Bobby Whitlock, Co-founder of Derek and the Dominos, dead at 77

Bobby Whitlock, who co-founded Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton, has died at age 77. The singer passed away on the morning of August 10, according to his manager. He was surrounded by loved ones as he passed.

Bobby Whitlock’s Death

According to CBS News, Whitlock died Sunday morning of cancer. The news of his death came from his manager, Carol Kaye. He died in Texas, with his family around him. His wife, Coco Caramel Whitlock, made the following statement to CBS News.

“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? 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 also survived by his three children, Ashley Faye Brown, Beau Elijah Whitlock and Tim Whitlock Kelly.

Derek and the Dominos

Whitlock founded Derek and the Dominos in 1970 with Eric Clapton, Carl Raddle, and Jim Gordon. Their album, Layla and Other Love Songs, did not initially sell well, but the single “Layla” went on to land on the USA and United Kingdom top tens in 1972. Even if you have never heard of Bobby Whitlock or Derek and the Dominos, you have likely heard “Layla.” The Eric Clapton version is especially well-known, still being frequently played on the radio.

Is Eric Clapton the Last Surviving Member of Derek and the Dominos?

Now that Whitlock is gone, Eric Clapton is the last member of the band left alive. Bobby Whitlock will be missed by his family, his loved ones, and the music industry as a whole. However, his music is still out there for a new generation to discover and for the older generation to rediscover.