Billy Preston dead at 59

[undergroundrailroad]

Billy Preston

Fifth Beatle' Billy Preston dead at 59
07 June 2006

LOS ANGELES: Keyboardist Billy Preston, a so-called "fifth Beatle" who also played with the Rolling Stones and enjoyed solo success in his own right, died in Arizona on Tuesday after a long illness.


Preston, 59, had been in a coma at Scottsdale Healthcare Shea in Scottsdale, Arizona, since last November after suffering kidney failure and related illnesses, the legacy of a long-time battle with drugs that landed him in prison in the late 1990s.

His sister, Lettie Preston, told Reuters his condition worsened over the weekend. An autopsy will be performed, and his funeral will take place in Los Angeles, she said.

A young keyboards prodigy, the Houston, Texas, native spent most of his life in the entertainment business. While still a teenager, he played with the likes of Mahalia Jackson, Little Richard and Ray Charles. With his large Afro hairstyle, ever-present gap-toothed smile and funky clothing style, he was a popular on-stage presence.

He entered the Beatles' orbit in 1969, as the band was on the verge of breaking up, and helped to soothe some of the tension. He performed on both sides of the Get Back/Don't Let Me Down single, which was credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston" – the first time the band had shared the spotlight with a sideman. He also accompanied them during their last concert that year, the famous rooftop gig in London.

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[MadMaddie]

1. We are loosing a lot of amazing people these days....

[kwassa]

2. Some surprising parts of his story

He actually met the Beatles in 1962 in the clubs of Hamburg, Germany, before they became famous. He became a friend of George Harrison. He played with the Stones and the Beatles when both bands were at their respective peaks.

Preston performed with a choir that I was in, in the early '90s. At the time, he really looked like a conservative middle-aged businessman! Not at all like the 'fro and fringes he was wearing in the late '60s.

Too bad he destroyed his health, like many of the musicians of that era.

[undergroundrailroad]

3. Wow Kwassa! How cool is that (the choir connection). I also met Billy

Preston in the 70's and that is EXACTLY how he comes across, businessman. I always admired him but was not a huge fan of his music. I mean if it was between a record and a sandwich, I would buy the sandwich, LOL! Yet he always had an aura that I loved.

Thanks for the history. Very interesting.

UGRR :hi: