Bobby Whitlock, figura centrale nella storia del rock degli anni Settanta, si è spento all’età di 77 anni nella sua casa in Texas, circondato dai suoi familiari. La notizia è stata confermata dalla sua manager Carol Kaye, che ha parlato di una breve malattia che ha portato alla sua scomparsa nelle prime ore del 10 agosto.
Nato a Memphis, Whitlock ha mosso i primi passi nella musica presso la leggendaria etichetta Stax Records, diventando il primo artista bianco ad essere messo sotto contratto. In quegli anni ha collaborato con giganti del soul come Booker T. & the M.G.’s e Sam & Dave, affinando uno stile che avrebbe poi influenzato profondamente il rock blues degli anni successivi.
La svolta nella sua carriera arrivò alla fine degli anni Sessanta, quando si unì al collettivo Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, dove suonava regolarmente con Eric Clapton, Carl Radle e Jim Gordon. Da quella formazione nacquero i Derek and the Dominos, gruppo che, pur avendo pubblicato un solo album in studio, ha lasciato un’impronta indelebile nella storia della musica.
Il disco in questione, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970), è considerato uno dei capolavori del rock. Whitlock ne fu co-autore in sette brani, tra cui “Bell Bottom Blues”, “Tell the Truth”, “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?” e “I Looked Away”. Suonò anche il celebre pianoforte nella seconda parte di “Layla”, brano diventato simbolo della tormentata relazione tra Clapton e Pattie Boyd.
Parallelamente al lavoro con Clapton, Whitlock contribuì in modo significativo all’album All Things Must Pass di George Harrison, suonando organo e pianoforte in brani come “My Sweet Lord”, “What Is Life” e “Beware of Darkness”. Apparve anche, seppur non accreditato, nell’album Exile on Main St. dei Rolling Stones, e sostenne di aver co-scritto il brano “I Just Want to See His Face” insieme a Mick Taylor.
Dopo lo scioglimento dei Derek and the Dominos nel 1971, Whitlock intraprese una carriera solista, pubblicando diversi album negli anni Settanta. Dopo una lunga pausa dalla scena musicale, tornò nel 1999 con It’s About Time, iniziando una nuova fase artistica accanto alla moglie CoCo Carmel. Insieme pubblicarono nel 2012 l’album Esoteric, e si esibirono in numerosi concerti acustici reinterpretando i brani dei Dominos.
Nel 2024 era stato inserito nella Beale Street Walk of Fame di Memphis, un riconoscimento alla sua lunga e influente carriera. Bobby Whitlock lascia la moglie CoCo e tre figli: Ashley Brown, Beau Whitlock e Tim Whitlock Kelly.
La sua musica continua a vivere, testimone di un’epoca in cui il rock sapeva essere profondo, viscerale e autentico.
Farewell to Bobby Whitlock, keyboardist of Derek and the Dominos
Bobby Whitlock, a central figure in the history of 1970s rock, passed away at the age of 77 at his home in Texas, surrounded by his family. The news was confirmed by his manager, Carol Kaye, who spoke of a brief illness that led to his death in the early hours of August 10.
Born in Memphis, Whitlock took his first steps in music with the legendary label Stax Records, becoming the first white artist to be signed. During those years, he collaborated with soul giants such as Booker T. & the M.G.’s and Sam & Dave, honing a style that would deeply influence the blues-rock of the following decades.
The turning point in his career came in the late 1960s, when he joined the collective Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, where he regularly played alongside Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon. From that lineup emerged Derek and the Dominos, a band that, despite releasing only one studio album, left an indelible mark on music history.
That album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970), is considered one of the masterpieces of rock. Whitlock co-wrote seven tracks on it, including “Bell Bottom Blues,” “Tell the Truth,” “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?” and “I Looked Away.” He also played the famous piano part in the second half of “Layla,” a song that became a symbol of the tumultuous relationship between Clapton and Pattie Boyd.
Alongside his work with Clapton, Whitlock contributed significantly to George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, playing organ and piano on tracks such as “My Sweet Lord,” “What Is Life,” and “Beware of Darkness.” He also appeared, albeit uncredited, on the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St., and claimed to have co-written the song “I Just Want to See His Face” with Mick Taylor.
After Derek and the Dominos disbanded in 1971, Whitlock embarked on a solo career, releasing several albums in the 1970s. Following a long hiatus from the music scene, he returned in 1999 with It’s About Time, starting a new artistic chapter alongside his wife, CoCo Carmel. Together they released the album Esoteric in 2012 and performed numerous acoustic concerts revisiting the Dominos’ repertoire.
In 2024, he was inducted into the Beale Street Walk of Fame in Memphis, a recognition of his long and influential career. Bobby Whitlock is survived by his wife CoCo and three children: Ashley Brown, Beau Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly.
His music lives on, a testament to an era when rock could be deep, visceral, and authentic.
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