The effect that session musicians have had on music throughout the years does not get the notice it should. Alot of these session guys do usually not get alot of praise by media, critics, etc . More than likely, their recognition is often vocalized by those more into the music.
Billy Preston is one example. His contribution to one of the greatest bands in music history cannot be understated. With that, meet Billy Preston;
Preston was born September 2, 1946, in Houston[4] but moved to Los Angeles as a child with his mother, Robbie Lee Williams. Noted as a child prodigy, Preston was entirely self-taught and never had a music lesson. By the age of ten, he was playing organ onstage backing several gospel singers such as Mahalia Jackson.[2] At 11, Preston appeared on an episode of Nat King Cole's NBC TV show singing the Fats Domino hit "Blueberry Hill" with Cole.[5] He also appeared in St. Louis Blues, the 1958 W. C. Handybiopic starring Nat King Cole; Preston played with Handy at a younger age.[2]
In 1962, Preston joined Little Richard's band as an organist, and it was while performing in Hamburg that he met the Beatles.[2] In 1963, he played the organ on Sam Cooke's Night Beat album and released his own debut album, 16 Yr. Old Soul, for Cooke's SAR label.[6] In 1965, he released the album The Most Exciting Organ Ever and performed on the rock and roll show Shindig! In May or June of 1965, he had a session with Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix , in New York City, yielding the Soul classic dirge "I Don't Know What You've Got". In 1967, he joined Ray Charles' band.[4] Following this exposure, several musicians began asking Preston to contribute to their sessions.[2]
Preston is among those sometimes known as the "Fifth Beatle". After befriending the group in 1962, Preston joined the Get Back sessions in January 1969. (At one point John Lennon proposed the idea of having Preston join the band; Paul McCartney countered it was difficult enough reaching agreements with four.)[7] Preston played organ and electric piano for the Beatles during several of the Get Back sessions; some of these sessions appeared in the film Let It Be and on its companion album. Footage of their collaboration also appeared in the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back directed by Peter Jackson. Preston also accompanied the band on electric piano for its rooftop concert, the group's final public appearance.[8] In April 1969, their single "Get Back" was credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston", the only time an artist was credited as a co-performer with The Beatles after the band started recording as independent artists.[a] The credit was bestowed by the Beatles to reflect the extent of Preston's presence on the track; his electric piano is prominent throughout and he plays an extended solo. Preston also worked, in a more limited role, on the 1969 Abbey Road album, contributing organ to the tracks "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Something".
In 1978, he appeared as Sgt. Pepper in Robert Stigwood's film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was based on the Beatles' album of the same name, and sang and danced to "Get Back" as the penultimate song.[10]
You can hear Billy's contribution in this song, much respect to Mr. Preston!
Billy Preston is one example. His contribution to one of the greatest bands in music history cannot be understated. With that, meet Billy Preston;
Preston was born September 2, 1946, in Houston[4] but moved to Los Angeles as a child with his mother, Robbie Lee Williams. Noted as a child prodigy, Preston was entirely self-taught and never had a music lesson. By the age of ten, he was playing organ onstage backing several gospel singers such as Mahalia Jackson.[2] At 11, Preston appeared on an episode of Nat King Cole's NBC TV show singing the Fats Domino hit "Blueberry Hill" with Cole.[5] He also appeared in St. Louis Blues, the 1958 W. C. Handybiopic starring Nat King Cole; Preston played with Handy at a younger age.[2]
In 1962, Preston joined Little Richard's band as an organist, and it was while performing in Hamburg that he met the Beatles.[2] In 1963, he played the organ on Sam Cooke's Night Beat album and released his own debut album, 16 Yr. Old Soul, for Cooke's SAR label.[6] In 1965, he released the album The Most Exciting Organ Ever and performed on the rock and roll show Shindig! In May or June of 1965, he had a session with Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix , in New York City, yielding the Soul classic dirge "I Don't Know What You've Got". In 1967, he joined Ray Charles' band.[4] Following this exposure, several musicians began asking Preston to contribute to their sessions.[2]
Preston is among those sometimes known as the "Fifth Beatle". After befriending the group in 1962, Preston joined the Get Back sessions in January 1969. (At one point John Lennon proposed the idea of having Preston join the band; Paul McCartney countered it was difficult enough reaching agreements with four.)[7] Preston played organ and electric piano for the Beatles during several of the Get Back sessions; some of these sessions appeared in the film Let It Be and on its companion album. Footage of their collaboration also appeared in the 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back directed by Peter Jackson. Preston also accompanied the band on electric piano for its rooftop concert, the group's final public appearance.[8] In April 1969, their single "Get Back" was credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston", the only time an artist was credited as a co-performer with The Beatles after the band started recording as independent artists.[a] The credit was bestowed by the Beatles to reflect the extent of Preston's presence on the track; his electric piano is prominent throughout and he plays an extended solo. Preston also worked, in a more limited role, on the 1969 Abbey Road album, contributing organ to the tracks "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "Something".
In 1978, he appeared as Sgt. Pepper in Robert Stigwood's film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which was based on the Beatles' album of the same name, and sang and danced to "Get Back" as the penultimate song.[10]
You can hear Billy's contribution in this song, much respect to Mr. Preston!
Last edited:
