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Bobby Whitlock, the singer-keyboardist and co-founder of \u201870s blues-rock band Derek & the Dominos alongside Eric Clapton<\/a>, has died, according to his manager Carol Kaye. In a statement to Variety<\/em><\/a>, Kaye shared that Whitlock died earlier this morning following a cancer diagnosis. He was 77.<\/p>\n Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 18, 1948, Whitlock gravitated towards music at a young age, both as a fan and a student interested in learning the keyboard and organ. As a teenager, Whitlock started befriending artists in the Stax Records orbit, including Booker T. & the M.G.\u2019s, the Staples Singers, Albert King, and others, eventually weaseling his way into their circuit by way of that respectful admiration. After he earned his first proper recording credit performing handclaps on Sam & Dave\u2019s single \u201cI Thank You,\u201d he signed to Stax\u2014making him the first white artist to join their roster\u2014and played organ regularly around the local scene, in part with the soul bands Short Cuts and the Counts.<\/p>\n Though Stax mentor Steve Cropper took him under his wing and Donald \u201cDuck\u201d Dunn and Don Nix were planning to produce a pop album by him, Whitlock decided to leave Memphis to pursue music with the rock and soul duo Delaney & Bonnie. He played keys and contributed additional vocals on their two 1969 albums Home<\/em> and Accept No Substitute<\/em>. While touring with the duo, Whitlock met numerous musicians that he would collaborate with later on in his career, like Bobby Keys and Jim Price, as well as future Derek & the Dominos members Carl Radle and Jim Gordon. When Delaney & Bonnie opened for Clapton\u2019s supergroup Blind Faith, Whitlock and Clapton crossed paths for the first time. (Looking back on that leg, Clapton would describe Whitlock as \u201cthe most energetic sideman I had ever seen.\u201d)<\/p>\n Once Delaney & Bonnie dropped their live album On Tour with Eric Clapton<\/em> in 1970, Whitlock was eager to test his skills in a new band. He reunited with Clapton, Radle, and Gordon for a quick session before getting an invite to join Clapton on his debut solo album, Eric Clapton<\/em>, and to accompany George Harrison<\/a> in the studio as he recorded All Things Must Pass<\/em><\/a>, the late guitarist\u2019s third solo album and first following the Beatles\u2019 breakup. Whitlock contributed heavily to that Billboard<\/em> No. 1 album, playing organ, piano, harmonium, tubular bells, and backing vocals on most tracks, including the hits \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u201d and \u201cWhat Is Life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n