From Smiley to the Bee Gees: The boy from the bush who became a movie and rock star

When a boy from regional Queensland landed a gig as a drummer with the Bee Gees it was the second time the 21-year-old had hit the heights of the entertainment world.

Colin Petersen spent only the first five years of his life in Kingaroy in southern Queensland,  but the town's inspiration put him into cinemas around the country and stereos across the world.

The man who found fame as Smiley in the eponymous 1956 Australian film and was a drummer for the Bee Gees has fond memories of his childhood town where he first took up tap dancing.

"That wasn't considered a sissy thing to do as a young boy at the time," he said.

"Because you'd go to the movies and see people like Fred Astaire, and I thought 'wouldn't it be great if I could do that?'"

As a young boy, the rhythm in Petersen's feet transferred to his hands and compelled him to pick up a pair of drumsticks.

Becoming Smiley

But before he came under the spell of music, at his mother's urging, Colin found himself auditioning for a role in a movie called Smiley that went on to become a classic.

Even though he'd never acted before, Ms Petersen had unwavering belief in his talents.

"She said, 'You could do this Colin. You get up onstage at the city hall with thousands of people there and communicate with your drums. All you have to do here is communicate with words,'" he recalled.

She was right. Colin landed the role of Smiley — the larrikin kid from the mythical town of Murrumbilla — a role for which Kingaroy prepared him perfectly.

"In a way, when I was up in Kingaroy, I was Smiley," he said.

"Smiley was the epitome of young boys at the time and their mindset, their values, their sense of adventure and the freedom that they had."

Movie roles in England followed, starring opposite Sir Richard Attenborough, Max Bygraves and Dana Wilson.

But after a few years he decided to channel his energies back into music and the drums he had begun dabbling with in the Humpybong State School marching band.

It was at Humpybong where he first crossed paths with the Gibb brothers.

But it would be a few years later in 1967 when Petersen joined the band in London, along with fellow Aussie Vince Melouney.

Swinging London

Once the five began writing and recording songs, success came swiftly with hits like New York Mining Disaster and To Love Somebody.

"Then Massachusetts was the one that did it for us," Petersen said.

"But even then, if someone had said all these years on, those songs are going to be remembered I would have said they were joking."

Whether they were creating a legacy or not, Petersen said the late sixties were an amazing time to be living in London.

The former kid from Kingaroy found himself mixing with stars like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and the Beatles and spending his new-found wealth on fast cars and living like royalty.

"I never carried any money with me around London," he admitted with a laugh.

"It was a little bit like the Queen. I could go out in London, go into any top restaurant, have a meal and at the end of it, I'd just give them the office phone number and tell them to send the bill to NEMS, Brian Epstein's company. Then I'd see a jacket somewhere and walk in and say, 'send the bill to NEMS. That's just the way we lived. It was extraordinary."

But by 1969, the dream had dissolved as the band disintegrated.

Robin Gibb had left the band in favour of a solo career, leaving Petersen sceptical of the Bee Gees' future without the three trademark voices.

He also had ambitions of his own to become a record producer and once manager Robert Stigwood got wind of his dissatisfaction, he was fired.

Petersen, however, has no regrets.

"It all fell apart in the end, but we got on extremely well for three years, so I look back and think how lucky I am," he said.

Reflections on a special time

Now, more than 50 years on, Colin is reliving that magical chapter of his life with the Best of The Bee Gees show, touring the country and sharing the stories and the songs and being constantly amazed at their effect on audiences young and old.

"I really was a part of the creation of something that people are holding in their heart," he said.