September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006
William Everett Preston was a celebrated studio musician (piano/organ – mainly) who worked with an astonishing list of artists that includes Little Richard, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash and the Beatles. It was his work with the latter during the “Get Back”/”Let it Be” and “Abbey Road” sessions that led to his unofficial designation as “the fifth Beatle.1” He also played extensively with the Rolling Stones both live and in the studio. Not bad.
Billy went on to release a number of solo albums and had hits in the Billboard charts, including 1973’s “Will It Go Round in Circles” and 1974’s “Nothing from Nothing”…both of which reached the top of the U.S. charts