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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZPRESTON, Billy(b 2 September 1946, Houston TX; d 6 June 2006, Scottsdale AZ of malignant hypertension) Singer, keyboardist. Raised in L.A.; played organ for gospel queen Mahalia Jackson before playing W. C. Handy as a boy in St Louis Blues '58 (Nat Cole played him as a grownup). Touring Europe with Little Richard and Sam Cooke (recorded for Cooke's SAR label, among others), he first met the Beatles; spotted as a backing musician on UK TV's Shindig by Ray Charles entourage, he toured USA/Europe with Charles as his catchy organ instrumentals ('Billy's Bag', etc) attracted attention. George Harrison bought out his recording contract and produced LPs That's The Way God Planned It '69 (title track no. 11 UK hit) and Encouraging Words '70 on Apple. Preston played as a sideman on Beatles' 'Get Back' and 'Let It Be'. He bailed out of Apple and had hits on A&M '72-8 including US top 40s '72-4 'Outa-Space' (no. 2), 'Will It Go Round In Circles' (no. 1), 'Space Race' (no. 4), 'Nothing From Nothing' (no. 1) and 'Struttin'' (no. 22), the first, third and fifth instrumentals. |