Bobby Whitlock, Derek and the Dominos Co-Founder and Collaborator with George Harrison, Dead at 77
via Music News Radio / YouTube
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Bobby Whitlock, the keyboard player and vocalist who co-founded Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton and performed on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, died Sunday at age 77. His manager, Carol Kaye, confirmed to Variety that Whitlock passed away at 1:20 a.m. after a short battle with cancer.
Born in Memphis, Whitlock was signed to Stax Records at a young age. He played alongside well-known acts like Booker T. and the MG’s and Sam & Dave before becoming a key member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. During that time, he formed a strong working relationship with Clapton while touring.
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Landmark Recordings
Whitlock’s talent soon brought him to the sessions for Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. While three keyboard players were credited on the record, the exact parts played by each remain unclear. One confirmed contribution was the piano on “Beware of Darkness,” a song currently being rediscovered as it plays over the opening of the horror hit Weapons.
With Derek and the Dominos, Whitlock helped create the 1971 double LP Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, often considered one of rock’s greatest albums. He co-wrote seven tracks, including “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Tell the Truth.”
Solo Career and Collaborations
After the Dominos disbanded, Whitlock released several solo albums in the 1970s, starting with his self-titled debut in 1972. The record featured all the members of the recently split group, though not on the same tracks.
He also appeared without credit on the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street and claimed he was denied co-writing credit for “I Just Want to See His Face.” His other guest appearances included albums by Eric Clapton, Doris Troy, Dr. John’s The Sun, Moon & Herbs, and Stephen Stills & Manassas’ Down the Road.
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Later Performances and Reflections
In the early 2000s, Whitlock began performing in small venues with his wife, CoCo Carmel Whitlock, who had previously been married to Delaney Bramlett. They played acoustic versions of the Layla songs. “The songs on that album are as new today as they were then,” he told the Austin Chronicle in 2006. “They just never had anyone perform them that had anything to do with them.” These shows led to their live album Other Assorted Love Songs in 2003.
Life in Austin and Legacy
After a brief stay in Tennessee, Whitlock moved to Austin in 2006. “It reminds me of Memphis in 1965, when it was about the music, and everybody was supportive of everybody. Now I can’t imagine living anyplace else.”
Whitlock was inducted into Memphis’ Beale Street Walk of Fame in 2024. In recent years, he explored painting, with his artwork shown in galleries. He is survived by his wife, three children—Ashley Brown, Beau Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly—and his sister, Debbie Wade.
