Bobby Whitlock, Derek and the Dominoes founder, dead at 77
Bobby Whitlock, a founding member of Derek and the Dominoes, has died aged 77.
His manager, Carol Kaye, confirmed news of his death. Whitlock passed away at his home in Texas, surrounded by his loved ones, at 01:20am on August 10th, following a short battle with cancer.
Additionally, in a statement to TMZ, his wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, said: “How do you express in but a few words the grandness of one man who came from abject poverty in the south to heights unimagined in such a short time?”
She continued: “My love Bobby looked at life as an adventure taking me by the hand leading me through a world of wonderment from music to poetry and painting. I feel his hands that were so intensely expressive and warm on my face and the small of my back whenever I close my eyes, he is there.”
Whitlock was born in 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of Stax Records. As a teenager, he immersed himself in the artists associated with the label and later became the first white artist to be signed with Stax.
In the late 1960s, he first encountered Eric Clapton when he supported Blind Faith with Delaney and Bonnie. Clapton was impressed with Whitlock’s road performances, and he, along with his bandmates, was recruited to record and tour with him on his eponymous debut solo album.
Eventually, he would part ways with Delaney and Bonnie to move to England to work with Clapton, which led to the formation of Derek and the Dominoes in 1971, along with Jim Gordon and Carl Radle. Whitlock also performed on George Harrison’s seminal All Things Must Pass.
Following their short-lived but impactful career, Whitlock embarked upon a solo career while also contributing as a session musician to records by Dr John and The Rolling Stones.
Clapton has led the tributes to his former collaborator, writing on Facebook, “Our dear friend Bobby Whitlock, has passed away at 77, our sincere condolences to Bobby’s wife CoCo and his family on this sad day…. RIP Bobby.”
Whitlock is survived by his wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, and his three children, Ashley Faye Brown, Beau Elijah Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly.
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