Bobby Whitlock

Bobby Whitlock (born 18 March 1948 in Memphis, Tennessee) is a session musician, best known for being a member of Derek and the Dominos.

Biography

Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Whitlock began playing piano at many sessions at the legendary Stax Studios by the time he was a teenager. After seeing him perform in a Memphis club, Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett, the husband-and-wife team behind Delaney, Bonnie & Friends, asked Whitlock to join their band as keyboardist. Whitlock began a friendship with Eric Clapton when they toured with Clapton serving as their lead guitarist. Whitlock appeared on Clapton's first solo album in early 1970.

After all the band had departed to join Mad Dogs and Englishmen with Joe Cocker, Bobby joined Eric Clapton in England . They played on some sessions most notably George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" where Bobby and Eric sang backgrounds (as the "O'Hara Smith Singers"). Uncredited on "All Things Must Pass", Bobby played pump organ (Harmonium), Electric Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, tubular bells and piano on various songs.

During the sessions, Clapton's met Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd, with whom he became deeply infatuated. When she spurned his advances, Clapton's unrequited affections prompted most of the material for a new album. During the recording of Layla the tape rolled non-stop except one time on "Key to the Highway", Whitlock explains that is why you hear it fading in. Originally Jim Keltner was to be the drummer in the band, but Jim Gordon stormed the scene when he heard that Clapton was looking for a drummer (Keltner was finishing up his session with Gábor Szabó the jazz guitar player).

"Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" was released 1972 at a full 7:10 minutes . The album saw little play for the first year, and by the time Layla became a hit the band had already broken up.

Whitlock moved to Ireland and lived there for many years, where he befriended Donovan. He had his own television show, and brought in Steve Cropper. Returning to the United States, he financed his own tour and slowly has made his way back into the music scene. During the 1970s Whitlock released four solo albums. The first, self-titled, was released in 1972. "Raw Velvet" featured Eric Clapton and Rick Vito on "Dearest I Wonder". After his 1976 album "Rock Your Sox Off", Whitlock laid low for most of the 1980s and 1990s, living on a farm in Mississippi, raising his children, and doing session work.

Bobby continues to write and has had several major artist cuts, including Ray Charles ("Slip Away"), Tom Jones ("This Time There Won't Be No Next Time"), and George Jones ("He's Not Entitled to your Love"). Numerous artists have recorded his material, including Sheryl Crow ("Keep on Growin") and Derek Trucks ("Anyday"). In 1999, he returned to music with "It's About Time", and in 2000 appeared on the BBC's "Jools Holland", with Clapton.

In 2001 Whitlock and CoCo Carmel collaborated on "Other Assorted Love Songs", consisting primarily of Whitlock's songs from from the original Derek and the Dominoes album. They have travelled extensively throughout the United States and abroad. Whitlock and Carmel live in Austin, Texas. Their newest release, "Lovers", features Eric Johnson, David Grissom and Stephen Bruton on guitar, Brannen Temple on drums, James Fenner on percussion. Guest Willie Nelson plays on a tribute to Veronica Lake and Carmel's True Love.

Discography

*"Bobby Whitlock" (1972)
*"Raw Velvet" (1972)
*"One of a Kind" (1975)
*"Rock Your Sox Off" (1976)
*"It's About Time" (1999)
*"Other Assorted Love Songs, Live from Whitney Chapel" (Bobby Whitlock and CoCo Carmel) (2003)
*"Lovers" - release date : Valentine's Day 2008

See also

*Music of Austin

External links

* [http://www.bobbywhitlock.com Bobby Whitlock's website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/theebobbywhitlock Bobby Whitlock My Space Page]
* [http://www.myspace.com/bobbywhitlockcococarmel Bobby Whitlock & Coco Carmel My Space Page]
* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:424273 Bobby Whitlock Article]
* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid:591648 Bobby Whitlock & CoCo Carmel- "Lovers" Album Article]
* [http://www.whereseric.com/ecfaq/biographies-other-musicians/bobby-whitlock-.html Bobby Whitlock Biography]