Billy Preston only put four songs in the Top Ten while I was in high school, but they combined for 27 weeks and he had two Number One hits and another that reached #2, so he definitely deserves a mention.
Of his four Top Ten songs, two were instrumentals, “Outa-Space” and “Space Race.” The latter reached #4 and spent six weeks in the Top Ten. The former reached #2 and also spent six weeks in the Top Ten. Here is “Outa-Space,” from 1972. Whoever did the video was a genius…
His two vocal hits both hit #1, with “Nothing From Nothing” spending seven weeks in the Top Ten and “Will It Go Round In Circles” spending eight. From 1973, “Will It Go Round In Circles.” The video is from Burt Sugarman’s The Midnight Special, so I remember the first time it aired.
Billy was a remarkable keyboard player and singer. He played with The Beatles in the Let It Be sessions, and I think it was John Lennon who suggested, only half-jokingly, that Billy join as a full member. One wonders what difference he would have made if he had.
Here’s a video of an eleven-year-old Billy on Nat King Cole’s show in 1957. Yep, he had it then.
Billy died in 2006 at the age of 59 from complications of malignant hypertension that caused kidney failure.
Billy Preston, your Two for Tuesday, April 11, 2017.
I remember these songs. I heard them too often, but I never complained. One of my favorite songs featuring Billy on keyboards is Eric Clapton’s cover of “And They’re Red Hot” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRENNux7Q_Q&index=213&list=FLNHXESp0LosdxjU-7elOu3g – he looks like he’s having so much fun.
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That’s a hell of a band on that one: Doyle Bramhall II on slide, Chris Stainton on piano, Nathan East on bass, and I couldn’t see the drummer, but it might have been Jim Keltner, plus Eric and Billy… it don’t get much better than that…
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They all seem to be enjoying that session
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Somewhere I have a 45 hour of Outa Space. Billy Preston was truly gifted. I hadn’t realized he died so young.
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I remember when he died. Geez, he was younger than we are…
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That should be a 45. I HATE autocorrect!
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I always turn it off. I’d rather misspell a word than say something I didn’t mean. I went to Catholic grammar school, where the nuns were spell check…
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I didn’t know this man died so young and it was pretty cool to see him on the Nat King Cole show…he was very talented
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I love that he and Nat had such a good rapport. Nat didn’t treat him like some kid, but as a fellow musician.
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My favorite is his duet with Syreeta, With You I’m Born Again. Gives me chills
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For a minute, I thought you were talking about Neil Diamond, and I was scratching my head…
That was a beautiful duet, I remember.
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I was lucky enough to see Billy a couple times when he was touring with Eric Clapton
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He always seemed to be having such a good time, didn’t he? Wasn’t he the bandleader on someone’s talk show?
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OMG Billy Preston.. I thought I seen one like this, but it was Lil’ Richard… oh well, maybe I was mistaken. Great… job~!!!
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They both had a great time playing, but Billy wasn’t as over-the-top as Little Richard. Both were great musicians and entertainers.
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What a talent. Great memories, and I really liked him with NKC.
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Took me a minute to figure out who NKC was… It’s early…
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I remember Billy Preston. He was very talented and I loved his song Will it go Round in Circles. I didn’t realize he died that young. It seems many musicians die too young.
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A lot of them destroy themselves, unfortunately.
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Great talent, loved his performance of: Will It Go Round in Circles. Interesting that John Lennon joked about Billy Preston joining the band as a full member. Mr. Lennon knew talent when he heard it!
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He worked with all the Beatles at one time or another after they split up.
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