursday, November 14, just four days before the death of Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen at age 78 (pictured).
Colin, who played a pivotal role during the Bee Gees’ early success as the group’s original drummer, passed away on November 18.
Despite not being listed as an official member of the Bee Gees, 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, bringing in Dennis.
He played drums on their studio albums Mr. Natural (1974), Main Course (1975), Children of the World (1976), and Spirits Have Flown (1979), as well as on his famous contributions to the best-selling Saturday soundtrack. Night Fever in 1977.
He also performed with the Bee Gees on all recordings, television and tours from 1973 to 1980, including nine number one singles, and he and Ringo Starr are said to be the only drummers to have five songs in the top ten of the Billboard chart. simultaneously.
Dennis previously explained that he got the drummer job 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 a flat 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 that the guys were looking for a drummer and that I was interested.
‘I was, and Alan took me to Barry Gibb’s house for my audition. That’s when I met Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.
In January 2016, Dennis went on tour with Blue in a Bee Gee tribute band called The Italian Bee Gees.
Dennis is survived by his second wife and musical partner, Kayte Strong, and his first wife, Jenny, passed away from breast cancer in 2010.
Meanwhile, Colin is survived by his ex-wife Joanne and sons Jaime and Ben.
His drumming was a vital element on several of the band’s albums, including the first by the groundbreaking Bee Gees, and helped establish the group’s international stardom.
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He contributed to their timeless hits such as Massachusetts, To Love Somebody and Words.
Before his musical career, Colin made a splash as a child actor, starring in the classic Australian film Smiley, a role that earned him his enduring nickname.
Her transition from screen to stage cemented her reputation as a versatile talent in two demanding industries.
More recently, Colin reconnected with fans through his participation in the tribute show The Best of the Bee Gees.
In a 2022 interview with Jason Barnard in The Strange Brew Podcastreflected on his time with the band, sharing rare insights into his creative process and 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 tracks had a real spontaneity because we worked on them as a group. We never recorded our parts separately; we did it all together and the orchestra arrived later.’
Pictured: Top left to right: Vince Melouney, Maurice and Barry Gibb, bottom Robin Gibb, Colin Petersen.
His drumming was a vital element on several of their albums, including the first by the groundbreaking Bee Gees, and helped establish the group’s international stardom. Pictured circa 1967
However, the recording process was not always easy.
‘Sometimes we would spend hours in the studio and nothing would fit, so we would pack up and try again another day. But when inspiration struck, we were able to record three backing tracks in one night,” he recalled.
Colin also spoke about his approach to drums, which he saw as an extension of the music itself rather than a display of technical prowess.
‘He wasn’t the most technically skilled drummer, but I think 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.”
Before his musical career, Petersen 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 and shared rare insights into his creative process and unique drumming style. The band photographed here in 1967.