Legendary Musician Bobby Whitlock, Founder of Derek and the Dominos, Dies at 77

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Bobby Whitlock, an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his contributions to the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, has died.

He passed away on August 10, 2025, at the age of 77.

This sad news came after Bobby Whitlock suffered a brief illness.

His manager, Carol Kaye, confirmed that Bobby Whitlock died of cancer.

Bobby Whitlock passed away at his home in Texas, surrounded by his loving family.

The passing of this legendary figure has left the music world deeply saddened.

His wife and frequent collaborator, Coco Carmel Whitlock, delivered a touching statement regarding her husband's passing.

"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 said.

She added, "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."

Bobby Whitlock, the keyboardist and vocalist who co-founded the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton in 1970, has died. He was 77 years old. pic.twitter.com/5sBg8NeKPj

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 11, 2025

Robert Stanley Whitlock was born on March 18, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

He grew up in extreme poverty in Millington, a suburb of Memphis.

From a young age, Bobby Whitlock demonstrated a prodigious talent for music.

Bobby Whitlock is known as a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, primarily skilled on the keyboard.

He learned to play the organ by observing Booker T. Jones at Stax Studios.

His piano skills were shaped by a rich Southern church tradition.

As a teenager, Bobby Whitlock made history as the first white artist signed to Stax Records.

He developed friendships with many Stax-affiliated artists, including Albert King, Sam & Dave, the Staples Singers, and Booker T. & the M.G.'s.

In 2010, he published a memoir titled Bobby Whitlock: A Rock 'n' Roll Autobiography, and in 2024, he was inducted into Memphis' Beale Street Walk of Fame.

Bobby Whitlock is survived by his wife, CoCo Carmel Whitlock, and three children, Ashley Brown, Beau Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly.

He is also survived by his sister, Debbie Wade.

Bobby Whitlock's first recorded contribution came in 1967, when he provided hand claps on the Sam & Dave single "I Thank You."

Between 1965 and 1968, he performed actively in Memphis, playing organ with the local soul band The Short Cuts before forming The Counts.

In 1968, Bobby Whitlock joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, a crucial step that brought him into contact with Eric Clapton.

He contributed keyboards and vocals to two Delaney & Bonnie albums in 1969, Home and Accept No Substitute.

Their touring band also included musicians who would later collaborate with him, such as Carl Radle, Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Bobby Keys, and Jim Price.

Bobby Whitlock's career peaked when he, along with Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon, formed the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos in June 1970.

They released their only studio album, *Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs*, in November 1970.

Bobby Whitlock wrote or co-wrote seven of the album's fourteen songs, including "Tell the Truth," "Bell Bottom Blues," and "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?"

He also shared lead vocals with Clapton and played piano on the second half of "Layla," known as "Piano Exit."

With Bobby Whitlock's passing, Eric Clapton is now the sole surviving member of Derek and the Dominos.

Besides Derek and the Dominos, Bobby Whitlock has collaborated with many other legendary musicians.

He played organ and piano on George Harrison's 1970 triple album, *All Things Must Pass*, including the song "My Sweet Lord."

He also made an uncredited appearance on The Rolling Stones' album *Exile on Main St*. (1972) and contributed to Dr. John's album The Sun, Moon & Herbs (1971), as well as Eric Clapton's debut solo album in 1970.

Bobby Whitlock also had a prolific solo career. He recorded four solo albums during the 1970s, including his debut album Bobby Whitlock (1972) and Raw Velvet (1972), which featured contributions from Clapton and Harrison.

After 1976's Rock Your Sox Off, he briefly retired from music, living on a farm in Mississippi.

He returned in 1999 with It's About Time and, since the early 2000s, has performed and recorded as a duo with his wife, CoCo Carmel.

Their projects include *Other Assorted Love Songs, Live from Whitney Chapel*, which features acoustic interpretations of Derek and the Dominos songs.

His final solo studio album, *My Time*, was released in 2009.