In 1956, at the age of ten, Billy Preston portrayed the young W.C. Handy in ‘St. Louis Blues’. He toured with Little Richard and Ray Charles in the 1960s and, in the middle of that decade, released two instrumental albums, ‘The Most Exciting Organ Ever’ and ‘Wildest Organ In Town!’. Billy also provided the organ solo on The Beatles’ “Get Back”, and, for a time was signed to the group’s Apple label.
As a session artist he worked with such notables as Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Sly Stone, Barbra Streisand and The Rolling Stones. Working with such a diverse array of talent served to demonstrate his far-reaching love of music, which makes it difficult for one to categorise it.
By the middle of the 1970s, while recording under the A&M livery, Billy had reached the height of his fame. The singles “Will It Go Round In Circles”, “Outa-Space” and “Space Race” had already reached No.1 on either the pop or rhythm and blues charts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhap_K8X3yM
Billy Preston co-wrote and recorded “You Are So Beautiful”, in 1974, but it was another artist, Joe Cocker, who was also recording for A&M at the time, who had the hit. Billy left A&M in 1978.
By 1979 he was signed to Motown and it was there that he recorded in duet with Syreeta. Their most successful single was “With You I’m Born Again”; from the film, ‘Fast Break’.
The names of more tracks by Billy Preston can be located in the suggested playlists.