R.I.P. Billy Preston
The great keyboardist, singer and songwriter Billy Preston has died at age 59. He suffered from kidney failure and had received a transplant that didn't take. He was on dialysis for a long time. Roger Friedman has more on Billy Preston's website.
Among his credits (received from TL commenter Rocker):
1970) Let It Be -- including "Get Back"
(1970) All Things Must Pass (George Harrison)
(1971) Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones)
(1971) The Concert for Bangla Desh (George Harrison And Friends)
(1971) There's a Riot Goin' On (Sly & the Family Stone)
(1972) Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones)
(1973) Goats Head Soup (Rolling Stones)
(1974) It's Only Rock'n Roll (Rolling Stones)
(1975) Blood on the Tracks (Bob Dylan)
(1975) "You Are So Beautiful" (Joe Cocker's biggest hit)
(1976) Black and Blue (Rolling Stones)
From the People article:
Known for his big smile, the Houston-born Preston was a teen prodigy on the piano and organ. After lending his gospel-tinged touch to the music of the Beatles and the Stones, Preston broke out as a solo artist in the '70s, winning a best instrumental Grammy in 1973 for "Outta Space," and scoring other hits with "Will It Go 'Round In Circles," "Nothing From Nothing" and "With You I'm Born Again," a duet with Syreeta Wright.
He also penned the Joe Cocker standard "You Are So Beautiful," and co-wrote with Quincy Jones the score for 1970 movie They Call Me Mr. Tibbs. He was the first musical guest on the 1975 debut of Saturday Night Live, and appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000 and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
From Jonathan Tully:
If the right song moved him, nothing kept Billy Preston away from playing. Last year, although he was sick in bed with a heart ailment, Mr. Preston guested on clavinet on the track Warlocks from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' recently released Stadium Arcadium. As Flea told Contact Music, "He got out of bed, played and got back in bed."
R.I.P. Mr. Preston, and thank you for the great, great music.
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