Whitlock was born in Memphis in 1948 and quickly found himself at the heart of the city's booming soul and blues scene. He was signed to the iconic Stax Records label, which helped break the careers of acts like Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes. Through Stax, he joined the touring band of husband and wife duo Delaney & Bonnie, where he met Clapton, bassist Carl Radle, and drummer Jim Gordon. The quartet formed the short-lived Derek and the Dominos, but managed to release the seminal Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs in 1970. Beyond the Dominos, Whitlock played on the sessions for George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, performed at John Lennon's 1969 "Peace for Christmas" concert, and released 14 albums as a solo artist, six with his wife, CoCo Carmel.