’70s Rock Icon Dead Following a ‘Brief Illness’ originally appeared on Parade.
Bobby Whitlock has died at the age of 77, according to TMZ.
The rock icon, best known as the co-founder of the band Derek and the Dominos along with Eric Clapton, died following a “brief illness,” his manager Carol Kaye confirmed. He was at his home in Texas, surrounded by loved ones.
Whitlock’s wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, shared a statement with TMZ.
“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?” she wondered. “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. I feel his hands that were so intensely expressive and warm on my face and the small of my back whenever I close my eyes, he is there.”
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A post shared by Bobby Whitlock (@bobby_whitlock)
“Life is what you make it, so take it and make it beautiful,” she added.
Following his years in the music industry, Whitlock expressed his art in other ways. In 2018, he took up painting, according to his website.
“Being a very creative soul, Bobby can’t help finding new ways of expressing himself,” his website reads. “He called his art ‘Emotional Abstract’ without realizing that there was such a thing, and found that he was in good company.
He posted some photos of his paintings on Instagram, though hasn’t been active on the platform in about a year.
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’70s Rock Icon Dead Following a ‘Brief Illness’ first appeared on Parade on Aug 10, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
