Billy Preston, an appreciation

Billy Preston passed away yesterday, June 6, 2006, at the age of 59.

The first person I mentioned this to looked at me and saud "I have no idea who you are talking about"...which did not diminish me, or Billy, but did lower my respect for them.

Billy was a person favourite of mine ever since his performance of "That's the Way (God Planned It)" for the Concert for Bangladesh. He was a gifted, exuberant and successful singer, songwriter and keyboardist, who raised the level of the work of those he associated with, including Joe Cocker (who took Billy's song "You Are So Beautiful" to #1), the Beatles (for whom he became the only artist to ever receive label credit on one of their singles, for his tremendous keyboard work on "Get Back"), the Rolling Stones (his work on the album "Goats Head Soup" was notable, as well as on other albums) and countless others.

He also had a Grammy-winning solo career and I think that his instrumental piece "Outta Space" was probably about the most common music in the late-sixties and early seventies to which one learned "The Funky Chicken" dance moves.

He had his troubles, who doesn't, but there was a joy and a hope and a talent there.

He will be missed, and mourned and celebrated.