Musician Bobby Whitlock, who co-founded the band Derek and the Dominos, has died aged 77.
The keyboard player and vocalist was best known for forming the blues rock band with Eric Clapton in 1970, however they only ever released one album and broke up after a year.
Whitlock also worked with The Beatles star George Harrison, playing on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass.
This week it was announced that he had died. ABC Audio reported Whitlock’s death, quoting manager Carol Kaye as saying: ‘With profound sadness, the family of Bobby Whitlock announces his passing at 1:20am on Aug. 10 after a brief illness. He passed in his home in Texas, surrounded by family.’
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Whitlock was signed to Stax Records as a teenager, also becoming the first white artist signed to the label.
His first recording credit came in 1967 when he supplied handclaps on Sam & Dave’s single I Thank You.
Herb Kossover/ Getty Images)
Between 1965 and 1968, he performed regularly in the Memphis area, playing organ with local soul band the Short Cuts before forming the Counts.
Although there had been plans for him to work on a pop album, he instead decided to leave his home city and join a soul-revue band being forming in Los Angeles – Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, who accompanied the duo Delaney & Bonnie on their tours.
Another member of the group was Clapton, however after disagreements, the band members that had been brought on board quit and instead went on to work on Harrison’s album.
Soon after they formed blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos – releasing their debut and only album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in 1970, which has been considered by many as one of the greatest rock albums of all time.
But after the album tanked commercially and failed to chart in the UK – as well as the band being wrapped up in drug consumption and personal conflicts – it fell apart after a year.
After this Whitlock went on to forge a career as a solo artist, releasing his self-titled album in 1972, which also featured all members of his recently dissolved band.
It was followed by Raw Velvet the same year and One of a Kind in 1975, however after this release he withdrew from the music industry.
Whitlock previously said the decision was due to him having ‘problems to deal with’.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Whitlock lived on a farm in Mississippi, raising his children and doing occasional session work.
He also had his own television show with Steve Cropper. In 1999 he resumed his solo career with the album It’s About Time and in 2003 teamed up with his partner and musician CoCo Carmel to release a live album of the Dominos’ songs.
The couple later moved to Austin, Texas, and continued releasing music together.
Other than his wife, Whitlock is also survived by his three children – Ashley Brown, Beau Whitlock and Tim Whitlock Kelly.
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