Billy Preston
The late American keyboardist, who worked with the band on the seminal anthology Permit It Exist, is the only musician given credit on a Beatles' label.
Originally published Nov. 27, 2021. The Beatles didn't frequently share the spotlight with other artists, but on the legendary single Become Back, a fifth name stands out amidst the Fab Four: Billy Preston. The late American keyboardist, who worked with the band on the seminal album Permit Information technology Be, is the just musician given credit on a Beatles' label. "In that location were a bunch of parts sitting around — there was George, there was John, there was Paul and in that location was Ringo — and then all of a sudden, Billy comes in the room and he sprinkled the mucilage and the glitter, and it all simply felt proficient," said Joyce Moore, Preston's long-fourth dimension friend and former manager. Preston's fourth dimension with the ring is featured in the new Peter Jackson documentary, The Beatles: Become Back. It chronicles the making of the Let Information technology Exist anthology, drawing from fabric recorded for the 1970 documentary almost the album. He was invited to bring together the band every bit they rehearsed the album by George Harrison — who, himself, had temporarily walked away from the grouping. "God works in funny ways, and timing is everything. And as it happens, [the] timing was that they needed a keyboard role player, and they were trying to figure out who they could get," she said. Before becoming known to some as the fifth Beatle, Preston was a virtuosic young kid, according to Moore. At three, he was playing piano with both hands, she says. Past nine, he was performing in and helping direct the choir at Victory Baptist Church in Los Angeles. Around that time, a casting director for the film St. Louis Blues, about blues composer and musician Due west.C. Handy, discovered the young musician. "Hither's this little punk child in his choir robe merely showing out — not being braggadocious or anything, just just being Billy," said Moore. He was presently cast to play Handy every bit a child. His shot at stardom would come years subsequently, however. At 16, Preston was invited by soul and funk singer Fiddling Richard to accompany him on his bout in Hamburg, Germany, in the early on 1960s. The Beatles were Little Richard'south opening deed for his run at Hamburg's Star-Guild, helping to launch the band'south career. While Richard wouldn't let Preston jam with the iv Brits, the musicians were close in historic period and formed a shut friendship backstage — one forged through food, says Moore. "Equally the opening act, [The Beatles] weren't getting fed," she recalled. "And when Baton ... realized he could order as much nutrient as he wanted out of the kitchen, he would order four or five steaks every night and a bunch of baked potatoes and vegetables, desserts, you proper name it." "You know what they say: the all-time way to a man's center is through his stomach," she said. "Well, he won them all over." Preston reunited with The Beatles in 1969, simply equally the four were rehearsing Permit It Be. The keyboard player was in London, performing with Ray Charles and Harrison met him backstage. The Beatles invited him to end by the band's rehearsal infinite at Apple Records. "It had cipher to do with music. It was about, 'Hey, come see the guys. They'll exist so happy to run into you,'" said Moore. But as fate would have it, the ring needed someone on the keyboard — and Preston fit the bill. He recorded with the band on the roof of Apple Records later that yr. "It just worked," she said. "Four became v." Throughout his career, Preston worked with artists from Sam Cooke to The Rolling Stones. His solo records earned him disquisitional acclamation, including a Grammy for his 1971 hit Outa-Space. Preston died in 2006 following a kidney-related illness that left him in a coma for months. Seeing his work immortalized in The Beatles: Become Back, says Moore, is a attestation to his touch on music and the ring that invited him in. "For me, there's a piece of my heart that breaks considering Billy isn't hither to enjoy information technology, to savour it, to really realize his role and his significance and his import to those guys, and the love and respect they had for him." Written by Jason Vermes. Produced past Sameer Chhabra. 
Touring with Piddling Richard
Played for musicians from Sam Cooke to The Rolling Stones
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/flooding-and-pipelines-woody-the-talking-christmas-tree-indigenous-land-title-the-fifth-beatle-and-more-1.6263170/how-american-keyboardist-billy-preston-became-known-as-the-fifth-beatle-1.6263180
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