JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS
BILLY PRESTON
It's advantageous to get an early start on your chosen career, but Billy Preston took the concept to extremes. By age ten he was playing keyboards with gospel diva Mahalia Jackson, and two years later, in 1958, he was featured in Hollywood's film bio of W.C. Handy, St. Louis Blues, as young Handy himself. Preston was a prodigy on organ and piano, recording during the early '60s for Vee-Jay and touring with Little Richard. He was a loose-limbed regular on the mid-'60s ABC TV series Shindig, proving his talent as both vocalist and pianist, and he built an enviable reputation as a session musician, even backing the Beatles on their Let It Be album. That impressive Beatles connection led to Preston's big break as a solo artist with his own Apple album, but it was his early-'70s soul smashes "Outa-Space" and the high-flying vocal "Will It Go Round in Circles" for A&M that put Preston on the permanent musical map. Sporting a humongous Afro and an omnipresent gap-toothed grin, Preston showed that his enduring gospel roots were never far removed from his joyous approach. He continued to perform and record throughout the '80s, '90s, and 2000s, until he fell into a coma caused by pericarditis late in 2005; sadly, he never regained consciousness and passed away on June 6, 2006. -- Bill Dahl, All Music Guide
 Official Billy Preston Website |
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Billy Preston Portfolio |
| R & B Page Real Audio Interview |
| LOOK | YEAR | ALBUM |
 | 1965 | Most Exciting Organ Ever |
| 1966 | Wildest Organ in Town! |
| 1967 | Club Meeting |
| 1969 | That's the Way God Planned It |
| 1969 | Billy Preston [Buddah Records] |
| 1969 | Greazee Soul |
| 1970 | Encouraging Words |
| 1971 | I Wrote a Simple Song |
| 1972 | Music Is My Life |
| 1973 | Original Billy Preston: Soul'd Out |
| 1973 | Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music |
| 1974 | The Kids & Me |
| 1974 | Live European Tour |
| 1975 | It's My Pleasure |
| 1975 | The Genius of Billy Preston |
| 1976 | Billy Preston[A & M Records] |
| 1977 | Whole New Thing |
| 1979 | Late at Night |
| 1981 | Billy and Syreeta |
| 1981 | The Way I Am |
| 1982 | Pressin' On |
| 1995 | Minister of Music |
| 1996 | Words & Music |
| 1997 | Universal Love |
| 2000 | Ultimate Collection |
1965 Most Exciting Organ Ever
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01. If I Had a Hammer 02. Low Down 03. Slippin' and Slidin' 04. Drown in My Own Tears 05. I Am Coming Through 06. Octopus |
07. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying 08. Soul Meeting 09. Let Me Know 10. Billy's Bag 11. Masquerade Is Over 12. Steady Gettin' It |
