http://www.foxnews.com/story/0 ,2933,198353,00.html

'Fifth Beatle' Billy Preston Dies at 59

The great singer-songwriter and performer Billy Preston, the real "Fifth Beatle," has died after a long illness as a result of malignant hypertension that resulted in kidney failure and other complications.

As a result of a medical insult, he'd been in a deep coma since last November 21, but was still struggling to recover. He died at Shea Scottsdale Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he'd lived for the last couple of years.

Billy was called the Fifth Beatle because he played keyboards on "Let It Be," "The White Album" and "Abbey Road." He also played on the Rolling Stones' hit song "Miss You," and often played with Eric Clapton. He also did the organ work on Sly & the Family Stone's greatest hits.

Preston's own hits include "Nothing From Nothing," "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "You Are So Beautiful," which Joe Cocker turned into an international hit.

Preston was actually mentored by Ray Charles, and acts like Little Richard (see below), Mahalia Jackson and James Cleveland had a huge impact on him at a young age.

In the early '60s, Billy went to Europe with Little Richard who was playing in Hamburg. The Beatles were the opening act, and as the story goes, he was the one who made sure they got fed.

His friendship with them lasted through the 1960s and he was the first act signed to Apple Records, thanks to George Harrison. The resulting album is called "That's the Way God Planned It."

In 1971, Preston played in "The Concert for Bangladesh." Last year, in one of his final appearances, he performed at a reunion in Los Angeles for the release of the Bangladesh DVD with Clapton and Harrison's son Dhani on guitar.

More recently, Billy can be heard on the latest albums by Neil Diamond and Red Hot Chili Peppers. He's also featured on the Starbucks soul album "Believe to My Soul," featuring Mavis Staples and Ann Peebles.

I had the good fortune to know Billy the last few years, and saw him perform — as chronicled in this column — last August at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut and last October at the Atlantis in the Bahamas.

He was one of those spectacular performers who put everything into his show, even though he had no working kidneys by then and was receiving dialysis. He was a warm, wonderful human being with a mile-wide smile. He was also a genius musician, the likes of whom we will not see again.

Very sad news indeed. I'm glad his long struggle is over, but his music lives on...

In memory of Billy


http://www.youtube.com/wa...izaIB-Wwx0

RIP Billy!

Damn it.

r.i.p.

Romera said:

yeah i knew Billy was sick for a while, but i didnt know he resided here in AZ either..

Wow.....Billy was good.
He will be missed.

His beautiful version of My Sweet Lord (at the 2002 Concert For George) is one of my favourite tracks.

Just a great musician, full stop.

Graycap23 said:

did you ever hear "Thats the way god planned it" from the concert for Bangladesh?

Finess said:

I didn't know he was sick. I guess I have to check out soulwalking to get the 411 from toby.

Romera said:

yeah Billy had Kidney Failure for a while.

Finess said:

Never heard it.

Graycap23 said:

click that youtube link... i put up there as a matter of fact one mo time for Billy

http://www.youtube.com/wa...izaIB-Wwx0

Finess said:

Cool. Thanks.

awwwww
that makes me sad, I didn't know he was so sick


RIP Billy

I saw him live just a few years ago with the Funk brothers
He kicked ass behind that B3 organ & sang like a god!
I think my favourite song of his is Little girl,that
Donny Hathaway later did.
/peace Manki

manki said:

man Billy was one of those cats that you dont see everyday you know? if you never felt the power of music you did through billy simply because he put the power of God behind it.

Omadon said:

Yes, a great version of My Sweet Lord.

Hope he can still singing it somewhere

bublebath said:

right now Billy's Playin a B3 made of Gold in God's House

r.i.p.

Listening to his version of My Sweet Lord now. I'll have to pull up Outa Space too - classic stuff that I only discovered because Prince covered it.

This really saddening to read.

I had no idea he had been ill for so long. At least he's in a better place now...

I remember seeing a footage of a VERY young Billy Preston playing the organ in the W.C.Handy bio-pic St.Louis Bluse, he was BAD even then.

Have mercy on his soul

talk'n 'bout some skillz on tha' boards. R.I.P

I knew he'd been ill for a while.
A friend of mine has been his road guitarist and we were hoping he'd come out of this OK.

Looks like time ran out...

However when you're talented enough to play with Mahalia Jackson as a child, you've truly been blessed.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 6/6/06 13:06pm]

I didn't know he was sick! Damn BET, get rid of the video ho's and start showing some damn news!




RIP Billy