And because, really, it took about 10 days at Twickenham and George was fed up. But you're right, it was a tipping point when Billy Preston appeared. There are some moments there, especially with George Harrison, where it seemed like the Beatles might not make it through the “Get Back” sessions. He comes in and says hello and they said, "Hey, how would you like to join us on this song?" And he "Absolutely." And the moment he starts playing, and it takes him no time at all to just drop in the rest of the Beatles' faces are visibly lit, just happy as can be, because it's the first time during these sessions where it suddenly is all coming together and sounds great. What's really important is the Beatles' reaction. What was your reaction when Billy appeared? I know you've seen all of this documentary. It was Billy Preston!" So they're all interested and he said, "I'd like him to drop by." And they're all like, "Great, let's have him."īilly Preston, George Harrison, Gerald Ford and Ravi Shankar in the Oval Office in 1974. He went back to the studio and told all the fellows, "You'll never believe who this crazy guy on organ was last night with Ray. Billy was quite young then, but by '69, in January, when he was with Ray Charles in London, George was excited to see him. Billy was playing with Little Richard then. And George recognized Billy because they had met in Hamburg in 1962. went back, talked with him a little bit and said, "Hey, why don't you come down to Twickenham Studios where we're working on this 'Get Back' project?" The story I've heard is that he was playing with no less than Ray Charles at a performance in London when George Harrison spotted him on stage. Also, James Cleveland, the reverend who produced Aretha's “Amazing Grace” album. That's right – Mahalia Jackson for one he accompanied her. He went on and was playing gospel for some pretty big names in the music business. I guess it helped that he moved from Houston to Los Angeles when he was just a kid, after his parents' divorce. His mom realized he was a child prodigy, and she immediately got him lessons and took him on auditions and he quickly moved up the ladder of showbiz. Could you tell us a little bit about his earliest years? Texas Standard: We don't get to learn a ton about Preston he just suddenly appears there in the video. This interview has been edited lightly for clarity. Listen to the audio player above or read the transcript below for more on Preston’s life before and after this time with the Beatles. “I mean, quite honestly, without Billy Preston, I don't know what ‘Get Back’ would have amounted to – probably some half-baked ideas.”īut Billy Preston was a lot more than that. “Billy saves the day,” KUTX Music Director Rick McNulty told Texas Standard.
But those who’ve seen the docuseries “ The Beatles: Get Back” by famed director Peter Jackson will see that Houston-born Billy Preston was the true Fifth Beatle the band needed while recording its final album. The term “the Fifth Beatle” has been thrown around a lot over the past decades – often in a generic way, referring to a musician or band's manger or producer.
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