Bobby Whitlock, the celebrated musician who co-founded the iconic rock band Derek and the Dominos alongside Eric Clapton, has died at the age of 77.
His manager, Carol Kaye, confirmed to CBS News that Whitlock passed away on Sunday morning in Texas after a battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family at the time.
A talented singer-songwriter, keyboardist, and vocalist, Whitlock was a driving force behind Derek and the Dominos, the group best known for their legendary 1971 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.
In a heartfelt statement to CBS News, Whitlock’s wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, reflected on his remarkable life. “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. “As he would always say: ‘Life is what you make it, so take it and make it beautiful.’ And he did. Farewell my Love, I’ll see you in my dreams.”
Whitlock is survived by his wife and three children — Ashley Faye Brown, Beau Elijah Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly.
Eric Clapton paid tribute to his longtime collaborator in a post on social media, writing, “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 xxx.”
Filmmaker and close friend John Fusco remembered Whitlock as a rock ‘n’ roll legend, a powerful storyteller, and a major influence.
On Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Whitlock and Clapton co-wrote several of the band’s most beloved tracks, including “Tell the Truth,” “Bell Bottom Blues,” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?”.
In later years, Whitlock turned his creativity toward painting, becoming a prolific artist. Fusco revealed that Whitlock had created an original piece for the cover of his album John the Revelator. His artwork was featured in a 2022 exhibition at the Crockett County Museum in Ozona, Texas.
Over the past five years, Coco Carmel Whitlock shared glimpses of their life together on YouTube, often filming conversations with her husband surrounded by his art — a backdrop that blended his passions for music and painting.
