The album included a single of the same name that was produced by George Harrison. Those sessions became the That’s the Way God Planned It album. to Capitol Records, was allowed to sign a new agreement with The Beatles’ Apple Records label, and was produced by George Harrison who enlisted Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and others to play with Billy on the tracks. In 1969, Billy, who was actually signed in the U.S. Billy is listed on 11 Beatles recordings including “Something,” and is the only keyboard player credited on “Get Back.” As testimony to Billy’ s involvement and participation with the Fab Four, Billy joined the group as the only keyboard player on their famous break up last Concert on the Roof featuring Paul on bass, George and John on guitars and Ringo on drums. When the single was released, the label copy read “The Beatles with Billy Preston” on both the A and B sides of the single. On Let It Be he became the first musician to ever have full label credit. Billy appeared on three Beatles albums, The White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be. Billy, who’d known the Fab Four prior to their rise to fame, was thrilled to be invited to join them for the recording sessions. In 1967, while touring the UK as part of Ray Charles’ band, his friend George Harrison asked him to drop by Abbey Road Studios so he could play with The Beatles on the album they were making at the time, The White Album. Billy also became the organist on the groundbreaking rock and roll television show, Shindig! for their 1965-66 season, accompanying everyone from Jackie Wilson to The Who on his personal white B-3 organ. In 1965, he released his second album The Most Exciting Organ Ever. That same year he recorded and released his debut album, 16 Year Old Soul, on Cooke’s SAR Records label. In 1963 Billy played the organ on Sam Cooke’s seminal Live From The Night Beat album. While performing at The Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, he met, fed and befriended The Beatles, who were Little Richard’s opening act. In 1962, 15-year-old Billy Preston joined Little Richard’s band as the organist for Richard’s European Tour. The previous year, Preston had appeared on Cole’s national TV show singing the Fats Domino hit, “Blueberry Hill.” Louis Blues, starring Nat King Cole, Pearl Bailey, Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Ruby Dee, Mahalia Jackson and other legendary singers and actors. Handy in the biopic about the blues creator and legend, St. By the age of ten, he was playing the organ onstage for gospel greats Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland.īilly made his movie debut at the ripe age of 12, portraying the young W.C. Creative and Dreams Music Network and Fred Cannon are proud to honor the memory of legendary R&B, rock, soul, funk and gospel recording artist, hit songwriter and musical genius Billy Preston who graced us with his incredible talent for a half century before his passing June 6, 2006.īilly Preston rose to fame initially as a session musician who worked with Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and he later had a successful solo career with hits such as “Outa-Space,” “Space Race,” “Will It Go Round in Circles,” “Nothing from Nothing” and “I’m Born Again.” He also collaborated with Eric Clapton, each of the Beatles individually, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Sly and The Family Stone as well as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others.īorn William Everett Preston, Septemin Houston, Texas, his mother Robbie “Mutt” Preston relocated the family (consisting of Billy, his sister Gwen and her twin brother Don and their sister Rodena) to Los Angeles when he was three years old, after separating from his father George.Ī child prodigy, Preston began playing piano while sitting on his mother’s lap.
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