Billy Preston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billy Preston
|
|
|---|---|
Preston at the White House in 1974
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Everett Preston |
| Born | September 2, 1946 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 2006 (aged 59) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1956–2005 |
| Labels | Derby, Vee-Jay, Capitol, Apple, Buddah, A&M, Motown |
| Associated acts | Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, The Beatles, Sly and the Family Stone, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Syreeta, Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band, Eric Clapton, John Lennon |
William Everett Preston (born September 2, 1946 – died June 6, 2006) was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was amazing at playing keyboards, especially the organ and piano. His music mixed different styles like R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel.
In the 1960s, Billy Preston was a top keyboard player for many famous artists. He played with Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and even the Rolling Stones. He also became well-known as a solo artist with hit songs like "Outa-Space" (which won a Grammy Award), "Will It Go Round in Circles", and "Nothing from Nothing". He also helped write "You Are So Beautiful", a big hit for Joe Cocker.
Billy Preston is famous for being the only musician who wasn't a Beatle to get a special credit on a Beatles song. Their 1969 song "Get Back" was called "The Beatles with Billy Preston". After the Beatles broke up, he kept working with George Harrison and other stars like Eric Clapton. In 2021, Billy Preston was honored with the Musical Excellence Award and added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Contents
Life and Music Journey
Early Years
Billy Preston was born in Houston, Texas, on September 2, 1946. When he was a child, his family moved to Los Angeles. He was a true musical genius, teaching himself to play without any lessons. By the time he was ten, he was already playing the organ on stage with gospel singers like Mahalia Jackson. At age 11, he appeared on Nat King Cole's TV show, singing "Blueberry Hill". He also appeared in a movie called St. Louis Blues in 1958.
In 1962, Billy joined Little Richard's band as an organ player. While performing in Germany, he first met the Beatles. In 1963, he played organ on Sam Cooke's album Night Beat. He also released his very first album, 16 Yr. Old Soul, that same year. Later, he joined Ray Charles' band in 1967. Because of his amazing talent, many musicians started asking him to play on their songs.
Working with The Beatles
Billy Preston is sometimes called the "Fifth Beatle" because of his close work with the band. He became friends with them in 1962. In January 1969, he joined the Beatles for their Get Back recording sessions. He played the organ and electric piano for them.
Some of these recordings were used in the film Let It Be and its album. You can also see him playing with them in the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back. Billy played electric piano during the Beatles' famous rooftop concert, which was their last public show.
In April 1969, the Beatles released their song "Get Back". It was special because it was credited as "The Beatles with Billy Preston". This was the only time another artist was named as a co-performer with the Beatles on their records. They gave him this credit because his electric piano playing was so important to the song. Billy also played organ on two songs, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Something", for their 1969 album Abbey Road.
Solo Success After The Beatles
After working with the Beatles, Billy Preston signed with their record label, Apple. In 1969, he released the album That's the Way God Planned It. The title song from this album became a hit in Britain.
He continued to work with George Harrison after the Beatles broke up. Billy was the first artist to record Harrison's famous song "My Sweet Lord" on his 1970 album Encouraging Words. He also played on many of Harrison's solo albums and performed at the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh charity event. Billy also played at the 2002 Concert for George tribute concert. He also worked on solo songs for John Lennon and Ringo Starr.
In 1971, Billy left Apple Records and signed with A&M Records. His solo career really took off around this time. In 1972, his instrumental song "Outa-Space" became very popular. It reached number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was number 1 on the R&B chart. This song also won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. "Outa-Space" sold over a million copies!
Over the next two years, Billy had more number 1 hits in the US with "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from Nothing". His song "Space Race" also reached number 4. All three of these songs sold over a million copies each.
.jpg)
From 1970, Billy Preston played keyboards for the Rolling Stones. He played on many of their albums, including Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St.. He also toured with them from 1973 to 1977. In 1974, he helped write "You Are So Beautiful", which became a huge hit for Joe Cocker. On October 11, 1975, Billy Preston was the very first musical guest on the TV show Saturday Night Live. He continued to play on solo records by Rolling Stones members like Mick Jagger.
