Bobby Whitlock, the musician who co-founded Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton , has died, according to his manager. He was 77.

Whitlock died Sunday morning of cancer, manager Carol Kaye confirmed to CBS News. He was surrounded by his family in Texas, Kaye said.

The singer-songwriter was a keyboard player and vocalist for Derek and the Domino, the rock band best known for its 1971 album, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs."

Bobby Whitlock sits on the piano bench in his home while smoking a cigarette. Getty Images

In a statement to CBS News, Whitlock's wife, Coco Carmel Whitlock, said, "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?"

"As he would always say: 'Life is what

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