When did Dennis Bryon die? Bee Gees drummer passes away four days apart from bandmate Colin Petersen

Two former Bee Gees drummers, Colin Petersen and Dennis Bryon, passed away just days apart. On Monday, November 18, 2024, a Facebook post by Best of the Bee Gees (a tribute band) announced Petersen's death.

The news came four days after Blue Weaver (Byron's former bandmate from the Welsh rock group Amen Corner) announced Byron's death on November 14, 2024, in a Facebook post, which read:

"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 Bee Gees were an English-Australian band founded by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb in the late 1950s. Colin Petersen joined the group in 1967 as the band's original drummer and the first non-Gibb member. However, he exited the band in 1969. Dennis Bryon joined the band in 1973 and remained until 1980.

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Dennis Bryon contributed to the Bee Gees' bestselling record, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack

Hailing from Queensland, Australia, Colin Petersen began his career as a child actor, appearing in movies between the ages of nine and 12. Some of his acting credits from the time include Smiley (1956) and A Cry from the Streets (1958).

He moved to England in 1966, meeting the Gibb brothers a year later (they also moved to England from Australia). The brothers recruited Petersen as the band's drummer shortly after. He contributed to the band's early success, performing on their hit albums Bee Gees’ 1st (1967), Horizontal (1968), Idea (1968), and Odessa (1969).

Colin also contributed to Spicks and Specks (1966) and Cucumber Castle (1970). However, the latter work remained uncredited. He performed the pop group's early classics like New York Mining Disaster 1941, To Love Somebody, Words, Massachusetts, and I Started A Joke.

Talking to the Strange Brew podcast in 2022, Petersen elaborated on his role in the band, stating:

"I wasn’t the most technically skilled drummer, but I think that sometimes less is more," adding that "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."

Petersen left the group in 1969. It remains unclear what caused the split. The drummer was replaced by Geoff Bridgford, who was also the last official member to join the Bee Gees. Chris Karan briefly played as a percussionist before Dennis Byron took the role.

Byron, a Cardiff, Wales, native, began his music career with the band Blue Jets (author Rob Parsons was a member). In 1966, he co-formed Amen Corner, best known for their hits Bend Me, Shape Me, and (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice.

Dennis Byron joined the Bee Gees in 1973. He contributed to the band's bestselling Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and albums including Mr. Natural (1974), Main Course (1975), Children of the World (1976), and Spirits Having Flown (1979).

Some of Byron's credits include the memorable hits Stayin’ Alive, How Deep is Your Love, Night Fever, You Should Be Dancing, and More Than a Woman.

According to a report by Entertainment Weekly, citing Dennis Byron's biography, You Should Be Dancing: My Life With The Bee Gees, the drummer realized that the Saturday Night Fever record was a success when he heard five different radio stations playing the song.

"That’s when I knew this record was big. Very, very big."

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In addition to Colin and Geoff, Vincent Melouney was also an official member of the Bee Gees (1967 to 1969). Barry, Vincent, and Geoff remain the sole surviving members of the group. Maurice passed away in 2003 after suffering a cardiac arrest, while Robin died in 2012.