Billy Preston – September 2, 1946

“Every keyboard player I know loves Billy Preston. You can spot his playing a mile off, whether it’s the Hammond organ, the Fender Rhodes, or the piano. He had such a spiritual touch to his technique; it made him completely unique.” – Rick Wakeman, Yes keyboardist

William Everett Preston was born in Houston to Robbie Lee Williams and George Andrew Preston. He was the 4th child and second son. Considered a child prodigy, he was a self-taught musician and never had a lesson. He was one of several people who were at times, considered to be the Fifth Beatle.

The 1950 census for Los Angeles shows Billy living at 1600 E. 41st Place with his parents, sisters Rodena and Gwendolyn, and brother Don. Also in the home was his aunt Vernetta Mitchell and great aunt Florence Smiley, a widow aged 78, and great uncle John Lott, a 66-year-old widower. Everyone in the home was born in Texas. George was the only one employed. He was a presser.

The rest of the neighborhood had workman occupations, such as laborer, domestic, and janitor. This was a neighborhood of people who had sought a better life in California. Of 30 people, 3 were California natives, the rest were from the American South, except for one from the Philippines.

Later Life

Billy played with many artists as he was starting out, including Mahalia Jackson, Nat King Cole, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Jimi Hendrix, and Ray Charles. He appeared on Shindig and as W.C. Handy in the film St. Louis Blues. He also released an album called “The Most Exciting Organ Ever.”

In 1969 he worked with the Beatles on the Get Back sessions. He is the only artist credited as a co-performer with the Beatles as the “Get Back” single is credited to “The Beatles with Billy Preston.” He played electric piano for the group’s final public appearance, the rooftop concert. John Lennon proposed having him join the band, an idea vetoed by Paul McCartney because he felt it was hard enough to get an agreement with 4 members, let alone five.

Post Beatles, Billy continued his solo career (“Will it Go Round in Circles,” “Outa-Space,” Nothing from Nothin”) while working with artists such as:

• Stephen Stills (Billy gave Stills permission to use his phrase “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with”
• The Rolling Stones
• Syreeta Wright
• Luther Vandross
• Patti LaBelle
• Whitney Houston
• Eric Clapton
• Joe Cocker
• The Band (as a member after the death of pianist Stan Szelest)
• The Funk Brothers
• Steve Winwood
• Sam Moore
• Norah Jones
• Neil Diamond
• J.J. Cale
• The Red Hot Chile Peppers (sick in bed, he heard a tape given to him by the band, jumped out of bed to record his part, and went back to bed)
• Dhani Harrison

Billy was a committed Christian and deeply attached to his mother. His best-known composition “You Are So Beautiful” was written for her. Billy was gay but didn’t come out until later in life, partially because he felt being gay conflicted with his deeply held religious beliefs.

Billy had kidney disease and received a kidney transplant in 2002. He had pericarditis which led to respiratory failure and was in a coma from November 21, 2005, until his death on June 6, 2006.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Preston

Other happenings on September 2, 1946

• An interim government for the Dominion of India was inaugurated to make the transition from British colonial rule to independence. Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, the Viceroy of India, presided on behalf of the United Kingdom. At 11:00 a.m. at the Viceroy’s House in Delhi, Wavell administered the oath of office to Jawaharlal Nehru as vice president, and to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Asaf Ali, Sarat Chandra Bose, and Syed Ali Zaheer. Other members of the Executive Council included Liaquat Ali Khan, the Finance Minister, who would become the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Sir John Mathai, Sardar Baldev Singh, Shri Jagjivan Ram, and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari.

Tomorrow – The FBI’s second most wanted (behind Bin Laden)

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Sources

• Wikipedia.org
• Ancestry.com
• Onthisday.com
• Picryl.com
• Youtube.com