One of the greatest sidemen ever has passed away. Rest in peace. http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/06/obit.preston.ap/index.html Singer Billy Preston dead at 59 Manager: Preston had chronic kidney failure Tuesday, June 6, 2006; Posted: 1:45 p.m. EDT (17:45 GMT) PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Billy Preston, the exuberant keyboardist who landed dream gigs with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and enjoyed his own series of hit singles, including "Outta Space" and "Nothing From Nothing," died Tuesday at 59. Preston's longtime manager, Joyce Moore, said Preston had been in a coma since November in a care facility and was taken to a hospital in Scottsdale Saturday after his condition deteriorated. "He had a very, very beautiful last few hours and a really beautiful passing," Moore said by telephone from Germany. "He went home good." Preston, who had battled chronic kidney failure, had undergone a kidney transplant in 2002, but the kidney failed and he has been on dialysis treatments ever since, Moore said earlier this year. Known for his big smile and towering afro, Preston was a teen prodigy on the piano and organ, and lent his gospel-tinged touch to classics such as the Beatles' "Get Back" and the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" He broke out as a solo artist in the 1970s, winning a best instrumental Grammy in 1973 for "Outta Space," and scoring other hits with "Will It Go 'Round In Circles," "Nothing From Nothing" and "With You I'm Born Again," a duet with Syreeta Wright.
The fifth Beatle... Some contributions... # (1970) Let It Be -- including "Get Back" (the Beatles) # (1970) All Things Must Pass (George Harrison) # (1970) John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, piano on "God" (John Lennon) # (1971) Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones) # (1971) The Concert for Bangla Desh (George Harrison And Friends) # (1971) There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly & the Family Stone) # (1972) Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones) # (1973) Ringo, organ on "I'm The Greatest" # (1973) Goats Head Soup (Rolling Stones) # (1974) Goodnight Vienna, clavinet on the title track, electric piano on "Only You (And You Alone)" # (1974) It's Only Rock'n Roll (Rolling Stones) # (1975) Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan) # (1975) "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker's biggest hit) # (1976) Black and Blue (Rolling Stones) RIP Billy... your music lives on...
Just read through his part in the Beatle Anthology book yesterday, a week after sifting through three discs worth of Let It Be outtakes I downloaded. Fab, fab player. Ray Charles once said, "after I heard Billy, I quit playing the organ."
In all seriousness, this sucks. If you can find the video out on ye olde internet, check out the Beatles rooftop performance of get back with Billy. Great video.
From where? Sounds awesome. By the way, Billy Preston's piano solo on "Don't Let Me Down," underneath john lennon's "wee-heee" is just one of those pieces of musicianship that sounds totally honest and sad and wonderful. i love that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VizaIB-Wwx0&search=billy preston Billy singing "That's The Way" at the Concert for Bangladesh
Read this on John Mayer's blog a couple of days ago... In Memory of Billy Preston One of the great musicians of all time, Billy Preston, passed away today. You should look him up and get a sense of just how much the man contributed to the music world. One of my favorite songs ever is a tune he wrote called "That's The Way God Planned It", and I think it means more today than ever. Try and grab George Harrison's Concert for Bangledesh CD/DVD, even if you skip all the amazing music and listen only to Billy's divine rendition. I wanted to share a memory I had of Billy Preston with you. I had the honor of playing with Billy Preston on an Eric Clapton/JJ Cale recording session last Summer. I was seated behind him while he pumped away on his B3 organ, and it was such a blast to be able to hear his playing that close up. It's those moments when I wonder what I did in my life and career to deserve playing my guitar in a situation so thrilling. He was playing his ass off all day. At one point during one of the tunes, I hear this unbelievable organ playing - real headturning stuff. I look up from my guitar to see that Billy Preston is playing the keys with only his right hand, moving it back and forth from the organ to an orange he was peeling. That, folks, is what you call a natural musician. You will be missed, sir.