In 1979, he sang a duet with Syreeta Wright called "With You I'm Born Again". This song reached number 4 on the US charts. He also toured with Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr.
Later Work
In 1998, Billy Preston sang and played synthesizer in the movie Blues Brothers 2000. On November 29, 2001, his friend George Harrison passed away. Billy performed at the 2002 Concert for George tribute in London. His performance of "My Sweet Lord" was highly praised. He also sang "Isn't It a Pity" and played the Hammond organ for the show.
In 2002, Billy played piano on the Johnny Cash album American IV: The Man Comes Around. In 2004, he toured with the Funk Brothers and Steve Winwood. He also toured with Eric Clapton. In 2005, he appeared on the American Idol finale, playing "With You I'm Born Again" with Vonzell Solomon.
Billy Preston's last recorded music was on the Neil Diamond album 12 Songs (2005) and The Road to Escondido (2006) by Eric Clapton and J. J. Cale. In late 2005, he made his last public performance in Los Angeles. He played three George Harrison songs, with Dhani Harrison and Ringo Starr joining him for the last song.
Personal Life
Faith
Billy Preston grew up in the gospel tradition and was a committed Christian throughout his life. He often showed his faith in his music, like in his hit song "That's the Way God Planned It". He was very close to his mother, and he wrote the song "You Are So Beautiful" for her.
Passing Away
Billy Preston had kidney disease for many years, which was caused by high blood pressure. He had a kidney transplant in 2002, but his health continued to get worse. Billy Preston passed away on June 6, 2006, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
His funeral was held on June 21, 2006. Many musicians and friends attended, including Joe Cocker and Little Richard. Letters from Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton were also read. He was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
His Impact
Billy Preston left a big mark on music. Miles Davis even named a song "Billy Preston" in his honor in 1974.
Ringo Starr called Billy Preston one of the greatest Hammond organ players ever. He said, "Billy never put his hands in the wrong place. Never."
In 2021, a documentary about Billy Preston was announced, showing how important his music and life were.
Awards and Honors
Billy Preston was nominated for nine Grammy Awards and won two!
- He won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Outa-Space" in 1973.
- He also won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his part in the album The Concert For Bangla Desh in the same year.
In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Musical Excellence Award.
Music He Played On
Billy Preston played as a guest or session musician on many famous songs and albums. Here are some of the artists he worked with:
- Sam Cooke (1963)
- Little Richard (1965)
- Ray Charles (1967)
- The Beatles (on "Get Back", "Don't Let Me Down", Abbey Road, Let It Be)
- George Harrison (on All Things Must Pass, Dark Horse, Extra Texture (Read All About It), Thirty Three & 1/3, Gone Troppo, and the Concert for Bangladesh)
- John Lennon (on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)
- The Rolling Stones (on Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St., Goats Head Soup, It's Only Rock 'n Roll, Black and Blue, Love You Live, Tattoo You, Bridges to Babylon)
- Sly and the Family Stone (1971)
- King Curtis and Aretha Franklin (1971)
- Barbra Streisand (1971)
- Peter Frampton (1972)
- Ringo Starr (on Ringo, Goodnight Vienna, Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Choose Love)
- Joe Cocker (on "You Are So Beautiful")
- Eric Clapton (on No Reason to Cry, Reptile, One More Car, One More Rider, Me and Mr. Johnson, Crossroads Guitar Festival, Back Home, The Road to Escondido)
- Luther Vandross (1985)
- Whitney Houston (1980s)
- Patti LaBelle (1980s)
- Jovanotti (1990)
- Red Hot Chili Peppers (on "Show Me Your Soul" and "Warlocks" from Stadium Arcadium)
- Mick Jagger (on Wandering Spirit)
- Elton John (2001)
- Johnny Cash (on American IV: The Man Comes Around)
- Joni Mitchell (2002)
- Jet (2003)
- Ray Charles (on Genius Loves Company)
- Neil Diamond (2005)
- Sam Moore (2006)
See also
In Spanish: Billy Preston para niños
