Bobby Whitlock, the keyboardist and vocalist who co-founded Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton, has died at the age of 77. His manager, Carol Kaye, confirmed to Variety that Whitlock passed away on Sunday morning after a brief battle with cancer.
Born in Memphis, Whitlock was signed to Stax Records at a young age and played with artists such as Booker T. and the MG's and Sam & Dave. He later became an integral member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, where he forged a musical alliance with Clapton during a tour. This led to his work on George Harrison's classic album 'All Things Must Pass', where he is credited with playing piano on the track 'Beware of Darkness'.
Derek and the Dominos released only one studio album, the 1971 double LP 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs', widely regarded as one of rock's greatest albums. Whitlock co-wrote seven of its tracks, including 'Bell Bottom Blues', 'Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?' and 'Tell the Truth'. He later described the band as 'the very best band on the planet', but blamed drug and alcohol abuse for its breakup.
After the group disbanded, Whitlock released several solo albums in the 1970s and made guest appearances on records by the Rolling Stones, Dr. John, and Stephen Stills, among others. He also claimed to have been cheated out of a co-writing credit for the Stones' song 'I Just Want to See His Face'.
Whitlock's early life was marked by an abusive upbringing, but he found solace in music, playing in a band called the Counts as a teenager. He later moved to California to join Delaney & Bonnie, eventually reuniting with Clapton for the Harrison album and the formation of Derek and the Dominos.
