Famous musician with Nenagh link dies

A WORLD renowned rock’n’roll legend, who lived for a short period by the north Tipperary shores of Lough Derg in the late 1980s, has died.

Bobby Whitlock, who collaborated with some of the most famous musicians during his career, succumbed to cancer, aged 77, on Sunday, August 10.

Whitlock, who lived in Castlelough for a period almost four decades ago, enjoyed an illustrious career, making music with people like Eric Clapton, George Harrison and the Rolling Stones.

He was most famous for his collaboration with Clapton, writing and playing contributions to the 1970 hit album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs.

He became well-known during his time in the Nenagh area as a music luminary where he performed and attended social events.

TEMPORARY RETIREMENT

Whitlock was taking a break from big time music performance around the time he lived in the Nenagh area, but he still made many social appearances and could frequently be seen walking the streets of the town doing his shopping and talking to locals.

Being such a big personality, he was invited to perform the official re-opening of O’ Meara’s Hotel in Pearse Street after major refurbishment of the premises in January 1988.

Two months later he returned to the hotel to celebrate his 40th birthday with many guests from the music industry and several prominent invitees from the local community turning up.

The party was a highly anticipated event as famous singers and musicians such as Bono, Clapton and George Harrison were on the guest list.

This showbiz event generated a media frenzy the likes of which Nenagh had seldom seen.Many reporters and photographers turned up from the daily newspapers to cover the party.

Alas, the most famous stars on the guest list failed to appear – much to the disappointment of everyone present.

Among the most prominent who did travel included RTÉ personality Derek Davis, who presented Whitlock with a fishing rod to mark his significant birthday.

Musicians attending included Irish stars Ray Lynam, Honor Heffernan and the RTÉ presenter Dave Heffernan.

A crowd of up to 40 people who had gathered on the street outside the hotel, some clutching autograph books, had to be content with signings from the indigenous showbusiness personalities following the no-show from the superstars.

CHAMPAGNE GALORE!

In a piece written after the party, this reporter, who was at the Friday night event,  recalled:

“The fifty or so local friends of Bobby Whitlock who did turn up had a marvellous time drinking 46 bottles of champagne, fifteen bottles of wine and giving the hotel handsome bar takings.

“Caviar and other culinary delectables were consumed by the plateful. The party didn’t break up until 4.50am on Saturday morning.”

‘HITTING THE ROAD AGAIN’

Just over three months later, a report written by the now well-known Portroe born Irish American business executive, Declan Kelly, who was then a reporter in with this newspaper, was published.

In his piece following an interview with Whitlock, Kelly reported that the musician, after a break from the world of rock’n’roll, was now hitting the road again.

In the interview, Whitlock outlined how he had plans to perform in Kennedy’s pub in  Puckane later that month, before going out on the road with a ten-piece rock band at the beginning of September 1988.

Whitlock also revealed plans to perform during that summer and autumn of that year at other Irish venues and said he had an album coming out and two new singles, including one called “It’s Only Midnight”.

“I’ve been sitting around here so long I’ve got the bug to play again, and I still write songs all the time,” Whitlock was quoted as saying.

Among his appearance during his time living in this locality was on “The Session”, a  music programme on RTÉ during that summer 37 years ago.

RETURN TO US

Whitlock did not remain living in the lakeside area for more than a couple of years, returning to the US and continuing in his hiatus from his music career throughout much of the 1990s, before making a comeback in 1999.

Whitlock was born in Memphis, Tennessee.

His father was a Baptist preacher and he first played piano as a boy in his father’s church before rising to fame.

He later formed Derek and the Dominos with Eric Clapton, asserting that they were the best band on Earth.