LEGEND

Derek and the Dominos Co-Founder Dead at 77

Bobby Whitlock performed alongside Eric Clapton in the ’70s rock band.

Derek and the Dominos co-founder Bobby Whitlock has died at 77. Carol Kaye, Whitlock’s manager, informed TMZ of his passing early Sunday at his Texas home “after a brief illness,” surrounded by family. “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? ” his wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, told TMZ. “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.” Derek and the Dominos was founded by Whitlock, singer Eric Clapton, bassist Carl Radle, and drummer Jim Gordon. The band was most active in the ’70s, when it released the hit song Layla. Beyond playing the keyboard and guitar and writing and singing songs, Whitlock was an avid painter, completing 1,800 pieces since 2018. Whitlock’s wife shared a quote the singer lived by: “Life is what you make it, so take it and make it beautiful.” His family is currently setting up a foundation that fans can donate to in his memory.