Billy Preston
Sign in to saveAmerican R&B musician (1946–2006)
Person
- Born
- 1946-09-02
- Died
- 2006-06-06
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
Acting · Houston, Texas, USA
William Everett Preston was an American musician, whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he backed artists such as Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Everly Brothers, Reverend James Cleveland, The Rolling Stones, and the Beatles.
Known for
- Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It — Self2026
- Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music — Self (archive footage)2025
- Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan — Self (archive footage)2023
- The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert — Self (archive footage)2022
- The Beatles: Get Back — Self2021
- In Hollywood's Backyard: Topanga in the 1970s — Self2017
- Kings of Soul — Self (archive footage)2015
- Delaney & Bonnie & Friends: Live In Denmark 1969 — Self2014
- Rappin' With The Rickster — Self2010
- Motown at the BBC — Self2009
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 393,277
- Total plays
- 2,778,373
Tags
soulfunk70srockrhythm and blues
Billy Preston (2 September 1946 - 6 June 2006) was an American soul and rock singer, famously known as a child prodigy pianist before releasing several rnb hits (including #1 smashes "Will It Go 'Round in Circles" and "Nothing From Nothing") and working with classic artists such as Aretha Franklin and The Beatles. He notably performed with Mahalia Jackson at the age of 16 and appeared as a young W.C. Handy in a 1958 biopic. His first solo record was a gospel album called '16 Year Old Soul'. <a h
Recent publications · Crossref
5 total works indexed
- NIA‐AA Research Framework: Toward a biological definition of Alzheimer's disease
· 2018 · cited 9,250x
- The Stakeholder Theory of the Corporation: Concepts, Evidence, and Implications
· 1995 · cited 8,012x
- Macromolecular structure determination using X-rays, neutrons and electrons: recent developments in
<i>Phenix</i>
· 2019 · cited 7,210x
- The GTEx Consortium atlas of genetic regulatory effects across human tissues
· 2020 · cited 5,018x
- A human homologue of the Drosophila Toll protein signals activation of adaptive immunity
· 1997 · cited 4,078x
via Crossref · CC0
Key facts
- Born
- William Everett Preston , ( 1946-09-02 ) September 2, 1946 , Houston , Texas, U.S.
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Died
- June 6, 2006 (2006-06-06) (aged 59), Scottsdale , Arizona, U.S.
- Genres
- R&B soul funk rock gospel
- Occupations
- Musician singer songwriter
- Instruments
- Vocals keyboards
- Years active
- 1956–2005
- Labels
- Derby , Vee-Jay , Capitol , Apple , Buddah , A&M , Motown , Myrrh , King James , PepperCo, MCG
- Formerly of
- Plastic Ono Band Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band
- Website
- billypreston .net
via Wikipedia infobox
Key dates
- Born
- 2 September 1946
- Died
- 6 June 2006
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Houston
- Place of death
- Scottsdale
- Occupation
- musician
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Native language
- English language
- Participant in
- The Concert for Bangladesh
Article
William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, the Everly Brothers, Reverend James Cleveland, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. He gained attention as a solo artist with hit singles "That's the Way God Planned It", the Grammy-winning "Outa-Space", "Will It Go Round in Circles", "Space Race", "Nothing from Nothing", and "With You I'm Born Again". Additionally, Preston co-wrote "You Are So Beautiful", which became a hit for Joe Cocker.
Preston is one of very few musicians to be given a credit on a Beatles recording, which was done at the band's request; the group's 1969 single "Get Back" was credited as "The Beatles with Billy Preston". He is one of several people referred to as a fifth Beatle. Preston continued to record and perform with George Harrison after the Beatles' breakup, along with other artists such as Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones on many of the group's albums and tours during the 1970s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.
Gallery (2)
Connections
Categories
1946 births2006 deaths20th-century African-American male actors20th-century African-American male singers20th-century American keyboardists20th-century American LGBTQ people20th-century American male actors20th-century American male singers20th-century American singers21st-century African-American male actors21st-century African-American male singers