Billy Preston

Billy Preston earned recognition chiefly through his extensive contributions as a supporting musician and partner across R&B, rock, soul, and gospel, even though he achieved a stretch of independent acclaim via 1970s soul successes such as "Will It Go Round in Circles," "Nothing from Nothing," and the Grammy-winning funk instrumental "Outa-Space." This Houston native, a self-taught child prodigy, gained early experience in the late '50s and early '60s by accompanying Little Richard, Sam Cooke, and later Ray Charles while still a teenager. Invited in 1969 to participate in the Beatles' Let It Be sessions and their well-known final rooftop concert, Preston then reached his strongest commercial and artistic period, issuing several well-received soul albums and serving as a sideman for the Rolling Stones and George Harrison along with numerous additional artists. Addiction problems restricted his output during the '80s and early '90s, yet he sustained demand as a session musician, appearing with Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, and Red Hot Chili Peppers from the early to mid-2000s.

Born William Everett Preston in Houston, Texas, on September 2, 1946, he later relocated with his mother to Los Angeles, where much of his youth unfolded. His command of piano and organ emerged early and strongly; by age 11 he had already supported gospel diva Mahalia Jackson and performed vocally on television alongside Nat King Cole. Cast in 1958 in St. Louis Blues, the Hollywood biopic of W.C. Handy, he portrayed the composer as a youngster. Further training came through a teenage period in Little Richard's band, during which a European tour stop in Hamburg, Germany, led to his first meeting with the Beatles. While still attending high school in 1963, Sam Cooke signed him to release his debut album, 16 Yr. Old Soul. Throughout the mid-'60s Preston appeared regularly on the television program Shindig! and issued modestly successful recordings for Vee-Jay, Exodus, and Capitol Records, though accumulating session credits primarily elevated his standing in the business.

During January 1969, while in London with Ray Charles, Preston received an invitation from George Harrison to stop by the Beatles' newly constructed Apple Records rehearsal facility. The group was then immersed in the Let It Be sessions, and his fluid electric piano and organ contributions supplied essential cohesion for tracks such as "Don't Let Me Down" and "Get Back." The band valued both his unforced musical skill and relaxed demeanor, but the chance timing of his arrival secured his place in history. His input on the album proved substantial enough to make him only the second artist awarded joint credit on a Beatles single, for "Get Back," and he was captured on film performing with the ensemble during their last rooftop show. Apple then signed him as a solo act, resulting in the August release of his Harrison-produced fourth album, That's the Way God Planned It, which produced a U.K. hit via its title track. He rejoined the Beatles once more for Abbey Road and, even after their 1970 breakup, stayed closely connected, particularly with Harrison, whose solo projects often included the keyboardist.

Preston reached a high point in the early '70s after one further Apple release, signing with A&M to issue 1971's I Wrote a Simple Song. Its clavinet-driven psych-funk instrumental "Outa-Space" became a major hit and earned a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. The follow-up, 1972's Music Is My Life, gained from another successful single, "Will It Go Round in Circles," while 1973's Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music yielded the R&B chart-topper "Space Race." At the same time he established working ties not only with former Beatles Harrison and Ringo Starr but also with the Rolling Stones, whose albums Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, Goat's Head Soup, and It's Only Rock 'n Roll featured his playing prominently throughout the decade. Songwriting rewards arrived as well when Joe Cocker scored a 1975 hit with his ballad "You Are So Beautiful." Concluding his A&M period with 1977's A Whole New Thing, Preston then appeared with Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees in the widely criticized Beatles-themed film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Although his profile as a solo performer had begun to fade, Motown signed him and he scored an unexpected success with the Syreeta Wright duet "With You I'm Born Again" from his 1979 album Late at Night. After contributing to Syreeta's 1980 project, the pair collaborated on a 1981 duet collection titled Billy Preston & Syreeta, which became his final charting solo album.

By the early '80s Preston's recording career had declined, and persistent drug and alcohol issues eliminated what remained of his momentum. Solo releases grew infrequent as he concentrated on session work with R&B figures such as Luther Vandross, Patti Labelle, and Whitney Houston. His Beatles association resurfaced when he joined the first lineup of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in 1989. Continued difficulties marked the '90s as extended substance abuse and related legal problems took their toll. He recorded a gospel album and briefly collaborated with the Italian group Novocento on 1997's You & I.

Near the turn of the millennium his opportunities improved. Preston appeared in the Blues Brothers 2000 film, joined Eric Clapton's band, and, after George Harrison's death in late 2001, honored his friend at the 2002 Concert for George. Requests for his session contributions increased, leading to appearances on albums by Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash, and Neil Diamond. A series of serious health concerns impeded this resurgence. Ongoing kidney disease and a subsequent transplant did not reverse his condition. Nevertheless he kept accepting work, including a guest spot on American Idol and recordings with Ray Charles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a joint album by Clapton and J.J. Cale. Complications from pericarditis placed Preston in a coma in late 2005; he died on June 6, 2006, in Scottsdale, Arizona.