Billy Preston has died

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Wollensack, Jun 6, 2006.

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  1. jahndhi

    jahndhi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Olympia, WA
    I hadn't heard he left us, but somehow, today I was thinking about his performance both visually and on the record for "That's The Way God Planned It" - he must be transmitting to all of those he touched. Beautiful.
     
  2. Greatest Hits

    Greatest Hits Just Another Compilation

    And let's not forget, he's probably the only guy who can play a weather vane and still come out with a reputation in tact.

    If you don't know by now, I'm talking about the Sgt. Pepper movie.
     
  3. DjBryan

    DjBryan New Member

    Location:
    USA
    Gonna have to break out the Let it Be Dvd, good to see
    him jamming on roof.
     
  4. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Billy is one of the best there ever was and will be missed.
     
  5. Indeed, very sad. May he rest in peace.
     
  6. Mike D'Aversa

    Mike D'Aversa Senior Member

    The Beatles were so happy to have him around, especially John and George (who really wanted to "shake up" the band at this point), they had a few brief conversations about actually asking Billy to be an official member of the band! They also backed him in recording a couple demos, professionally, at one of the Savile Row sessions...
     
  7. musicfan37

    musicfan37 Senior Member

    That is very sad news. He will definately be missed.
     
  8. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Great post and welcome to the forum! I just heard on the radio tonight that his final record date was playing clavinet on a track on the Chilis' new album Stadium Arcadium. Apparently he was ill at that time, but basically got up out of bed to do the session and then returned to bed after it was over. Great musician and his spirit will be missed. :cry:

    Another one from my growing up years is gone...makes me feel old and I'm younger than Billy.
     
  9. 31 HZ

    31 HZ Member

    Can't believe I read this entire thread ... and I feel like I just ran through the history of 20th Century Western Music. I had no idea Billy was so accomplished.

    R.I.P., Billy.
     
  10. hadenuff

    hadenuff New Member

    Location:
    Boise, Idaho, USA
    He will be deeply missed, no doubt. His sound was completely unique and the energy he brought to the Beatles at a time when they needed an upbeat mediator is well known history. As observed above, "That's The Way God Planned It, That's The Way God Wants It To Be." My prayers go out to his family.
     
  11. Flatlander

    Flatlander Forum Resident

    Location:
    Indy
    Bummer! He was one of my favorites. What a feeling he had.
    I had heard about him having kidney problems, but I had not heard that he was in a coma for 8 months. Rest his soul.
     
  12. mfp

    mfp Senior Member

    Location:
    Paris, France
    "I wrote a simple song"...
    Another true great is gone...
    RIP Billy...
     
  13. Drifter

    Drifter AAD survivor

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC, CA
    :agree: He was very important to the Beatles final music together. A great talent and a very warm personality, from what I've seen.

    Mr. Billy Preston will be greatly missed. :cry:
     
  14. quicksilverbudie

    quicksilverbudie quicksilverbudie

    Location:
    Ontario
    too young and talented to go this soon
     
  15. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    Howard Stern had a tribute to him today on the show. His favorite Billy tune is "That's the Way God Planned It", and he played the Apple LP version commenting on how great that tune was. Everyone else mentions "nothing from nothing" and "Circles", but how often do you hear the Apple "That's the Way...." on the radio?

    I'm going to play that CD today in the car! RIP Billy.
     
  16. Ed Bishop

    Ed Bishop Incredibly, I'm still here

    Charted twice, but never a big hit....his Apple material didn't really sell that well, though he did briefly chart with his cover of "My Sweet Lord," which was issued while George's original was still riding high.

    The only songs you hear on the radio anymore seem to be "Nothing" and "Circles," but he was better than that obvious stuff--indeed, more talented than wonky instros like "Outa-Space" and "Space Race" might indicate. His first two chart albums came while he was still in his teens: THE MOST EXCITING ORGAN EVER[ Vee-Jay VJLP-1123]and THE WILDEST ORGASN IN TOWN![Capitol T/ST-2532]and while singles from both did nothing, he must have gotten some notice for them. Over the years, he amassed the kind of session credits anyone would envy. He did pretty good. May he rest well.

    ED
     
  17. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    I've never heard it on radio, although back in the 70's I'm pretty sure I heard the Concert from Bangladesh live version on FM stations a few times. That was always the definitive version to me.
     
  18. popmat

    popmat Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, Canada
    I just picked up the Apple CD That's The Way God Planned It and the Ultimate Collection CD a little more than a month ago. I had no idea he was so ill. Very sad.
     
  19. TheLoneliestMonk

    TheLoneliestMonk Forum Resident

    What were the titles of those two albums?
     
  20. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England
    There's a nice obit in today's NY Times. I didn't know that Billy was the first musical guest on SNL in 1975, and played on Dylan's "Blood On The Tracks".
     
  21. JonUrban

    JonUrban SHF Member #497

    Location:
    Connecticut
    "That's the Way God Planned It" and "Encouraging Words"
     
  22. Ed Bishop

    Ed Bishop Incredibly, I'm still here

    When Billy's "Outa-Space" took off, Apple reissued "That's The Way God Planned It" and it got more airplay in '72 than it did upon release in '69(though it actually charted three notches higher, #62 in '69 to #65 in '72, according to Billboard). Edited version of the Lp cut, of course.

    :ed:
     
  23. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist

    Sadly, he will be missed, yet he left his wonderful songs for us to listen too!!

    This one's a real shocker to me as I thought he looked and sounded in great health on the Concert For George - DVD soundtrack.

    Rest well, Billy!
     
  24. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    That's news to me, too. Are you sure this isn't a mistake? Being from Minneapolis originally I have always known about the uncredited Minneapolis musicians on the re-recorded half of the final Blood on the Tracks version that was commercially released. Some of them were folks that worked at Sound 80 studios as session musicians and you could hear some of them on the mid-70s Leo Kottke albums (Bill Berg and BILL PETERSON) and even the Prairie Home companion show (Kevin Odegaard, Peter Ostroushko). What track or tracks was Billy Preston supposed to be on, or was his name just confused with the afore-mentioned Peterson? The New York sessions tracks were basically Eric Weissberg and Deliverance backing him up.
     
  25. Jerry

    Jerry Grateful Gort Staff

    Location:
    New England

    I'm just quoting the Times. They also mentioned he worked on Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street and Sly Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On.

    Here's an excerpt:

    His sessions credits included Aretha Franklin's ''Young, Gifted and Black,'' Bob Dylan's ''Blood on the Tracks'' and Sly and the Family Stone's ''There's a Riot Goin' On,'' three of the most acclaimed albums of the last 35 years.

    One web site has him listed as playing BASS on BOTT!
     
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