1966 Wildest Organ in Town!
1967 Club Meeting
1969 That's the Way God Planned It
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01. Do What You Want 02. I Want to Thank You 03. Everything's All Right 04. She Belongs to Me 05. It Doesn't Matter 06. Morning Star |
07. Hey Brother 08. What About You? 09. Let Us All Get Together Now 10. This Is It 11. Keep It to Yourself 12. That's the Way God Planned It, Pt. 1 - 2 |
1969 Billy Preston [Buddah Records]
1969 Greazee Soul
1970 Encouraging Words
1971 I Wrote a Simple Song
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01. Shoud've Kown Better 02. I Worte a Simple Song 03. John Henry 04. Without a Song 05. Bus 06. Outa-Space |
07. Looner Tune 08. You Done Got Older 09. Swing Down Chariot 10. God Is Great 11. My Country 'Tis of Thee |
1972 Music Is My Life
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01. We're Gonna Make It 02. One Time or Another 03. Blackbird 04. Will It Go Round in Circles 05. God Loves You |
06. Ain't That Nothing 07. Make the Devil Mad 08. Heart Full of Sorrow 09. Music's My Life |
1973 Original Billy Preston: Soul'd Out
1973 Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music
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01. Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music 02. You're So Unique 03. How Long Has That Train Been Gone 04. My Soul Is a Witness 05. Sunday Morning 06. You've Got Me for Company 07. Listen to the Wind |
08. Everybody Likes Some Kind of Music 09. Space Race 10. Do You Love Me? 11. I'm So Tired 12. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) 13. Minuet for Me |
1974 The Kids & Me
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01. Tell Me You Need My Loving 02. Nothing from Nothing 03. Struttin' 04. Sister Sugar 05. Sad Sad Song 06. You Are So Beautiful |
07. Sometimes I Love You 08. St. Elmo 09. John the Baptist 10. Little Black Boys and Girls 11. Creature Feature |
1974 Live European Tour
1975 It's My Pleasure
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01. Fancy Lady 02. Found the Love 03. That's Life 04. Do It While You Can |
05. It's My Pleasure 06. Song of Joy 07. I Can't Stand It 08. All of My Life |
1975 The Genius of Billy Preston
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01. Drown in My Tears 02. Low Down 03. Soul Meeting 04. Let Me Know 05. Billy's Bag |
06. Steady Gettin' It 07. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling 08. Go Now 09. Shotgun |
1976 Billy Preston [A & M Records]
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01. Do What You Want 02. Bells 03. I've Got the Spirit 04. When You Are Mine 05. Bad Case of Ego |
06. Take Time to Figure It Out 07. Let the Music Play 08. Simplify Your Life 09. Let's Make Love 10. Ecstasy |
1977 Whole New Thing
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01. Whole New Thing 02. Disco Dancin' 03. Complicated Sayings 04. Attitudes 05. I'm Really Gonna Miss You 06. Wide Stride |
07. You Got Me Buzzin' 08. Sweet Marie 09. Happy 10. Touch Me Love 11. You Don't Have to Go |
1979 Late at Night
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01. Give It up Hot 02. Lat at Night 03. All I Wanted Was You 04. You 05. I Come to Rest in You |
06. It Will Come in Time 07. Lovely Lady 08. With You I'm Born Again 09. Sock-It, Rocket |
1981 Billy and Syreeta
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01. Someone Special 02. Searchin' 03. Just for You 04. It's So Easy 05. Long & Lasting Love |
06. Love 07. One More Try 08. Hey You 09. New Way to Say I Love You 10. What We Did for Love |
1981 The Way I Am
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01. Hope 02. Good Life Boogie 03. Keep on Truckin' 04. Change Is Gonna Come 05. Lay Your Feeling on Me |
06. I Won't Mistreat Your Love 07. Baby I'm Yours 08. Until Then 09. Way I Am |
1982 Pressin' On
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01. Pressin' On 02. I'd Like to Go Back Home Again 03. Loving Is Easy 04. Turn It Out 05. I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye |
06. Thanks But No Thanks 07. Don't Try to Fight It 08. I Love You So 09. I Come out |
1995 Minister of Music
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01. Minister of Music 02. I'm Praying 03. Hold Me 04. I Love You Jesus 05. Yeah Yeah 06. I Love You Lord |
07. Jesus Is Lord 08. He's Coming Soon 09. Totally Surrender 10. Committed 11. Yield Not 12. Oh the Glory of His Presence |
1996 Words & Music
1997 Universal Love
2000 Ultimate Collection
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01. Will It Go Round In Circles 02. Outa-Space 03. Slaughter 04. I Wrote A Simple Song 05. That's The Way God Planned It - Live 06. Struttin' 07. Fancy Lady 08. You're So Unique 09. Space Race 10. Get Back |
11. Blackbird 12. Wide Stride 13. Nothing From Nothing 14. I'm Really Gonna Miss You 15. You Are So Beautiful 16. With You I'm Born Again 17. Since I Held You Close 18. Go For It 19. One More Time For Love 20. I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye |
