Billy Preston, A&M artist, and one of few musicians to have played with The Beatles, has passed away.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198353,00.html
Harry
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198353,00.html
Harry
R.I.P. Billy Preston
- Thread starter Harry
- Start date
Big shame. Very talented guy. Had no idea that he'd been sick...much less in a seven-month coma in a hospital here in Phoenix.
---Michael Hagerty
---Michael Hagerty
This is a tremendous loss of such a talented and enthusiastic musician. I was fortunate to attend two concerts featuring Preston. In 2000 he was part of the British Rock Orchestra with Darlene Love.
In the summer of 2003 Preston performed at Chattanooga's River Fest, sharing the stage with Gary Wright, Ambrosia, Edgar Winter and Al Stewart.
There were a few stories about his hospitalization online, but I never saw this in the newspapers.
JB
In the summer of 2003 Preston performed at Chattanooga's River Fest, sharing the stage with Gary Wright, Ambrosia, Edgar Winter and Al Stewart.
There were a few stories about his hospitalization online, but I never saw this in the newspapers.
JB
seashorepiano
Active Member
For the record, it should be mentioned that he was also a master of the Hammond B3 (though I personally haven't heard him). He'll be missed.
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
seashorepiano said:
He's on the first cut of Ray Charles' GENIUS LOVES COMPANY, HERE WE GO AGAIN...fine B3 solo...he's also on Johnny Cash's THE MAN COMES AROUND, playing piano on PERSONAL JESUS.
His death is a great loss.
Dan
Dave
Well-Known Member
Very up setting news! 
I really have only heard him on "Let It Be" and "Get Back" as far as being a "fifth Beatle" goes; there were guest-shots by a lot of other session-musicians in the group, though not as notable as Billy...
I don't even know what songs Preston played on with The Rolling Stones, but he probably never knew he would be a guest sideman, playing with Martha Reeves and Barbra Streisand (via producer Richard Perry, who never produced any Billy Preston albums, himself) among other artists... I wish I had seen The British Rock Orchestra, featuring Darlene Love, which he was in...
A young W.C. Hammond was played by Mr. Preston, who also at a young age, played the organ in church and in his teens, he was discovered in an L.A. club in Watts, known as The Sands...
He will be truly missed!
Dave
inkshield:
I really have only heard him on "Let It Be" and "Get Back" as far as being a "fifth Beatle" goes; there were guest-shots by a lot of other session-musicians in the group, though not as notable as Billy...I don't even know what songs Preston played on with The Rolling Stones, but he probably never knew he would be a guest sideman, playing with Martha Reeves and Barbra Streisand (via producer Richard Perry, who never produced any Billy Preston albums, himself) among other artists... I wish I had seen The British Rock Orchestra, featuring Darlene Love, which he was in...
A young W.C. Hammond was played by Mr. Preston, who also at a young age, played the organ in church and in his teens, he was discovered in an L.A. club in Watts, known as The Sands...
He will be truly missed!
Dave
inkshield:Oh My God!! First Vince and now Billy...I first met Billy thru my A&M promo person John Powell in DC when I was a buyer at a One Stop called Potomac Music...Johnny brought Billy to see me while he was out promoting his single "Will it Go Round in Circles"..We started an almost 30 year friendship from that point forward staying in touch like far away friends do on holidays and special occasions...I knew he was sick and in a coma but I did not know it had progressed to this....I will never forget the stories he shared with me about the making of Let it Be and the friendship we had even though in recent years we did not stay in touch nearly enough.....He really shone on the stuff he did at the George Concert...It was like he was posessed by the spirit of George that night, well at least he is with George and John making the follow up to Let it Be...With some backing vocals by Ray Charles...One hell of a band
I had the privilege of working with him on a few occasions, thanks to Bill Maxwell, a wonderful drummer/producer who was a devoted friend to Billy. I wrote a song for a gospel artist named Helen Baylor, and on the recording, I played electric piano while Billy played B3. Just the fact of getting to be in the same room with him, let alone playing, blew me away, and then when the take started - he started the song with an unaccompanied organ solo, one take, and chills went up my spine. He was brilliant, intuitive and in many ways, a sadly underappreciated musician - he almost made it look TOO easy. A great singer and writer, and a genuinely nice and humble man. God bless him and his family.
B
B
I always thought he would have more hits than he did on A&M. A nice little run though -- Outa Space, Will It Go Round in Circles, Nothing from Nothing. Good stuff.
Dave
Well-Known Member
A few years ago, I remember him suffering from Kidney Failure and having to be hospitalized while on tour... I posted it here, too, and would'a expected his recovery to have been permanent...
At least he's now joined with the late-Syreeta Wright, with whom he had done my favorite number, "With You, I'm Born Again"... (Which I once did at Karioke and that Johnny Mathis did a cover version of...)
Dave
At least he's now joined with the late-Syreeta Wright, with whom he had done my favorite number, "With You, I'm Born Again"... (Which I once did at Karioke and that Johnny Mathis did a cover version of...)
Dave
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
One thing about Billy...when he'd release a new single, there was usually a Gospel tune on the flip side. Songs like THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT and JUST HOW LONG HAS THAT TRAIN BEEN GONE were favorites of mine from my DJ days in college.
Billy was also involved with Phil Driscoll's album MY FATHER'S EYES a few years ago...
Dan
Billy was also involved with Phil Driscoll's album MY FATHER'S EYES a few years ago...
Dan
well,they say it happens in threes
n the 27th of may ,one of my cartooning idols,alex toth passed away(at his drawing board! he was the co creator of space ghost),then billy preston has passed away(i've always loved nothing from nothing),then afterwards,the brilliant hilton ruiz,all of a sudden passed away.all i can say is god's comfort to their loved ones in this time of grief.
n the 27th of may ,one of my cartooning idols,alex toth passed away(at his drawing board! he was the co creator of space ghost),then billy preston has passed away(i've always loved nothing from nothing),then afterwards,the brilliant hilton ruiz,all of a sudden passed away.all i can say is god's comfort to their loved ones in this time of grief.
Ed Bishop
Member
Although his A&M material was his most successful(and latterday Motown sop like "With You I'm Born Again"), my fondest feelings for the man, aside from his work with the Beatles, will be his two fine Apple albums, and his early, Jimmy McGriff-ish Lp's for Vee-Jay and Capitol--which, though obscure, told others what he was into and about(a cool dude). You always got the sense he was a nice guy, modest but knowing of what talent he had.
R.I.P.
R.I.P.
Mike
Active Member
Billy Preston performed on Neil Diamond’s recently released album “12 Songs”.
While I found the album to be a little disappointing, I think Billy’s performance (playing the Hammond Organ) on the song “Man Of God”, to be spiritually uplifting.
Rest in peace, Billy, you'll be missed.
Regards,
Mike
While I found the album to be a little disappointing, I think Billy’s performance (playing the Hammond Organ) on the song “Man Of God”, to be spiritually uplifting.
Rest in peace, Billy, you'll be missed.
Regards,
Mike
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