India, Aug. 10 -- Bobby Whitlock, the soulful, raspy-voiced keyboard player who helped form Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton, has died at 77. His longtime manager, Carol Kaye, told Variety he passed away early Sunday morning at his Texas home, after suffering from cancer. His family was there with him.

Whitlock was born on March 18, 1948, in Memphis, Tennessee, and did not exactly have an easy start in life. Money was tight, and the neighborhood was rough. But music is what saved him. As a teenager, he got deep into gospel and soul, playing wherever he could. Before long, he was working with some heavy names at Stax Records like Booker T. & the MG's and Sam & Dave. His church-bred style and raw touch made him stand out fast, as pe...