Transitions — Billy Preston
 

Singer and song-writer Billy Preston died today in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 59 years old.

Mr. Preston was one of the few musicians to play with both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He played keyboards with The Beatles on Let it Be, The White Album and Abbey Road, and Rolling Stones records including Exile on Main Street.

He wrote You Are So Beautiful, a major hit for Joe Cocker, and can be heard on the latest albums by Neil Diamond and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Tough times for keyboardists...

He also had big hits with "Nothin' From Nothin' Leaves Nothin" and "Will It Go Round In Circles". He was a great musician and will truly be missed.

And that man had the best damn 'fro I ever saw. :D

Rip

A very sad loss. Billy Preston was promenent on Geroge Harrison's A Concert for Bangladesh. He will be greatly missed.

While many other musicians such as Eric Clapton & members of the Stones sat in with the Beatles, BP was the only one that ever got his name mentioned on the record...yesterday, after reporting the news of his passing, the local AAA station played his rousing gospel-rocker "That's the Way (God Planned It)" from the Bangadesh show...I remember seeing him tear the roof off the bldg in the film, & they also played an interview clip from last year (before he lapsed into his final coma, obviously) in which he talked about how blessed he felt because his times with the Beatles & George Harrison were so well documented...

Usually when some pop music has been parts the scene it leaves me feeling, well, older ... but it doesn't create a sense of true loss. This one did and does. It would take an awful lot to fill those empty sounds that no longer have his music in them.

JW