Billy Preston
The exuberant 'Fifth Beatle' whose swirling organ and gospel soul became a secret ingredient in some of rock's greatest records.
1946–2006 (age 60)·American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter·Birthday: September 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Billy Preston brought the spirit of the church into the heart of rock and roll. A child prodigy, he was playing organ for gospel great Mahalia Jackson by age ten and touring with Little Richard's band as a teenager. His true magic happened in the studio, where his inventive keyboard work—a fiery, rhythmic Hammond B-3 style—made him the most in-demand session player of the 1960s. He provided the unforgettable electric piano riff on the Beatles' 'Get Back,' a contribution so vital the band credited him on a single, a rare honor. Preston then stepped into the spotlight himself, crafting a string of funky, joyous hits like 'Outa-Space' and 'Nothing from Nothing' that dominated the 1970s charts. He moved seamlessly between worlds, from backing the Rolling Stones on tour to writing the timeless ballad 'You Are So Beautiful.' More than a sideman, Preston was a bridge, channeling pure gospel fervor into popular music with a grin that was as infectious as his playing.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Billy was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Billy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Billy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- The only musician to be credited on a Beatles single ('Get Back' in 1969) as a supporting artist.
- Won two Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Instrumental Performance for 'Outa-Space' in 1973.
- Co-wrote the classic ballad 'You Are So Beautiful,' later a massive hit for Joe Cocker.
- Performed with the Beatles during their famous rooftop concert in London in 1969.
- Had a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Nothing from Nothing' in 1974.
Did You Know?
He played the organ on the Beatles' songs 'Let It Be' and 'I Want You (She's So Heavy).'
Preston was a member of Sly and the Family Stone for a brief period in the early 1970s.
He performed at the Concert for George, the 2002 tribute to George Harrison.
Preston struggled with kidney disease and received a transplant in 2002.
“Nothing from nothing leaves nothing. You gotta have something if you wanna be with me.”
