Dennis Ronald Bryon (14 April 1949 – 14 November 2024) was a Welsh
rock drummer from
Cardiff
Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
, best known for his work with the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
from 1974 to 1980. Bryon and
Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
are the only drummers to have five songs in the top ten Billboard chart simultaneously.
Bryon was the drummer for
Amen Corner before he joined the Bee Gees. He also wrote, recorded or performed with many other artists, including
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
,
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (born Kenneth Donald Rogers) (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particul ...
,
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
,
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer and songwriter. He was the younger brother of Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, musicians who had formed the Bee Gees during the late 1950s. Andy G ...
, Kayte Strong, Cathryn Craig,
Brian Willoughby,
Dave Edmunds
David William Edmunds (born 15 April 1944) is a Welsh retired singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Although he is mainly associated with Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock and New wave music, new wave, having many hit record, h ...
,
Jimmy Ruffin
Jimmy Lee RuffinRibowsky, Mark (2010), ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations'', Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, p. 89. . (May 7, 1936 – November 17, 2014) was an American soul singer, and ...
,
Andy Fairweather Low,
Ish Ledesma, and
Steve Marriott
Stephen Peter Marriott (30 January 1947 – 20 April 1991) was an English actor, musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a student at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London and appeared in the West End, before taking a r ...
.
Career
Early career
Dennis Bryon was born in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
,
on 14 April 1949. He started playing the drums at fourteen years old.
His first band was the Blue Jets where fellow band member Rob Parsons subsequently had a very different career.
Bryon rapidly moved on to work with more accomplished musicians and his career really started out as a young adult, aged 17, in 1966, when he co-formed the band
Amen Corner. They are best known for their hits "
Bend Me, Shape Me", "High in the Sky" and the chart-topper "
(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice". Bryon remained in the band until its split in 1969. Although the group had already split up, they also appeared as themselves in the 1969
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
, ''
Scream and Scream Again'', singing the film's eponymous theme song.
Bee Gees
Bryon played drums with the
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
' backing band from 1973 to 1980, including their contributions to the bestselling
Saturday Night Fever
''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...
soundtrack (1977) as well as performing on their studio albums;
''Mr. Natural'' (1974), ''
Main Course
A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. It usually follows the entrée () course.
Usage
In the United States and Canada (except Quebec), the main course is traditionally called an "entrée". En ...
'' (1975), ''
Children of the World'' (1976), and ''
Spirits Having Flown
''Spirits Having Flown'' is the fifteenth album by the Bee Gees, released in 5 February 1979, by RSO Records. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the '' Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. The album's first three tracks we ...
'' (1979).
Bryon played drums with the Bee Gees on all recordings, television, and tours from 1973 to 1980, including nine number one singles.
Bryon got the position as the Bee Gees' drummer after being invited to audition by their lead guitarist
Alan Kendall:
Bryon co-produced
Robin Gibb's 1983 album, ''
How Old Are You?''
Recent works
When living in Nashville, Dennis played on albums created by local folk artists. Bryon released an autobiography about his years with the Bee Gees on 11 August 2015, called ''You Should Be Dancing: My Life with the Bee Gees''.
He was one half of the instrumental duo, Strong & Bryon, with his eventual wife Kayte Strong, who recorded three albums for Artfest records from 2003 to 2004.
A song Bryon wrote was used in the NBC series
Swingtown in 2008.
Dennis toured with 'The Italian Bee Gees' along with his keyboard colleague from the Bee Gees' band
Blue Weaver and the group's guitarist from the 1960s
Vince Melouney
Vincent Melouney (born 18 August 1945) is an Australian musician. He is best known as an official member of the Bee Gees from 1967 to 1969 during the group's initial period of worldwide success.
Before becoming a member of the Bee Gees in Ma ...
.
Personal life and death
Bryon lived in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
in his later years. His wife, Jenny, died from breast cancer in 2010.
He later married musical partner Kayte Strong, remaining with her until his death.
Bryon died in Nashville on 14 November 2024, at the age of 75. Amen Corner bandmates
Blue Weaver and
Andy Fairweather Low both announced his death on
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
. Four days later on 18 November, former Bee Gees drummer
Colin Petersen
Frederick Colin Petersen (24 March 1946 – 18 November 2024) was an Australian musician and actor. He played as a member of the bands Steve and the Board, the Bee Gees and Humpy Bong. In August 1969, he left the Bee Gees and he was replaced ...
also died.
Discography
* ''Round Amen Corner'' –
Amen Corner – 1968
* ''The National Welsh Coast Live Explosion Company'' – Amen Corner – 1969
* ''Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven – Amen Corner – 1969''
* ''Beginning from an End'' –
Fair Weather – 1970
*
''Mr. Natural'' –
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
– 1974
* ''
Main Course
A main course is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. It usually follows the entrée () course.
Usage
In the United States and Canada (except Quebec), the main course is traditionally called an "entrée". En ...
'' – Bee Gees – 1975
* ''
Children of the World'' – Bee Gees – 1976
* ''Here at Last... Live'' – Bee Gees – 1977
*
''Saturday Night Fever'' – Bee Gees – 1977
*
Spirits Having Flown
''Spirits Having Flown'' is the fifteenth album by the Bee Gees, released in 5 February 1979, by RSO Records. It was the group's first album after their collaboration on the '' Saturday Night Fever'' soundtrack. The album's first three tracks we ...
– Bee Gees – 1979
*
After Dark –
Andy Gibb
Andrew Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer and songwriter. He was the younger brother of Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb, musicians who had formed the Bee Gees during the late 1950s. Andy G ...
– 1980
*
Guilty –
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...
– 1980
*
Heartbreaker –
Dionne Warwick
Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
– 1982
*
How Old Are You? –
Robin Gibb – 1983
*
Now Voyager –
Barry Gibb
Sir Barry Alan Crompton Gibb (born 1 September 1946) is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Along with his younger fraternal twin brothers, Robin Gibb, Robin and Maurice Gibb, Maurice, he rose to global fame as a member ...
– 1984
* ''Doublewide & Dangerous'' – Antsy McClain – 1999
* ''I Will'' – Cathryn Craig – 2002
Sources:
Bibliography
* ''You Should Be Dancing: My Life with the Bee Gees'', ECW Press (1 August 2015),
References
External Links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryon, Dennis
1949 births
2024 deaths
Welsh drummers
Welsh rock drummers
British male drummers
Welsh expatriate musicians in the United States
Welsh session musicians
Musicians from Cardiff
Bee Gees members