Billy Preston

Billy Preston (1946–2006) was an American keyboardist and singer whose playing shaped soul, funk, gospel, and rock for four decades. Raised in Los Angeles as a child gospel prodigy, he became one of the most in-demand session musicians of the 1960s, backing Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, and gospel figures like Rev. James Cleveland before joining The Beatles for the «Get Back» sessions and «Let It Be» album — the only musician credited alongside the band on a single, «Get Back».

As a solo artist he blended funky keyboard grooves with soulful gospel-rooted vocals, scoring hits like «Will It Go Round in Circles» and «Nothing from Nothing», both chart-toppers built on his instantly recognizable clavinet and organ playing. His songwriting also reached beyond his own catalog: he co-wrote «You Are So Beautiful», later made famous by Joe Cocker.

Preston's career included long stints touring with the Rolling Stones and continued session work into the 1990s, cementing his reputation as one of the era's great collaborators — an artist whose fingerprints appear across rock, R&B, and gospel history even when his own name wasn't on the marquee.