Billy Preston 1946 - 2006

Billy Preston has passed away at age 59. Born September 9, 1946 in Houston, Texas, he was one of those amazing musicians that toured and recorded with just about everybody and was loved by all who knew him, performed with or enjoyed his music.

He died in Scottsdale, Arizona after a long illness that lead to respiratory failure and left him in a coma for months.

He was also known as the fifth Beatle because of his keyboard work on the White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be. George Harrison had discovered Billy Preston when he was touring with Ray Charles, and introduced him to the Beatles.

Preston is the only artist to receive a label credit, which was on the Beatles single "Get Back." He was the first artist signed to Apple Records, where George Harrison produced Preston's first two solo albums for the label. "That's the Way God Planned It," his first LP in 1969 was produced by Harrison and featured Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Ginger Baker...later reissued in 1991 by EMI.

My favorite Preston performances are of him playing with the Beatles in their famous roof top concert above Apple Records, that appeared in the film "Let It Be." His work in "Get Back" alone probably qualified him as the fifth Beatle, according to producer Sir George Martin.

Billy Preston also appeared with Eric Clapton on tour, and George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh"; then later on in the "Concert For George," the tribute concert for George Harrison. That was the first time that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had performed together on stage since the breakup of The Beatles.

But Preston's work with Ray Charles was probably the most cherished by him. Brother Ray was considered his mentor, and Preston appeared in the Ray Charles tribute concert "Genius: A Night for Ray Charles." Preston also recorded with The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and toured Europe with Little Richard in 1962, where he met and became friends with the Beatles in Hamburg.

Hit Singles were "Outta Space," "Nothing From Nothing," "Will It Go 'Round In Circles," and "With You I'm Born Again," a duet with Syreeta Wright.

Preston was also the first musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October 1975. He co-wrote the song "You are So Beautiful" with Bruce Fisher, which was a hit for Joe Cocker.

Discography on his official website billypreston.net

Discography on amazon.com

Official website @ billypreston.net

Video Interviews @ billypreston.net

Video of Billy Preston with George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Leon Russell at the Concert for Bangladesh doing "That's the Way God Planned It" on youtube.com

New York Times article

List of video performances on imdb.com

About Classic Rock : Our friend Dave White's tribute to Billy Preston.

More Billy Preston Information


Related Tags: Music, Rock and Roll, Classic Rock, Billy Preston, The Beatles, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Ginger Baker, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Little Richard, Joe Cocker, Sam Cooke, Saturday Night Live, CybersMusic