Guide Note

Known as the "Fifth Beatle," Billy Preston, was a R&B; musician and composer. He was a child prodigy who began playing piano at the age of three and began performing by the age of ten. Preston had released over thirty albums in which six were ranked in the Billboard top ten.

In his lifetime, he received two Grammy Awards, one for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance" for his single "Outa-Space" and another for "Album of the Year." The "Album of the Year" Grammy was presented to George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton and Klaus Voormann for The Concert For Bangla Desh album.

Fast Facts

1. Birth name: William Everett Preston
2. Born: September 2, 1946
3. Died: June 6, 2006
4. Origin: Houston, Texas
5. Genre(s): R&B;, Soul, Funk,
6. Years Active: 1950-2005
7. Won Grammy Award for "Best Pop Instrumental Performance"
8. Appeared as Sgt. Pepper in the film version of the Beatles album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
9. Was a musical guest on the first episode of Saturday Night Live
10. Preston was arrested and convicted for insurance fraud
11. Suffered with alcohol and cocaine addiction
12. Died due to Kidney failure

At the early age of ten he took his first steps into show business playing the organ with diva, Mahalia Jackson. Two years later he appeared in the film, St. Louis Blues as the young W.C. Handy. His first experience with rock came when he accompanied Little Richard on a European tour. At the age of sixteen he recorded his debut album, The 16 Years Old Soul.

Preston also obtained successes as soloist with songs such as "Will It Go Round in Circles", "Nothing From Nothing", "Space Race" or the immortal "Outta Space" which reached the number one on the lists of U.S. sales. In recent years, he was praised by critics for his interpretation of "My Sweet Lord" in a tribute concert to his dear friend George Harrison.

He met The Beatles while on tour with Little Richard in 1962 and later George Harrison, who knew Preston for some time, decided to invite him as keyboardist for to help record their album Let it be. Preston also participated in the album, Abbey Road.

On June 6, 2006 Preston died in Arizona due to complications of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure.

• 1962: Sixteen Years Old Soul
• 1965: The Most Exciting Organ Ever
• 1966: The Wildest Organ in Town
• 1969: That's the Way God Planned It
• 1971: I Wrote a Simple Song
• 1972: Music is My Life
• 1973: Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music
• 1974: The Kids and Me
• 2001: Music From My Heart