When did Derek and the Dominos made its debut? Details explored as the co-founder Bobby Whitlock dies at 77

Bobby Whitlock, co-founder of Derek and the Dominos, has passed away at the age of 77, leaving behind a true legacy. The English–American blues rock band was formed in 1970 and revolutionized the blues and rock genres and their symphony together.

Derek and the Dominos was formed in the spring of 1970 by singer-guitarist Eric Clapton, along with keyboardist-singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle, and drummer Jim Gordon. They entered the music scene in early summer and released their one and only studio album, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, making it a truly momentous event for the group.

Their existence was quite surreal and fanciful, as they came up at a time when musicians were discovering The Band, Cream, and The Beatles and pre-existing giants like George Harrison, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett, the Allman Brothers, Joe Cocker, and more. However, they had an impact that no one quite expected.

The group was named after Eric, whose nickname was Derek or Del, while the American set of the group was to be called The Dynamics. However, at a live debut in their new guise at the Lyceum Ballroom, Tony Ashton, of Ashton Gardner and Dyke, introduced them as Derek and the Dominos, and the name stuck.

Bobby Whitlock passed away at 77

Bobby Whitlock died Sunday morning at 1:20 a.m. after a brief bout with cancer, as confirmed by his manager, Carol Kaye. He played the keyboard on classic albums like George Harrison‘s “All Things Must Pass” and was the keyboard player and vocalist for the band.

His wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, shared a tribute with TMZ saying, "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 further adds, "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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She concluded with a quote Bobby lived by "Life is what you make it, so take it and make it beautiful."

Bobby Whitlock is survived by three children, Ashley Brown, Beau Whitlock, and Tim Whitlock Kelly, and his sister Debbie Wade.

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