Billy Preston – Soul Organist

Billy Preston - My Sweet Lord (Live)

In The Midnight Hour (1966 UK Capitol) – Billy Preston
BILLY’S BAG (1964 UK Sue)

Billy Preston’s signature tune, Billy’s Bag used to clear the dance floor when first played at Manchester Soul Clubs in the 1960s. However, with persistence it soon became a major had-to-play track that came to fill the dance floor. A HUGE ‘Wheel’ and later Blue Note fav instrumental. Billy Preston was a favourite of the Beatles – he played organ on Let It Be.

Billy started playing keyboards as early as ten and backing gospel singer Mahalia Jackson when he was 12. In 1958 he was featured in a film about  W. C. Handy, ‘St. Louis Blues’, as young Handy himself – he was a child prodigy on both organ and piano. He recorded during the early 1960s for Vee-Jay and toured with Little Richard.
Billy Preston – Brilliant Soul Organist, he featured on the Beatles’ Let It Be LP.

Billy Preston - credited on Get Back
Billy Preston – credited on Get Back

Billy Preston appeared on USA TV Shows including mid-’60s ABC-TV Shindig.
Billy backed The Beatles on their Let It Be album. He released an Apple album in the 1970’s – Outa-Space.

Although known mainly for his organ abilities, Billy could also sing and dance:

Billy Preston with Ray Charles – Agent 00 Soul


He also released an Apple single, Will It Go Round in Circles. He had quite a big hit with a duet together with Syreeta Born Again.

Born 2nd September 1946 – Houston Texas.

Died 6th June, 2006

Billy Preston – Wikipedia