Bobby Whitlock, the keyboardist and vocalist who co-founded Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton and contributed to some of rock music’s most acclaimed albums, died Sunday morning at his home in Texas. He was 77.
Whitlock’s manager Carol Kaye confirmed he passed away at 1:20 a.m. on August 10 after a brief battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death, according to multiple reports.
The Memphis-born musician’s career began in his teenage years when he became the first white artist signed to Stax Records in the mid-1960s. During his time at the legendary soul label, he performed alongside acts including Booker T. & the M.G.’s and Sam & Dave, learning his craft in the heart of the Memphis music scene.
In 1968, Whitlock joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, a group that would prove pivotal to his career trajectory. The band’s rotating lineup included future Derek and the Dominos members Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon, as well as other notable musicians like Duane and Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers Band.
Whitlock’s collaboration with Clapton extended beyond Derek and the Dominos. He contributed to Clapton’s 1970 self-titled debut solo album and played organ and piano on George Harrison’s landmark 1970 release “All Things Must Pass.” Among his contributions to Harrison’s album was the piano part on “Beware of Darkness,” which has gained renewed attention as the opening music in the current horror film “Weapons.”
Derek and the Dominos formed in 1970 and produced only one studio album, but it proved to be a masterpiece. “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,” released in 1971, is widely considered one of rock’s greatest albums. Whitlock co-wrote seven of the album’s 14 tracks, including classics like “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tell the Truth,” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?”
The band’s brief but intense existence left a lasting impact on rock history. Elton John, who opened for Derek and the Dominos on tour, later wrote in his autobiography that he watched Whitlock “like a hawk,” describing him as someone who learned his craft hanging around Stax Studios and played with a soulful, deep Southern gospel feel.
Despite their musical success, Derek and the Dominos disbanded in 1971 while attempting to record their second album. Whitlock attributed the breakup to excessive drug and alcohol use among band members, as well as ego conflicts between other members of the group. Whitlock maintained that during their brief existence, Derek and the Dominos were “the very best band on the planet.”
Following the band’s dissolution, Whitlock launched a solo career with his self-titled debut album in 1972, which featured all the members of the recently disbanded Derek and the Dominos. He released “Raw Velvet” later that same year, followed by additional solo albums throughout the 1970s including “One of a Kind” in 1975 and “Rock Your Sox Off” in 1976.
As a session musician, Whitlock appeared on several notable albums, including an uncredited performance on the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street” in 1972. He claimed he was denied proper writing credit for co-writing the song “I Just Want to See His Face” with Mick Jagger. His other session work included contributions to Dr. John’s “The Sun, Moon & Herbs” and Stephen Stills & Manassas’ “Down the Road.”
After taking a hiatus from the music industry in the late 1970s, Whitlock returned to recording in the 1990s. In December 2005, he married musician CoCo Carmel, and the couple frequently collaborated on musical projects. They moved to Austin, Texas, in 2006, where Whitlock spent his final years.
In his later years, Whitlock developed a passion for painting, completing 1,800 pieces since 2018. His artwork was featured in a 2022 exhibit at the Crockett County Museum in Ozona, Texas. He was inducted into Memphis’ Beale Street Walk of Fame in 2024, recognizing his contributions to the city’s musical heritage.
Whitlock’s wife honored his memory in a statement, noting how he rose from abject poverty in the South to musical heights and describing how he looked at life as an adventure. She concluded with a philosophy Whitlock lived by: “Life is what you make it, so take it and make it beautiful.”
Eric Clapton paid tribute to his former bandmate on social media, expressing condolences to Whitlock’s wife and family. Whitlock is survived by his wife CoCo Carmel Whitlock, his children Ashley Faye Brown, Beau Elijah Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly, and his sister Debbie Wade.
