Billy Preston - R.I.P.
 

Another man done gone -
We lost another one today - after a long battle with kidney failure, Billy Preston died today -
A child prodigy, he scored a number of hit singles in the early seventies and was last heard backing Eric Clapton on his 2004 CD "Me and Mr. Johnson".

If you are an old-timer, and still have a turntable, dig out your 45 rpm copy of "Outa-Space" and give it a spin and bid a fond farewell for the man with the giant Afro and gap tooth grin.

R I P

He was a pretty darn cool keyboard player. :(

Thanks for letting us know. I just read Link Wray also passed away not long ago.

Oh man :distress: sad news indeed.

Oh man, really? My husband will be very sad to hear this news :distress:.

Man, that is sad :(

He's mainly known over here for being the 'extra Beatle' on "Get Back" etc.

It IS sad.

How many people can say that they've played with...

The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
Eric Clapton
Bob Dylan
Ray Charles
Little Richard
Sly & The Family Stone
Aretha Franklin
Mahalia Jackson
The Jackson 5
Quincy Jones
Barbra Streisand
Sammy Davis, Jr.

...that's one damned fine resume'.

"Outta Space"?!? Sure, but that's the LEAST known of his hits..."Nothin' From Nothin'" & "Will It Go Round In Circles", I think, were more popular. :)

Rock on, Billy, we'll miss you.

Long live the music!

Never knew...
 

that he was the first musical guest ever on Saturday Night Live.

RIP Billy

"Nothing from Nothing"!!!

Indeed that is very impressive.

This makes me very sad...I need to go light a candle for him...

RIP, Mr. Preston.

I saw him on July 12, 2004 with Eric Clapton. I knew that Preston was in the band, so seeing the two "fifth Beatles" was amazing. Preston blew me away. To say he was amazing would be an understatement.

I was very upset with the news that he had passed. I couldn't help but play "Get Back" several times yesterday. He is a talent that will be missed.

RIP Billy
 

It just makes me wonder why Eric didn't let Billy do a couple of numbers during the 2004 shows (unless Billy wasn't up to it). Billy did "Will It Go Round In Circles" & "Nothing From Nothing" during the 2001 Clapton tour set.

During both the 1974 George Harrison and the 1975 Rolling Stones tours, he did a four song set of "WiGRiC", "Nothing From Nothing", "Outta-Space" & "That's The Way God Planned It". Just kicked the shows up a notch.