Last Updated on 2 months by Vijay Kumar
Bobby Whitlock (March 18, 1948 – August 10, 2025) was an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist best known as co-founder of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos. A soul-music prodigy from Memphis, he played pivotal roles in iconic albums like Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and All Things Must Pass. He passed away at the age of 77. 
Early life
Bobby Whitlock (born March 18, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee) grew up in poverty and a turbulent home, finding solace in music from an early age. Immersed in the city’s rich soul and R&B scene, he became the first white artist signed to Stax Records, where he learned from legends like Booker T. Jones and contributed handclaps to Sam & Dave’s 1967 hit “I Thank You.” Mentored by guitarist Steve Cropper, Whitlock honed his skills on the Hammond B-3 organ and led local soul bands before embarking on a career that would place him at the heart of some of rock’s most iconic recordings.
Career
Bobby Whitlock began as a session musician at Memphis’s Stax Records, working alongside soul legends making history as the first white artist signed to the label. In 1969, he joined Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, where he met Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon. This collaboration led to the formation of Derek and the Dominos in 1970.
The band’s sole album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1971), became iconic Whitlock co-wrote classics like “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tell the Truth,” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?”. He also contributed to George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, including “My Sweet Lord,” and played (often uncredited) on The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street.
After the Dominos disbanded in 1971, Whitlock pursued a prolific solo career. He released several albums through the mid-’70s his eponymous debut (Bobby Whitlock) and Raw Velvet both in 1972, followed by One of a Kind (1975) and Rock Your Sox Off (1976). These solo works featured collaborations with former bandmates, Delaney & Bonnie, George Harrison, and others.
In the late 1990s and beyond, Whitlock returned to music with his wife and collaborator CoCo Carmel, performing acoustic versions of Dominos classics and releasing joint albums. He also enjoyed a celebrated stint as a visual artist, painting hundreds of emotionally expressive works starting in 2018. In 2024, he was honored with induction into Memphis’s Beale Street Walk of Fame.
Bobby Whitlock was best known as the co-founder, keyboardist, and vocalist of Derek and the Dominos, contributing to the landmark 1970 album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which included classics like Layla, Bell Bottom Blues, and his own composition Thorn Tree in the Garden. His soulful voice and organ work also featured on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and various Eric Clapton projects. As a solo artist, he released acclaimed albums such as Bobby Whitlock (1972) and Raw Velvet.
Personal life
Bobby Whitlock married to singer-songwriter CoCo Carmel in December 24, 2005 and has been close friends with musicians like Eric Clapton and George Harrison, with whom he collaborated extensively.
Death
Bobby Whitlock passed away after a brief illness at his home in Texas, on August 10, 2025, at the age of 77.
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