Bobby Whitlock at home in 1976. Photo: Getty Images
Memphis-born keyboard player Bobby Whitlock made his escape from an abusive upbringing through discovering rock’n’roll. He signed to Stax Records at an early age and played with artists such as Booker T and the MG’s and Sam & Dave on his way up before becoming an integral member of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. While in that band he met Eric Clapton and made a life-changing move to London. There he played on ex-Beatle George Harrison’s solo album All Things Must Pass, did sessions with The Rolling Stones and helped Clapton form Derek and the Dominos. A short-lived phenomenon, Derek and the Dominos recorded one legendary album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, before disintegrating. Whitlock co-wrote seven of the double album’s tracks. He went on to release a series of solo albums in the 1970s. He returned to the US and went into semi-retirement before re-emerging in 1999 with the aptly titled It’s About Time. In the early 2000s, Whitlock began performing again, and in 2010, he released an autobiography, with a foreword by Clapton. Bobby Whitlock died on August 10 aged 77. — Agencies/Allied Media
