William Everett "Billy" Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American soul musician from Houston, Texas, raised mostly in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his successful, Grammy-winning career as a solo artist, Preston collaborated with some of the greatest names in the music industry, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Eric Burdon, Ray Charles, George Harrison, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, King Curtis, Sammy Davis Jr., Sly Stone, Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, Richie Sambora, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He played the Fender Rhodes electric piano and the Hammond organ on the Get Back sessions in 1969.
Preston is the only non-Beatle to receiving billing as an artist alongside the Beatles (as distinct from receiving credit as a session musician on album packaging) on an official Beatles record release. The label of the Get Back single credits the artists on the record as "The Beatles with Billy Preston".
Death of Billy Preston
Billy Preston had battled kidney disease in his later years, brought on by his hypertension. He received a kidney transplant in 2002, but his health continued to deteriorate. He died on June 6, 2006 in Scottsdale, Arizona, of complications of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications. He had voluntarily entered a drug rehabilitation clinic in Malibu, Calif., and suffered pericarditis there, leading to respiratory failure that left him in a coma since November 21, 2005.[5] His funeral was held on June 20 at the Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, California. Preston was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California.
Billy Preston – Nothing from nothing 1975
Billy Preston’s discography on next page
Billy Preston Discography
Albums
(1965) The Most Exciting Organ Ever
(1965) Early Hits of’65
(1966) The Wildest Organ in Town
(1967) Club Meeting
(1969) That’s The Way God Planned It
(1970) Encouraging Words
(1971) I Wrote a Simple Song
(1972) Music Is My Life
(1973) Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music
(1974) Live European Tour 1973 featuring Mick Taylor on guitar (CD release A&M, 2002)
(1974) The Kids and Me
(1975) It’s My Pleasure
(1976) Billy Preston
(1977) A Whole New Thing
(1979) Late At Night
(1981) The Way I Am
(1982) Pressin’ On
(1984) On the Air
(1986) You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down
(2001) You and I (featuring the Italian band "Novecento")
(2004) The Wildest Organ in Town (Re-released on Stateside Records)
Gospel albums
(1962) Sixteen Years Old Soul
(1965) Hymns Speak from the Organ
(1973) Gospel In My Soul (Re-edition of Hymns Speak from the organ)
(1978) Behold!
(1980) Universal Love
(1994) Ministry of Music
(1995) Minister of Music
(1996) Words and Music
(2001) Music From My Heart
Singles
1969: "That’s the Way God Planned It" – US Pop #62, UK #11
1971: "My Sweet Lord" – US Pop #90, US R&B #23
1972: "I Wrote a Simple Song" – US Pop #77
1972: "Outa-Space" – US Pop #2, US R&B #1, UK #44
1972: "That’s the Way God Planned It" (re-release) – US Pop #65
1972: "Slaughter" – US Pop #50, US R&B #17
1973: "Will It Go Round in Circles" – US Pop #1, US R&B #10
1973: "Space Race" – US Pop #4, US R&B #1
1974: "You’re So Unique" – US Pop #48, US R&B #11
1974: "Nothing from Nothing" – US Pop #1, US R&B #8
1974" "Struttin’" – US Pop #22, US R&B #11
1975: "Fancy Lady" – US Pop #71, US R&B #11
1977: "Wide Stride" – US R&B #33
1978: "Get Back" – US Pop #86
1979: "With You I’m Born Again" (with Syreeta Wright) – US Pop #4, UK #2
1980: "One More Time for Love" (with Syreeta Wright) – US Pop #52
1982: "I’m Never Gonna Say Goodbye" – US Pop #88
As a guest/session performer
(1963) Night Beat (Sam Cooke)
(1969) Get Back and Don’t Let Me Down (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)
(1971) Live at Fillmore West (King Curtis & Aretha Franklin)
(1971) Barbara Joan Streisand, Billy plays keyboards, drums
(1972) Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones)
(1972) Wind of Change, Billy plays piano, keyboards, harpsichord, accordion (Peter Frampton)
(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) "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker’s biggest hit)
(1975) "Blood on the Tracks" (Bob Dylan)
(1976) Thirty Three & 1/3 (George Harrison)
(1976) Black and Blue (Rolling Stones)
(1978) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (also acted the part "Sgt. Pepper" in the film)
(1981) Tattoo You (Rolling Stones)
(1986) "Great Gosh A’Mighty (Been A Long Time Comin’)" (co-written with Little Richard – from the hit motion picture ‘Down And Out in Beverly Hills’. Little Richard – vocal.)
(1990) Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band (Billy plays keyboards and vocals)
(1990) Giovani Jovanotti (Jovanotti) (Billy plays keyboards & Fender Rhodes)
(1991) …E La Vita Continua (Nino D’Angelo)
(1996) "Voyage of Dreams" – Jephté Guillaume and the Tet Kale Orkestra (Billy plays Organ, Strings on Al Di Yo, Go Tell Them, Kanpe, Get Up)
(1997) Bridges to Babylon (Rolling Stones)
(1998) Undiscovered Soul (Richie Sambora)
(2000) The Harsh Light of Day (Fastball) (Billy played keyboards on "You’re An Ocean")
(2001) Songs From The West Coast – Elton John ("Electric organ" on "I Want Love", "The Wasteland"; "Love Her Like Me")
(2001) Reptile (Eric Clapton)
(2001) One More Car, One More Rider (Eric Clapton, live) –DVD includes live performance of Will It Go Round in Circles
(2003) The Colored Section (Donnie) (Billy plays Hammond B3 on the last track: "The Colored Section")
(2003) Concert for George — including Isn’t It a Pity and My Sweet Lord
(2003) Get Born (Jet)
(2004) Me and Mr. Johnson (Eric Clapton) (also appears in the DVD companion Sessions for Robert J)
(2004) Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival (Eric Clapton)
(2004) Genius Loves Company (Ray Charles)
(2005) 12 Songs (Neil Diamond)
(2005) Back Home (Eric Clapton)
(2005) Choose Love (Ringo Starr)
(2005) The Concert for Bangladesh (George Harrison and Friends) (Re-mastered version & video)
(2006) Stadium Arcadium (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (on "Warlocks")
(2006) The Road to Escondido (J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton)